The NSW Government provides subsidies to cover some training costs through a program called Smart and Skilled. This means you might be able to do some courses for free or for a lower cost. This page explains who is eligible for the program, which courses you can do, and the different fees.
To be eligible for Smart and Skilled, you must:
You must also:
If you don’t have a USI, you can find your USI or create a USI at the USI website. We can also help you find your USI or create one when you enrol or apply online.
You will need to enrol in an eligible Smart and Skilled course to qualify for a reduction of your fees. Find a course below, enrol and check your eligibility.
The following NSW Skills List course types are subsidised by the NSW Government:
Certificate I
Certificate II
Certificate III
Certificate IV
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
Apprenticeships and traineeships
Apprenticeship and Traineeship courses
Short courses (Statement of Attainment)
Fee-free foundation skills courses to help with reading, writing, numeracy skills; courses to help you get a job, and courses to further your training or study.
Not every course qualifies for Smart and Skilled. To find out if the course you’re interested in qualifies, check our course page.
At TAFE NSW we have different types of Smart and Skilled fees. Depending on the course and your circumstances, you may:
access fee-free training through Smart and Skilled
qualify for a fee-free scholarship
be eligible for free training as an apprentice or trainee
pay a reduced concession fee based on your Centrelink eligibility
pay standard student fees.
Use the fee calculator on each course page to estimate the course fees.
Fee-free training means you don’t have to pay for your course. The course fees are fully subsidised.
If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you may qualify for free courses under Smart and Skilled. This assistance is available if you live or work in NSW or in nearby border areas. If you live outside of NSW, you can check if your postcode qualifies in the current Smart and Skilled Student Eligibility Policy.
If you live with disability, receive the Disability Support Pension (or are the dependant of someone who does), you may be exempt from fees for Smart and Skilled training. To see if you qualify, check the Smart and Skilled website.
If you’re a humanitarian visa holder enrolled in a Smart and Skilled course (Certificate I to Certificate IV), you may be eligible for fee-free training. This eligibility also extends to the partners of humanitarian visa holders for any training commencing from 1 July 2021, onwards. You’ll need to provide your visa and your partner's visa as evidence. To check your eligibility, visit Temporary Visa Holders – TAFE NSW.
Some courses that support priority industries are fee-free at TAFE NSW. Fee-free places are limited, and are not guaranteed. When you enrol, we’ll tell you if you can apply for a fee-free place.
If you’re a registered apprentice or trainee you could be eligible for fee-free training under Smart and Skilled. Apprenticeships qualify if they started on or after 1 July 2018. Traineeships qualify if they started on or after 1 January 2020. We’ll apply the fee-free training automatically if we’ve received your training plan proposal.
A fee-free scholarship means you don’t have to pay for your course. The course fees are fully subsidised. To be eligible for a fee-free scholarship, you must be:
You may also be able to access a fee-free scholarship if you have experienced domestic or family violence, or have lived in out-of-home care.
We’ll confirm your fee-free scholarship when you enrol. If you’re eligible, you can receive up to 2 fee-free scholarships over 4 years.
Domestic or family violence
If you’ve experienced domestic or family violence, Smart and Skilled can help you build new skills. You can get fee-free training for a Certificate I to a Certificate IV.
To be considered for a fee-free scholarship, you’ll need to connect with our counselling and careers development team to provide a document that shows you’ve accessed a domestic and family violence service. We'll keep your information private, in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Out-of-home care
You’re eligible to get free training to study a Certificate I through to a Certificate IV level qualification if you’re aged:
You’ll also need one of the following documents:
If you’re not eligible to receive fee-free training or a fee-free scholarship, you may be able to pay a concession fee. This is less than the full fee for the course.
If you’re a Commonwealth Government Benefit recipient or if you're the dependent child, spouse or partner of someone who is, you may pay a lower fee for your training.
We’ll check with Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs to see if you can pay the concession fee before you enrol. To check this, we will need your Customer Reference Number (CRN) or, in some cases, an income statement.
These Centrelink payments include:
We'll ask you to complete a consent form with details of the person receiving the payment. This is so we can confirm the details with Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Concession fees are available for courses from Certificate I to Certificate IV level. Concession fees do not apply to diplomas or advanced diplomas. For these courses, you may be eligible for a VET Student Loan.
TAFE NSW is an approved VET Student Loans program provider. The program may be able to help you pay for a vocational education and training (VET) course that is diploma level or above.
Find out more about VET Student Loans, including eligibility requirements, how to apply, and repaying your loan.
If you’re enrolled in a Smart and Skilled course, you’ll pay the full student fee if you don’t qualify for:
If you do pay reduced student fees, the fee you pay for your study depends on your situation and whether it’s your first or second course.
Our Enrolment and Student Administration Policy outlines the conditions of payments and eligibility of refunds.
When you enrol, we will need to confirm your:
These will need to be confirmed before we can confirm your fee.
If you have completed a course under Smart and Skilled, you are unable to access further subsidies for that same course.
If you have completed part of a course, you might be able to secure more funding. However, you need to formally withdraw from any courses to keep your chances of receiving support for a similar course, in the future. If you would like to recommence your studies in the same course and need assistance, please contact us if you need help.
We’ll let you know if another training provider is responsible for delivering all or part of your course. Details about the delivery of your course, including any third parties involved, will be included on your course page.
If you don’t have a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI) you won’t be able to apply for Smart and Skilled subsidies. You can find your USI or create a USI at the USI website. We can also help you find your USI or create one when you enrol or apply online.
You can apply to have your previous skills, experience and learning recognised when you enrol in your course through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or credit transfer.
If you need to make changes to your enrolment, we can support you through the processes of deferring, withdrawals and refunds.
As a TAFE NSW student, you have a right to:
The TAFE NSW Customer Complaints and Feedback Policy was developed in line with ASQA and Smart and Skilled requirements.
This policy:
You can report a problem or concern to any TAFE NSW employee, or by completing our online complaint form. Your concern will be recorded and dealt with quickly and confidentially.
To find out more, visit our complaints and feedback page or read our Customer Complaints and Feedback Policy. If you’re unable to resolve your complaint or are not satisfied with the response, you can email consumerprotection@tafensw.edu.au or discuss your concerns with an external body.
TAFE NSW offers a wide range of support options, including:
Access and explore our student support services.
If you need more support, call us on 131 601, chat to us online, visit a TAFE NSW campus, send us an enquiry below, or visit the Smart and Skilled website for more information.
For more information on Smart and skilled, visit the Smart and Skilled website.
For help, call us on 131 601, chat to us online, visit a TAFE NSW campus, or submit an enquiry.
Our counselling services are available to anyone considering TAFE NSW as a place to study.