Fee-free* TAFE Courses 2025

For eligible students, “Fee-free” means your tuition fee will be covered by the Australian and NSW governments. You may still need to pay for materials for your course e.g. a uniform to wear on your work placement. The number of funded NSW fee-free TAFE places is determined by the terms of the skills agreement between the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.* Eligibility criteria apply.

To be eligible, you must at the time of enrolment:

• Live or work in New South Wales.

• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident, or a humanitarian visa holder.

• Be aged 15 years or over, and not enrolled at any school.

• Be enrolling in a course for the first time for Semester 1 2025 and your studies must commence between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you fall under one or more of these categories:

• First Nations people

• LGBTIQ+ community

• Veterans

• Job seekers

• Young people

• Unpaid carers

• Women interested in non-traditional fields

• People living with a disability

• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Search for the course you’re interested in and choose the location where you want to enrol. Select the ‘Calculate my fee button’ and answer the questions. The calculator will display a message letting you know if you’re eligible and the course is part of the Fee-free TAFE Program.

Fee-free TAFE will cover tuition fees for one course only.

Attend an information session and speak to teachers about the course. Sessions can be face to face or virtual. Find an information session here: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/information-sessions

If your course has no entry requirements it will have a ‘start enrolment’ button.

If your course has entry requirements it will have a ‘start application’ button.

There are different processes to follow to request a NSW Fee-free place for an ‘apply’ or an ‘enrol’ course.

Enrol and request a NSW Fee-free TAFE place

1. Enrol in your course
When you enrol the online portal will display fees. Select ‘pay now’, then choose the ‘pay later’ option.

2. Submit a Fee-free TAFE place request
Submit a NSW Fee-free TAFE place request form.

3. Receive fees confirmation
We’ll email you to let you know whether you’ve got a NSW Fee-free TAFE place. If you’re successful, your portal will be updated to show your fees as $0.

Apply and request a Fee-free TAFE place

1. Apply for your course
Your teacher will check your application to see whether you meet the entry requirements. As places are limited it’s important that you supply all the necessary documentation to support your application.

2. Accept your offer
We’ll email you to let you know whether you’ve been accepted into the course.
If you’re successful, the email will include instructions to accept your offer.
When you accept your offer, the online portal will display fees. Select ‘pay now’, then choose the ‘pay later’ option.

3. Submit a Fee-free TAFE place request
Submit a NSW Fee-free TAFE place request form.

4. Receive fees confirmation
We’ll email you to let you know whether you’ve got a NSW Fee-free TAFE place. Your portal will be updated to show your fees as $0.

Learn more about how to apply or enrol in a TAFE NSW course

You can only use one NSW Fee-free TAFE place per semester. If you submit more than one request, only your first request will be considered. If you would like some advice on the best course for you, contact 131 601, or attend an Information Session for a course area that interests you.

Enrolments for NSW Fee-free TAFE courses begin on Monday 4th November and courses start from 1 January 2025.

If your NSW Fee-free TAFE request is not successful, you can either pay the fees for your chosen course or enrol or apply for another TAFE NSW course or cancel your enrolment.

You'll need to submit a new NSW Fee-free TAFE place request for any new course you apply for.

You can only use one NSW Fee-free TAFE place per semester.

If you’ve already made a payment, and your request for a NSW Fee-free TAFE place is successful, TAFE NSW will refund what you’ve paid.

Your place is not held whilst your NSW Fee-free TAFE request is being processed. Your enrolment is confirmed when you receive an email from TAFE NSW confirming your enrolment.

There is a chance that a class may fill up while you are waiting for your request to be processed.

You’ll receive an email from TAFE NSW confirming whether you have been successful in securing a NSW Fee-free TAFE place, and a confirmation of your enrolment.

Don’t forget to accept your offer. Instructions for accepting your offer will be in the email giving you the offer.

If you are under 18 years of age, we’ll require the signature of your parent/guardian before you enrol. Call us on 131 601 for an enrolment form, and we’ll take you through the next steps. If you are under 18, you won’t be able to enrol online.