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Smart & Skilled Fee-Free Scholarships

The NSW Government's new Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarships mean that students can get the skills they need to get the job they want and their course fees will be covered.

Young people (aged 15-30) who meet the Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship criteria are eligible for a government subsidy which covers their Smart and Skilled course fee.

Eligible students can receive a single Fee Free Scholarship in a financial year, and two Fee-Free Scholarships across 4 financial years.

Who is eligible for a Fee-Free Scholarship?

To be eligible, you must first meet the Smart & Skilled eligibility criteria. You must be:

  • An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen; and
  • No longer at school; and
  • Living or working in NSW; and
  • Aged 15 years or over, and
  • be either a Commonwealth Welfare recipient or the dependant of a Commonwealth Welfare recipient

or

  • A NSW apprentice or new entrant trainee undertaking a qualification on the NSW Skills List.

You must also be:

  • Aged between 15 and 30 years old when you start your training, and
  • Enrolling into a Smart & Skilled qualification at Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III or Certificate IV level on the NSW Skills List, or
  • Be aged 15-17 years old and currently in out-of-home care or aged 18-30 years old and previously been in out-of-home care (Social Housing residents)

Scholarships for people who have experienced domestic and family violence

If you do not meet the above Smart & Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship criteria, you may still be eligible for a Fee-Free Scholarship

If you are experiencing or have experienced domestic and family violence, you and your dependants may be eligible for a government subsidy which covers your Smart and Skilled course fee.

This Fee-Free Scholarship will give you the opportunity to train and get back into the workforce.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

  • meet the Smart and Skilled personal eligibility criteria.
  • start training on or after 1 July 2016
  • enrol in a Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III or Certificate IV level full qualification on the NSW Skills List on the Training Services NSW website.
  • be able to disclose when enrolling that you meet the domestic and violence Fee-Free Scholarship criteria.

What are the Domestic and Family Violence Fee-Free Scholarship criteria?

  • You must be 15 years or older and be experiencing or have experienced domestic and family violence or be the dependant of a person who is experiencing or has experienced domestic and family violence.
  • You must have a letter of recommendation from a domestic and family violence service, refuge or other support agency. Examples of these services are listed in a fact sheet on the Smart and Skilled website

How do I apply for this scholarship?

You do not need to apply. 
If you do not meet the Fee-Free Scholarship eligibility criteria (see above), we will ask if there are other circumstances where you may be eligible for a Fee-Free Scholarship.
You will need to advise us if you believe you are eligible under the Domestic and Violence Fee-Free Scholarship criteria.

How much is the scholarship worth?

The Fee-Free scholarship covers the student course fee you would normally pay.

How do you apply for a Fee-Free Scholarship?

You do not need to apply.

If you meet the Fee-Free Scholarship eligibility criteria (see above), we will tell you if you are eligible when you enrol.

You can receive and/or have one Fee-Free Scholarship in a single financial year, and a maximum of two scholarships over four financial years.

 

What does "NSW Social Housing" mean when applying for a Fee-Free Scholarship?

NSW Social Housing includes tenants of:

  • Public housing (owned and managed by the NSW government or managed by a community housing provider)
  • Community housing (owned and/or managed by community housing providers)
  • Aboriginal housing (owned and/or managed by the Aboriginal Housing Office and Aboriginal Housing Providers)
  • Clients receiving crises accommodation/supported accommodation (Specialist Homelessness Services)
  • Clients receiving private rental assistance funded by Family and Community Services (e.g. private rental subsidy, rental bond loans, tenancy guarantees).

More information is available on the Smart and Skilled website.

You have a responsibility to provide true and correct information when you enrol at TAFE NSW. You will be asked to provide documentary evidence, where required, to support and confirm the information you provide which supports your eligibility to NSW government subsidised training.