Fees Payment Funding - Fees, payment and funding

Fees, payment and funding

At TAFE NSW, you have a range of flexible payment options to help you complete your course. You may also be eligible for financial assistance.

Fees Payment Funding - Calculate

Calculate your fee

To know how much your course will cost, follow these steps for a fee estimate:

Find the course you're interested in
Choose the location and study option you are interested in
Scroll down to view the ‘fee details' section.

If the course you're interested in is being offered under Smart and Skilled, you can estimate your fee. Use the ‘calculate your fee’ button in the ‘fee details' section.

If your course does not have a ‘calculate your fee’ button on the information page, that means no government subsidies apply. Instead, you can find the course cost in the ‘fee details’ section.

The ‘calculate your fee’ questionnaire will give you a fee estimate (not a fee guarantee) based on your eligibility for Smart and Skilled. You may need to show evidence to prove eligibility for Smart and Skilled.

Your student fee is only confirmed after the information you supply in the enrolment process is verified by our enrolment team. For more information on how Smart and Skilled eligibility is assessed, you can check the eligibility requirements for Smart and Skilled.

If you are an International student studying in Australia on a student visa (subclass 500), visit the TAFE NSW International website for fee information. For details on fees for TAFE NSW Degrees or TVET, please visit the TAFE NSW higher education fees page or TVET fees page.

You can either pay your fees directly, or a third party, such as your employer, can pay for you. Student fees are also sometimes paid as part of a training contract with TAFE NSW.

Payments can be made:

Using a credit card (Visa or MasterCard) over the phone, through the student portal, or at a campus.
By generating a fee statement/invoice notice through the student portal and paying via BPay. Please note that BPay payments may not be available if your course starts in 3 days or less.

Payments for some Nationally Non Recognised (NNR) courses can only be made:

through the student portal, using a credit card.
by BPay. Please note that BPay payments may not be available if your course starts in 3 days or less.
cash is not accepted.

Once your enrolment is confirmed, you’ll be able to:

attend and participate in training
sit for examinations
access academic documents
use TAFE NSW amenities and services
receive an active TAFEcard that gives you access to library resources.

Paying fees in instalments

To help you manage the cost of your study, many courses with a duration of three months or more have instalment plans available. If your course is eligible, you can opt in for an instalment plan when you enrol.

Your first payment is required to confirm your enrolment in the course. The payment amount will depend on your individual circumstances, and the number of instalments will depend on your course duration.

If your employer or nominated third party stops payment of your student fees, you’ll still need to pay any remaining student fees. This is a condition of your enrolment and continuation of study.

Having trouble paying your fees?

If you need help or have trouble paying outstanding fees, let us know by contacting your local TAFE NSW campus.

We can help guide you through your options. Outstanding fees or charges may restrict your access to training and learning materials, so it’s important that you let us know of any changes.

Fees Payment Funding - Financial Assistance

Funding and financial assistance

To help you achieve your study goals, we offer a range of funding and financial assistance options, which include:

Fees Payment Funding - Government support

You may be eligible for government-subsidised training

Did you know you may be able to access government-subsidised training under Smart and Skilled?

To qualify, you need to be:

an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, a humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen
aged 15 years or older
living or working in NSW, or registered as a NSW apprentice or new entrant trainee, or
no longer at school

If you meet these criteria, you may be eligible for subsidised training that includes fee exemptions or concessions. However, if you enrol in a government-subsidised TAFE NSW course, you'll need to pay a Smart and Skilled student fee, unless you qualify for a fee exemption.

You may also be eligible for a Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship. For more information you can read the Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy.

If you're not a resident of NSW or working within NSW, you can still enrol in TAFE NSW courses, but you'll need to pay the full fee for the course.

If you are a NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) registered home-schooled student who want to undertake a course in addition to your home schooling, you may also be eligible for Smart and Skilled subsidised training.

Fees Payment Funding - Concessions or Fee exemptions

You may be eligible for concessions or fee exemptions

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are eligible to be exempt from paying the Smart and Skilled student fees if they live or work in NSW, or live at identified postcodes which border NSW.

