Upskill or retrain without having to worry about the cost. Apply for a Free TAFE course that you can complete in as little as six months.
Upskill or retrain without having to worry about the cost. Apply for a Free TAFE course that you can complete in as little as six months.
Free TAFE gives more Victorians the chance to gain the skills they need at TAFE. Eligible students do not pay tuition fees for a range of vocational qualifications associated with in-demand jobs.
There has never been a better time to train for a new career or reskill into an industry with lots of exciting opportunities.
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident; or a New Zealand citizen, you may be eligible to study Free TAFE for Priority courses in Victoria. Students must first meet the Victorian State Government eligibility criteria which include location, citizenship and education history.
In addition, asylum seekers who hold one of the eligible current valid visa types with study rights may be eligible under the Asylum Seeker VET Program. Find out more about Study opportunities for People Seeking Asylum.
Free TAFE pathways is another option you may be eligible for which allows you access to more than one Free TAFE course, as long as the courses are all within the same pathway. See the FAQs below for more information on these pathways.
Whether you're looking to launch your career or reskill for the future of work, there are many reasons why studying a Free TAFE course in Melbourne might be perfect for you. Here are just a few of the reasons why.
Still not convinced that a Free TAFE course is for you? Check out our five reasons to study a certificate or diploma at RMIT and you’re sure to change your mind.
There are changes to the Free TAFE eligibility requirements for the Certificate IV in Cyber Security which will come into effect from 1 January, 2025. As a result, some applicants may no longer be eligible for a Free TAFE place in the Certificate IV Cyber Security.
The tuition-free priority course list includes non-apprenticeship courses and courses that provide pathways to apprenticeships (also known as ‘pre-apprenticeships’).
The tuition-free priority courses lead to occupations in industries where there are likely to be more jobs. Some of them lead to work in important areas like preventing family violence, rolling out the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Victoria and delivering major government infrastructure projects.
If you are eligible, Free TAFE for priority courses pays the tuition fees for your whole course. If you have any additional fees for student services or materials, you’ll need to cover those.
Only the courses on the tuition-free priority course list are tuition fee-free, but RMIT offers lots of other hands-on certificates and diplomas that you can complete to get job-ready sooner.
Victorian Government-subsidised training is when the Government pays a large portion of the cost of your training if you are eligible, and you make a contribution, by paying fees.
In contrast, Free TAFE covers all the tuition fees for your whole course. You do not have to pay any tuition fees and you’ll only need to cover additional costs (such as materials).
You can access one Free TAFE course*, unless you are completing a Free TAFE priority pathway. If you complete a Free TAFE course within one of the Victorian Government-nominated Free TAFE pathways, you can access further Free TAFE courses tuiton-free if they are in the same Free TAFE pathway as the first course you completed. For example, you can do a Certificate III, Certificate IV and Diploma within the same priority pathway without paying tuition fees.
Free TAFE covers your tuition fees for all courses within a Free TAFE pathway.
*Exception: Students who have completed any Free TAFE program can also access the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) under Free TAFE. This is to encourage and support industry-qualified people to pursue a career in VET training.
See the section below for more information on RMIT’s Free TAFE pathways and course options.
If you aren’t sure if you are eligible to complete a specific Free TAFE course based on these criteria, contact Study@RMIT.
The limit for Free TAFE has been removed for priority pathways, so you can access multiple Free TAFE courses in the same pathway.
The list of Free TAFE pathway courses offered at RMIT can be found below.
Free TAFE for priority courses is a Victorian Government program that will pay your tuition fees so that you can study in selected courses at TAFE.
If you are planning to continue the same course but transfer to RMIT from another TAFE, the course would continue to be free.
Free TAFE Short Courses is an initiative offered by the Victorian Government to waive the course fees for select skill sets for eligible students. Participation in a Free TAFE Short Course will not impact your entitlement to study a Free TAFE course in the future. You may enrol in a Free TAFE skill set in addition to a Free TAFE qualification.
To learn more about Free TAFE courses offered at RMIT, contact Study@RMIT.
You can only enrol in one Free TAFE for Priority Course in your lifetime, regardless of whether you complete the course or withdraw by the census date (certain exceptions may apply). Once you begin your studies and attend your first class for your program, you will have accessed your one free place.
It is important that you consider whether the program matches your interests and desired outcomes by reading the program guide.
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.
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