Fee-free* TAFE Courses 2025

For eligible students, “Fee-free” means your tuition fee will be covered by the Australian and NSW governments. You may still need to pay for materials for your course e.g. a uniform to wear on your work placement. * Eligibility criteria apply.

To be eligible, you must at the time of enrolment:

• Live or work in New South Wales.
• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident, or a humanitarian visa holder.
• Be aged 15 years or over and not enrolled at any school.
• Be enrolling in a course for the first time for Semester 2, 2025 and your studies must commence between 1 July and 31 December 2025.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you fall under one or more of these categories:

• First Nations people
• LGBTIQ+ community
• Veterans
• Job seekers
• Young people
• Unpaid carers
• Women interested in non-traditional fields
• People living with a disability
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Search for the course you’re interested in and choose the location where you want to enrol. Select the ‘Calculate my fee button’ and answer the questions. The calculator will display a message letting you know if you’re eligible and the course is part of the Fee-free TAFE Program.

Fee-free TAFE will cover tuition fees for one course only per semester.

Attend an information session and speak to teachers about the course. Sessions can be face to face or virtual. Find an information session here:
https://www.tafensw.edu.au/information-sessions

You can also find more information in the Career Guide which may help you decide if a course is right for you.

There are different processes to follow to request a NSW Fee-free place for an ‘apply’ or an ‘enrol’ course.

Enrol and request a NSW Fee-free TAFE place
If your course has no entry requirements it will have a ‘start enrolment’ button.

1. Enrol in your course
   When you enrol the online portal will display fees. Select ‘pay now’, then choose the ‘pay later’ option.
2. Receive fees confirmation
   We’ll check your eligibility and we’ll email you to let you know whether you’ve got a NSW Fee-free TAFE place. If you’re successful, your portal will be updated to show your fees as $0.

Apply and request a Fee-free TAFE place
If your course has entry requirements it will have a ‘start application’ button.

1. Apply for your course
   Your teacher will check your application to see whether you meet the entry requirements. As places are limited it’s important that you supply all the necessary documentation to support your application.
2. Accept your offer
   We’ll email you to let you know whether you’ve been accepted into the course.
   If you’re successful, the email will include instructions to accept your offer.
   When you accept your offer, the online portal will display fees. Select ‘pay now’, then choose the ‘pay later’ option.
3. Receive fees confirmation
   Once you have accepted your offer, we’ll check your eligibility for a Fee-free place and email you to let you know whether you’ve got a NSW Fee-free TAFE place. If you’re successful, your portal will be updated to show your fees as $0.

You can only use one NSW Fee-free TAFE place per semester. If you submit more than one request, only your first request will be considered. If you would like some advice on the best course for you, contact 131 601, or attend an Information Session for a course area that interests you.

Enrolments and applications for NSW Fee-free TAFE for Semester 2 courses open on Monday 12 May 2025 for full-qualification courses starting from 1 July 2025.

If your NSW Fee-free TAFE request is not successful, you can either pay the fees for your chosen course or enrol or apply for another TAFE NSW course or cancel your enrolment.

You'll need to submit a new NSW Fee-free TAFE place request for any new course you apply for.

You can only use one NSW Fee-free TAFE place per semester.

If you’ve already made a payment, and your request for a NSW Fee-free TAFE place is successful, TAFE NSW will refund what you’ve paid.

Your place is not held whilst your NSW Fee-free TAFE request is being processed. Your enrolment is confirmed when you receive an email from TAFE NSW confirming your enrolment.

There is a chance that a class may fill up while you are waiting for your request to be processed.

You’ll receive an email from TAFE NSW confirming whether you have been successful in securing a NSW Fee-free TAFE place, and a confirmation of your enrolment.

Don’t forget to accept your offer. Instructions for accepting your offer will be in the email giving you the offer.

If you are under 18 years of age, we’ll require the signature of your parent/guardian before you enrol. Call us on 131 601 for an enrolment form, and we’ll take you through the next steps. If you are under 18, you won’t be able to enrol online.