View eligible postcodes on the Smart and Skilled Non-NSW Resident ATSI Application form. If you're an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student you may also have access to government-subsidised training places in TAFE NSW.

Students living with disability

If you meet the eligibility requirements for Smart and Skilled and receive a disability support pension you will be exempt from paying the Smart and Skilled student fee.

If you are a current dependent child, spouse or partner of a recipient of a Disability Support Pension, and meet the eligibility requirements for Smart and Skilled, you may also be exempt from paying course fees.

If you receive a Disability Support Pension, your Customer Reference Number (CRN) will be checked with Centrelink to validate your eligibility for a fee exemption.

By enrolling, you consent and authorise TAFE NSW to validate your CRN with Centrelink. To complete your enrolment, you may need to fill out the TAFE NSW Fee Exemption application form. Your eligibility for a fee exemption will be determined at the time of enrolment.

Students who don’t receive a Disability Support Pension

If you live with disability and need additional support for your studies, you might still qualify for Smart and Skilled funding, even if you don’t receive a Disability Support Pension. To qualify and be exempt from the Smart and Skilled student fee, you’ll need to be assessed by a Disability Teacher Consultant.

How to contact a Disability Teacher Consultant

To contact a Disability Teacher Consultant, call 131 601 and follow the prompts for Support Services. A Disability Teacher Consultant will assess whether you meet the eligibility criteria for a Smart and Skilled exemption.

Please note there are other factors, such as whether it’s your first time enrolling in the course, that could affect your eligibility for funding.

Apprentices and Trainees

If you are a new apprentice commencing training for the first time on or after July 1, 2018, you may be eligible for a fee-free apprenticeship.

If you are a new trainee commencing training for the first time on or after January 1, 2020, you may be eligible for a fee-free traineeship.

Concession fees

If you are eligible for Smart and Skilled and receive an eligible Commonwealth benefit or allowance, you may qualify to pay the Smart and Skilled concession fee instead of the Smart and Skilled student fee. To qualify, you need to receive your benefit or allowance at the time of enrolment, or at course commencement.

A concession fee applies to many Certificate I to Certificate IV qualifications. However, Diploma or Advanced Diploma qualifications are not eligible for concession fees.

You may be eligible to pay the Smart and Skilled concession fee if you receive the:

JobSeeker Payment
Age Pension
Austudy
Disability Support Pension
Carer Payment
Family Tax Benefit Part A (maximum rate)
Farm Household Allowance
Parenting Payment (Single)
Special Benefit
Veterans' Affairs Payments
Veterans' Children Education Scheme
Widow Allowance
Youth Allowance

If you are a recipient of any of these eligible benefits or allowances, your dependent child, spouse or partner may also be eligible for the concession fee.

TAFE NSW will check your CRN with Centrelink to validate your eligibility for a concession fee before you can complete your enrolment.

If you are eligible for a Smart and Skilled concession fee and aged between 15 and 30 years, you may also be eligible to receive the Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship.

Follow the ‘calculate your fee’ steps above to see a fee estimate for each course you are interested in. This fee estimate can answer whether you may be eligible for a free course under the Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship.

Subsidised training for temporary visa holders

If you hold a temporary visa, you may be entitled to NSW government-subsidised training, including your student fee waived, at Certificate I to Certificate IV level.

For more details, check the temporary visa holder page.

This fee waiver applies if you, or your eligible partner, hold any of these visas:

a humanitarian visa
a bridging visa (BVA, BVB, BVC, BVD, BVE)
Pacific Island engagement visa

It also applies if you have applied for any of these visas:

humanitarian visa
temporary humanitarian stay visa
temporary humanitarian concern visa.

You will need to provide your visa documentation, or your ImmiCard as evidence to prove your eligibility.

Fees Payment Funding - Refunds Withdrawals

Refunds and withdrawals

If you need to withdraw or defer your study, speak with your teacher first. You’ll then need to contact your campus in writing and complete any relevant forms.

Your refund eligibility and amount is affected when you notify us of your decision to withdraw. For further information and help on this process, please visit our page on refunds and withdrawals.

Announcement Portlet