Government Funded Courses
Government funding assists students by subsidising their tuition fees. Schemes vary from state to state, and students are required to meet eligibility requirements.
What is Government Funding?
Government funding assists students by subsidising their tuition fees. Schemes vary from state to state, and students are required to meet eligibility requirements.
The courses that get subsidised also happen to be the ones that are in high demand. This is because governments fund courses to meet skills shortages or sometimes to prepare for an increase in jobs in that area.
A country with a skilled workforce has a lot of advantages, so both state and federal governments work hard to make affordable training available to everyone. They do this by supporting students by providing funding for courses.
Not all courses are approved for government funding and sometimes a course in one state gets funding, while the same course in another state doesn’t. It might seem complex, but we’ve made it simple for you to find funding with our eligibility check.
Are Government Funded Courses Free?
There are a handful of priority fully funded government courses but places are limited and strict eligibility requirements apply. You may still need to pay fees such as student services fees or material fees.
Even if you can’t get a qualification for free, there are affordable ways to get qualified. Government funded courses cover a more extensive range of courses than the free priority course list and they are readily available. You can find a government funded course by completing the eligibility check.
VET Student Loans are also available for eligible students and help cover the cost of tuition fees. The loans are capped, meaning that students may have to pay gap amounts that are not covered by the loan. Students are required to repay these loans when they begin earning an income that is above the minimum repayment threshold.
How to get Government Funding for a Course
Each state has their own government funding scheme, and the course provider is required to apply and be approved for each funding scheme. Students must also meet eligibility requirements to gain access to these grants.
For you to receive government funding, you need to find a subsidised course by an approved provider and make sure you meet the eligibility requirements.
We’ve made it easy for you to check your government funded course eligibility. The eligibility check is designed to match your eligibility with a course that suits you best. It is the easiest way to find a government funded course.
Government Funding by State
JobTrainer ACT is an investment of more than $16.75 million in vocational education and training (VET) by the Australian and ACT state governments. This joint undertaking will allow more than 2,500 residents of the Australian Capital Territory to undertake free training.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within the Australian Capital Territory. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
User Choice Funding is a national funding scheme that subsidises the cost of an Australian Apprenticeship. The level of funding varies by state.
JobTrainer is an Australian government initiative to help young Australians get the job skills they need to find employment. Up to $2 billion is being allocated (across all states and territories, including New South Wales) for (VET) vocational education and training.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within New South Wales. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
Smart and Skilled allows eligible NSW students to enrol in subsidised qualifications from Certificate I through to an Advanced Diploma as well as all NSW apprenticeships and selected new entrant traineeships.
Thousands of free and low cost training courses are available to residents of the Northern Territory under JobTrainer NT — a joint investment by the Australian government and the NT state government.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within the Northern Territory. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
User Choice Funding is a national funding scheme that subsidises the cost of an apprenticeship or traineeship, and provides additional incentives for students in remote and regional areas.
The Certificate 3 Guarantee provides funding for a range of Certificate III qualifications as well as foundation skills training.
This funding scheme provides free training for students who are under 21 years of age in priority apprenticeship and traineeship programs.
Fee Free Training for Year 12 Graduates enables eligible Year 12 graduates to access fee-free apprenticeships, traineeships and training in high priority areas. The Queensland government provides subsidised training within the calendar year after graduating from high school.
The Higher Level Skills Program provides funding for Certificate IV or higher level qualifications within priority skill sets.
JobTrainer Queensland is an investment of more than $201 million into the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Queensland. This joint initiative between the Federal Government and the QLD state government will allow new workers, school leavers, apprentices, and trainees to access free and low cost training.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within Queensland. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
User Choice Funding is a national funding scheme that subsidises the cost of an apprenticeship or traineeship.
The South Australian state government (in partnership with the federal government) have allocated more than $88 million in new training opportunities for the residents of South Australia.
Skilling South Australia allows eligible SA students to enrol in subsidised qualifications from Certificate I through to an Advanced Diploma.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within South Australia. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
WorkReady is the funding and incentive program in South Australia for Vocational Education and Training (VET). WorkReady provides training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups, strategic industries and regional locations.
JobTrainer TAS is a joint undertaking by the State government of Tasmania and the Federal Government. Together they are providing $21.04 million for new VET (vocational education and training) opportunities for the citizens of Tasmania.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within Tasmania. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
Skills Tasmania is a state government program that helps the citizens of Tasmania access subsidised qualifications and the vocational training that leads to actual jobs and business opportunities.
JobTrainer VIC is an investment in the vocational education and training (VET) of Victorian workers, school leavers, apprentices, and trainees. It’s a joint undertaking by the Australian and state government of Victoria allowing residents to enrol in free and low cost training.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within Victoria. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
Skills First allows eligible VIC students to enrol in subsidised qualifications from Certificate I through to an Advanced Diploma.
Jobs and Skills allows eligible WA students to enrol a range of training options including apprenticeships, traineeships, and industry qualifications.
JobTrainer Western Australia is a joint investment by the Australian government and the WA state government into the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Residents of Western Australia share in $104 million of new training opportunities from January 2021.
The Lower Fees, Local Skills program is an initiative of the Western Australian Government and the Department of Training and Workforce Development. Through this program, the state government of WA is heavily subsidising VET training courses in job growth areas and industry sectors that play an important role in diversifying the economy of WA.
Skills Checkpoint is a program offering career guidance and training options for older workers within Western Australia. It’s designed for people aged over 45 and it helps workers to stay in their current job role, transition to a new role at their workplace or find a whole new career path.
Popular Government Funded Courses
CHC52015
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The Certificate IV in Leisure and Health CHC43415 is a nationally recognised training qualification and part of the official Community Services Training Package. Learn more.
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The Certificate IV in Disability CHC43115 is a nationally recognised training qualification and part of the official Community Services Training Package. Learn more.
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CHC50413
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