Fee concession and exemption

Learn about the fee concession and exemption that is available to eligible vocational education students.

How much you’ll pay will depend on whether you’re offered a Victorian Government subsidised place or a full-fee paying place.

Recent changes to funding eligibility means that more people who want to study a Vocational Education program at RMIT, and already have a qualification, will be able to access government subsidy to support the cost of their course.

Fee concession in detail

See if you are eligible to apply for a concession (discount) on fees for your government subsidised place in a RMIT vocational education program.

If your application for a fee concession is successful, you will be charged a concession rate equivalent to 20% of the tuition fee payable by non-concession students in a government subsidised place for your program.

You will also be charged a lower rate on your Student services and amenities fee.

The eligibility criteria are set by the Victorian Government and assessed by RMIT in accordance with government directives, which are subject to change at any time.

In general, you are eligible if you have a valid concession card such as a Commonwealth Health Care Card. You must hold a valid card at the time you apply for a fee concession.

Fee Concession changes effective 1 Jan 2024. Eligible students will have the concession applied to all tuition and SSAF for the duration of their program. This is regardless of whether the student’s concession enrolment will expire before commencement of training or before they complete their program.

Please log onto your EOL to view your class start and end dates or contact your school for information about class start dates.

You cannot apply for a fee concession if you:

  • are enrolled in a diploma level program or above (including diploma, advanced diploma, vocational graduate certificate or vocational graduate diploma) unless you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student in a government subsidised place
  • are enrolled in an Australian full fee place or international full fee place.

Students enrolled in certificate I – IV programs

To be eligible for a fee concession you must:

  • hold a valid Commonwealth Health Care Card, or be named on the card as a dependant child/spouse, or
  • hold a valid Pensioner Card, or be named on the card as a dependant child/spouse, or
  • hold a valid Veterans' Gold Card.

Asylum Seeker VET program

Students enrolled in a Skill Set and/or Certificate I – IV level programs under the Asylum Seeker VET program are eligible for a fee concession on their government subsidised place, for more information please see, Victorian government: Asylum Seeker VET program.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Changes effective 1 Jan 2024  - Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander students commencing study in a government subsidised place for 2024 will not be charged tuition or SSAF fees at all program levels (including diploma, advanced diploma, vocational graduate certificate and vocational graduate diploma programs).

You do not require additional documentation to support your application and you are not required to complete an application each academic year.

If you think you are eligible, apply now.

Fee exemption in detail

See if you are eligible to apply for a fee exemption for your government subsidised place in a RMIT vocational education program.

If your application is successful, you will not be charged tuition fees for your program.

The eligibility criteria are set by the Victorian Government and assessed by RMIT in accordance with government directives, which are subject to change at any time.

You are entitled to a fee exemption if you:

  • are enrolled in a RMIT vocational education program and
  • hold written confirmation from the management of the Judy Lazarus Transition Centre or the relevant Youth Justice Unit of the Department of Human Services
  • are a young person on a community based order and hold written confirmation from the relevant Youth Justice Unit of the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety. 
  • are referred to training under the Skills First Youth Access Initiative by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, or a referring agency.

You cannot apply for a fee exemption if you:

  • are enrolled in a diploma level program or above (including diploma, advanced diploma, vocational graduate certificate or vocational graduate diploma) unless you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student in a government subsidised place. 
  • are enrolled in a Domestic full fee place or international full fee place.

If you think you are eligible, apply now.

Health Care Card

If you are eligible for a Health Care Card, you may be eligible for a vocational education fee concession, depending on your level of study.

You do not have to be receiving a Centrelink payment to get a Health Care Card. Provided you meet Australian residency requirements and satisfy the income test you may be eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card.

If you are receiving Abstudy, Austudy or Youth Allowance (student) benefits you need to apply separately for a Health Care Card and must also satisfy the income test.

If your application for a fee concession is successful, you will be charged a concession rate equivalent to 20% of the tuition fee payable by non-concession students in a government subsidised place for your program. 

You will also be charged a lower rate on your Student services and amenities fee.

Other benefits of holding a Health Care Card:

  1. You can get a concession on public transport.
  2. You could get a number of other concessions outside of RMIT, including cheaper health care, cheaper prescription medicines, concession on car registration and more.

You can apply for a Health Care Card through Centrelink on tel. 13 2490.

Apply for a fee concession or exemption

Information about applying for a fee concession or exemption for eligible vocational education students.

You must apply before you commence your program.

Your application must be submitted before the start date of your first scheduled class.

Please log onto your EOL to view your class start and end dates or contact your school for information about class start dates.

If you apply after your first scheduled class then your concession or exemption will be applied to the next eligible class in which you are enrolled, and all other eligible classes that have not yet commenced.

You can apply before you are enrolled.

If you are the named card holder apply via Enrolment Online

  1. Log into Enrolment Online.
  2. Select ‘Apply for a fee concession’ from the My student record page.
  3. Complete the online form by confirming the type of concession card you hold and your Customer Reference Number (CRN) or Veterans’ Affairs Reference Number (VRN).
  4. You will be notified immediately of your eligibility for a fee concession.

If you are listed as a child or dependant apply at RMIT Connect

Complete a hard copy of the Application for vocational education fee concession and exemption form, you can pick up a hard copy application form from Student Connect or the RMIT School that runs your program

Present your completed form at RMIT Connect or the RMIT school, along with:

  • the original and,
  • any other documentation required to support your application (e.g. Job Seeker referral form for Job Seekers).

If you have applied for but not yet received your concession card, then you may instead provide a letter from Centrelink that confirms you have submitted your application and been approved for your concession card. You must then provide RMIT with a copy of your concession card once it has been issued.

If you have a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), you may apply via Enrolment Online. If successful, you are not required to provide a copy of your concession card.

Important

You must:

  • supply the information specified above or your application cannot be assessed
  • retain a copy of your form when you apply.

If you do not enrol into any eligible classes, you will remain liable for the total tuition fees invoiced unless you withdraw from the class prior to the class census date.

Find out more

For more information about fee concessions and exemptions, please contact RMIT Connect.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.