Eligibility criteria for government-subsidised training 

To be eligible for a government-subsidised place, you must meet various eligibility criteria and the course you’ve applied for must also be offering government-subsidised places. Swinburne will determine your eligibility by conducting a full assessment of your eligibility during the course application process.

Find out more about Skills First

General eligibility requirements

Citizenship

To be eligible for Skills First training, you must be:

  1. physically present in the state of Victoria at all times at which you are undertaking the training and assessment; and
  2. an Australian citizen or holder of a permanent visa, or a New Zealand Citizen (visa 444).
     

Age

Skills First prioritises training for young people (under 20), Apprenticeships and Foundation Skills, and otherwise requires students to do progressively higher qualifications to be eligible. 

If you are under 20 years of age (as at 1 January in the year of commencement of training) you are eligible to enrol in any Skills First subsidised training at any level.

If you are 20 years of age or older (as at 1 January in the year of commencement of training) you are eligible to enrol in Skills First subsidised training in:

  • a program that is at a higher AQF level than the highest qualification held at the time of the scheduled commencement of training (‘upskilling’).
  • a program on the Foundation Skills List (unless the individual already holds a qualification issued by an Australian VET or higher education provider that is at AQF level 5 (Diploma) or higher).
  • training as an Apprentice (not Trainee) under an Approved Training Scheme.
  • training in the VCE or the VCAL (Intermediate or Senior); or
  • a Skills First funded Skill Set.
     

The Volume limits

There are also limits on how much Skills First training you can do, a Skills First Student can only:

  • commence a maximum of two Skills First subsidised Skill Sets in a calendar year (the ‘2 Skill Sets in a year’ limit).
  • commence a maximum of two Skills First subsidised programs that are AQF qualifications in a calendar year (the ‘2 AQF qualifications in a year’ limit). 
  • undertake a maximum of two Skills First subsidised programs at any one time (the ‘2 at a time’ limit); and 
  • commence a maximum of two government-subsidised programs in their lifetime that are at the same AQF level (the ‘2 at level in a lifetime’ limit).


Eligibility exemptions

Even if you aren’t eligible, you might be able to get an exemption that allows you to do Skills First training. 

All students will be assessed and notified throughout the application process. 

Specific eligibility requirements

An apprentice is a person who has entered into a registered training contract to study a qualification defined as an apprenticeship in a relevant Victorian Approved Training Scheme. 

You are not considered an apprentice if you: 

  • have entered into a training contract registered interstate. 
  • are undertaking a pre-apprenticeship; or 
  • have a registered training contract in a qualification defined as a traineeship in a relevant Victorian Approved Training Scheme.
     

If you are commencing an apprenticeship that has already started or is scheduled to start in a qualification on the Victorian Government's list of Approved Pre-Apprenticeship and Pathway Programs you may still be eligible to enrol in two other vocational education programs in a government-subsidised place.

You are not eligible for Skills First subsidised training in programs on the Foundation Skills List if you:

  • hold an AQF qualification issued by an Australian VET or higher education provider that is at AQF level 5 (Diploma) or higher.
  • are enrolled in the Commonwealth Government’s ‘Skills for Education and Employment’ program.

The initiative is to support the Victorian Government’s industry plan for family violence prevention and response. 

Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk

Exemptions from some of the Skills First eligibility criteria has been granted for individuals wanting to enrol in Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk. 

When assessing an individual’s eligibility for a Skills First subsidised training place Swinburne University of Technology will not consider some of the Skills First eligibility criteria.  

Provided you meet the following criteria, eligibility exemptions will apply:

You must: 

  • Be physically present in the state of Victoria at all times at which you are undertaking the training and assessment; and
  • Be an Australian citizen or holder of a permanent visa, or a New Zealand Citizen (visa 444)
     

Completion in Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk will not be considered when determining an individual’s future eligibility for funded training. 

Government initiatives 

If you’re referred to training under a special government initiative or don’t meet certain criteria above, you may still be eligible for a Victorian government-subsidised place. 

Government initiatives include:

Not eligible for a government-subsidised place? 

If you are ineligible for a government-subsidised place, you may be offered a full-fee place. You can get an estimate of your total course cost by checking the indicative course fees. 

Fee concessions

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a concession to help reduce the amount of fees you need to pay. 

Concessions on tuition fees are available for government-subsidised training in all courses below diploma level; and for training at any level (including diploma level and above) for Indigenous students. 

Find out if you’re eligible for a fee concession.

Need some assistance?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about your eligibility for a government-subsidised place or fee concession, contact studentHQ in person or call the team on 1300 794 628 (option 1) and we’ll assist you. 

Ready to apply?

Now that you know if you’re eligible for the Skills First program, why not apply for your course?

How to apply