Grow your skills through government funded courses in Australia
In Australia, government funded courses offers free TAFE and subsidies for eligible students to study, grow their skills and step into the job market with confidence — without the massive financial hurdles.
Government funded courses are on offer in a range of subject areas — particularly in high priority industries where workers are needed to fill skills gaps. There are many benefits in applying for and undertaking a government funded course. The key benefit is that you’ll be studying for low cost or even fee-free, giving you the opportunity to grow your skills without coming up against the financial hurdles typically associated with study.
Then, once your studies are complete, you’ll be an in-demand professional in an industry that’s crying out for qualified workers. This means the process of finding a full-time job will be significantly more streamlined, and you’ll reap the benefits of job security and unparalleled career progression opportunities.Â
How government funding works
The Australian government puts funding towards courses that will help fill skill gaps and create a strong, skilled workforce within the country.
There are 13 government funding schemes running throughout Australia. Some are state-specific schemes while others are country-wide initiatives. Each scheme targets different groups of people, different professions and different qualifications.
The way government funding works depends on the type of scheme and training course you’re applying for. Some schemes offer free training in an in-demand area, whereas other schemes offer to subsidise your course fees, which means you’ll pay significantly less out of pocket.
It’s important to understand the requirements of government-funded training before you enrol in a course, because there’s a strict list of criteria you need to meet in order to access it.
The first requirement is that you study a course from a select list of government-subsidised training courses. This list will differ from state to state, so your first step is to find out if there’s a course you’re interested in on the list relevant to your state. You’ll then need to find an approved provider to study that course with, because the government only provides funding to education providers who’ve applied and have been approved for it.
Once you’ve found a government funded course with an approved training provider, your final step is to check your eligibility and apply for your course.
Government funding by state
ACT
Find out if you are eligible for subsidised courses in the ACT and how government funding can provide free training.
ACT Courses
NSW
Find out if you qualify for government funded courses in NSW and how government funding can get you fee-free training.
NSW Courses
NT
If you meet the eligibility criteria, the government may fully subsidise your tuition fees so that you can get free training.
NT Courses
QLD
If you meet the eligibility requirements, the government may help you pay for a course in QLD.
QLD Courses
SA
If you meet the eligibility criteria, government funding may cover your tuition costs, so you can get free training.
SA Courses
TAS
The government may pay for your tuition if you meet the eligibility requirements, so you can study free online courses.
TAS Courses
VIC
Check your eligibility, explore government funded courses and learn about how these funding schemes can help you pay for training
VIC Courses
WA
If you meet the eligibility criteria, the government could pay for part or all of your course fees.
WA CoursesPopular Government Funded Courses
Government funding scheme by state
Skills Checkpoint is a government initiative that assists Australians over 40 in retraining and upskilling so they can advance their professions or find new jobs.
User Choice is a national government funding scheme that helps cover the cost of training and assessment services for Australian apprentices.
Skills Checkpoint is a government initiative that assists Australians over 40 in retraining and upskilling so they can advance their professions or find new jobs.
Smart and Skilled NSW is an exceptional funding program designed to assist eligible NSW students by providing subsidies for a wide range of courses. This program specifically focuses on helping you obtain your first qualification after completing school, giving you a head start in your career.
Skills Checkpoint is a government program that supports Australians over 40 to upskill or retrain so they can advance or change their careers.
Australian Apprentices can receive assistance from User Choice, a national government funding program, to cover the cost of training and assessment services.
The Certificate 3 Guarantee program could help pay for your first certificate III level qualification.
Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s is a program set up by the Queensland Government to give training to young people in high priority areas.
All under 25s in Queensland can access training for 26 priority certificate III qualifications for free, opening up new and exciting opportunities for young people in the area.
The higher level skills program aims to equip Queenslanders with the necessary abilities to find work in priority industries or to move on towards a university education.
Skills Checkpoint is a government program that supports Australians over 40 in retraining and upskilling so they can enhance their current careers or find new jobs.
User Choice is a government funding program that helps Australian Apprentices by contributing to the cost of training and assessment services.
Skilling SA is a government funding scheme run by the South Australian Government.
Skills Checkpoint assists Australians over 40 in retraining and upskilling so they can advance their careers or find new jobs.
The New Apprenticeship Scholarship Program (NASP) is a government funding scheme that helps apprentices complete their traineeships/apprenticeships.
The Rapid Response Skills Initiative (RRSI) is a program set up by the Tasmania state government that’s designed to help those out of work through no fault of their own reskill in order to find new career opportunities.
Skills Checkpoint is a government support program that helps Australians over 40 who want to retrain or upskill so they can stay employed, change careers, or find a new job.
Skills Checkpoint is a national government program that helps Australians over 40 retrain and upskill so they can stay in their current role, find a new role, or change careers.
Skills First is a Victorian government funding scheme that helps eligible individuals pay less for training and upskilling in high-priority areas.
JobTrainer provides low-cost vocational education and training courses to help Western Australians upskill or reskill in fields with rapid job development.
Lower Fees, Local Skills offers young Western Australians free and reduced-fee qualifications to help them gain job-ready skills for rapidly growing industry areas.
Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers assists Australians over 40 in retraining and upskilling so they can advance in their professions or find new jobs.
Finding out if you’re eligible to study a government funded course
Eligibility for government funded courses can be a little complicated, and it differs from scheme to scheme. To make the process of checking your eligibility a little easier, we’ve outlined the eligibility requirements for each scheme.
First, select the state you’re wanting to study in, and there you’ll find a list of relevant government funding schemes. Clicking on these will take you to a page with everything you need to know about eligibility.
Eligibility criteria is often based on your citizenship, whether you’ve studied before (and what qualification you obtained), as well as your age and employment status. There are different schemes available for different groups of people (e.g. Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and international students), so even if you’re not eligible for one scheme make sure to check the criteria of other schemes available in your state — you may be eligible for one of those.
