Free TAFE for Priority Courses

You may opt in for Free TAFE when completing the eligibility criteria section of your course application. If you opted ‘no’ to Free TAFE and once you have commenced your course, we will be unable to consider your request to opt in for Free TAFE.

Under the Victorian Government-subsidised training, the government pays a large portion of the cost of your training if you are eligible, and you make a contribution by paying fees.

If you are eligible for Free TAFE Priority Courses, the government will pay your tuition fees for your course.

Any Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or New Zealand citizen is eligible to do Free TAFE for Priority Courses, as long as you are physically present in Victoria for the duration of your studies.

If you are eligible, Free TAFE for Priority Courses pays the tuition fees for your whole course.  

You will still need to pay for textbooks (if there are any) and other miscellaneous fees, such as graduation fees and materials fees.

You can complete more than one Free TAFE course within the same priority pathway. This means you can do a Certificate III, Certificate IV and Diploma within the same priority pathway without paying tuition fees.

There is a limit of one Free TAFE course per person for Free TAFE courses that do not fall under a priority pathway study area.

You need to make a careful choice about which course you undertake, so talk to us if you are unsure.

The Free TAFE initiative will only cover fees for courses on the Free TAFE for Priority Courses list, but there are other courses you can do at Swinburne where you may be eligible for subsidised fees.

The VET Student Loan program allows eligible students who are studying relevant diploma courses or above to secure a loan to cover the upfront cost of tuition fees. In some instances, you may be eligible for a concession on the amount of tuition fees ou will need to pay if you meet the eligibility and concession requirements.  

Visit our fees page to find out more about eligibility.

The Free TAFE for Priority Courses are in areas where there are likely to be more jobs in the future.

Yes, to be eligible you will need to be physically present in Victoria while completing your studies.

No, this would be counted as continuing your existing enrolment (not a new commencement in 2023), so you would not be eligible for a fee waiver for your 2023 units.

Yes, you can. Your eligibility for a Free TAFE for Priority Courses fee waiver will depend on whether you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident, and whether you have previously commenced a Free TAFE for Priority Course.

Yes. The fee waiver for a Free TAFE course lasts the duration of your course, regardless of its length or the time it takes you to complete.  

This depends on your existing enrolment, as you can only start one Free TAFE for Priority Course with a fee waiver.  

 If you are returning from a leave of absence and your existing course was a Free TAFE for Priority Course with a fee waiver and you want to:

• continue your studies in the same course, your tuition will remain fee-free.
• enrol in a different course that is also on the Free TAFE for Priority Courses list, you will not be eligible for another fee waiver.

If you are returning from a leave of absence and your existing course was not a Free TAFE for Priority course and you want to enrol in a Free TAFE for Priority course, you may be eligible for a fee waiver if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Courses undertaken as Free TAFE for Priority Courses are treated the same way as any other course you have undertaken, for the purpose of determining whether you are eligible for further Victorian Government-subsidised training. 

Talk to us about whether you will have future Victorian Government-subsidised training options.