Funding
NSW Smart & Skilled
Smart & Skilled Subsidies
NSW Smart and Skilled is the funding program in NSW for Vocational Education and Training (VET).
NSW Smart and Skilled provides financial assistance to help people in NSW get the skills they need to find a job and advance their careers.
It provides eligible NSW students with subsidised training up to and including Certificate III, as well as government funding for higher-level courses (Certificate IV and above) in targeted priority areas.
The focus of NSW Smart and Skilled is getting people into the workforce by helping them improve language, literacy and numeracy as well as gain specific job skills.
To be eligible for NSW Smart and Skilled funding you must be:
- 15 years old or over, and
- no longer at school, (except for registered home schooled students) and
- living or working in NSW (or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person living in specific NSW border areas), and
- an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, Australian permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or a partner visa holder whose sponsor is a humanitarian visa holder
For more information visit: Smart and Skilled Website
The amount of subsidy and the student fee will be determined by the NSW government after our enrolment officer has received your enrolment application. You will be advised of any student fee’s prior to enrolment.
Smart and Skilled Concession Fees
A concession fee is a discounted fee for a student who is eligible for Smart and Skilled funding and is a student who receives a specified Commonwealth Government benefit or allowance enrolling into a qualification up to and including Certificate IV. The student must be in receipt of the specified benefit or allowance at the time of enrolment.
The concession fee is also available to a student who is a dependent of a person receiving a specified Commonwealth Government benefit or allowance.
Eligible benefits or allowances
| Age Pension | Austudy |
| Carer Payment | Family Tax Benefit Part A (maximum rate) |
| Farm Household Allowance | Parenting Payment (Single) |
| Jobseeker Payment | Veterans’ Affairs Pensions |
| Special Benefit | Veterans Children Education Scheme |
| Youth Allowance |
Fee Free Training
Fee Free training can be offered to students who are eligible for Smart and Skilled funding and is a student who falls into one of the following categories:
- an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- a student with a disability
- a dependent child, spouse or partner of a recipient of a Disability Support Pension
- a refugee or asylum seeker (and eligible partners) – for training up to and including Certificate IV
Fee Free Scholarships
A student who is eligible for Smart and Skilled funding and is enrolling in a full qualification up to and including Certificate IV may be eligible for a Fee-Free Scholarship if they can provide the required evidence that they:
- are aged between 15 and 30 (inclusive) at the start date for training and eligible for a concession fee (Commonwealth Government benefit) or
- aged between 15-17 years and currently in out-of-home Care or
- aged 18-30 years and previously in out-of-home care or
- aged 15 years and over experincing domestic and family violence
How to confirm your eligibility for funding
Once you have completed your enrolment application our enrolment officer will evaluate your eligibility and advise you of the outcome.
ACE Program Funding
You may be eligible for ACE funding for your course.
To access ACE funding, you need to be experiencing a barrier that is impacting your ability to study or gain/maintain employment.
You must be:
a) an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder, or be an eligible asylum seeker, and
b) be aged 15 years or older, and
c) live or work in NSW, and
d) no longer be at school or equivalent
And also fall into just one of the below categories:
- an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- someone with a disability or is the dependent child, spouse or partner of someone with a disability
- a recipient of a Centrelink Applicable Benefit, or is dependent child, spouse or partner of a recipient of an Applicable Benefit
- someone who has a physical or mental impairment
- someone with low language, literacy, numeracy, and digital skills
- someone who identifies as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
- Is either:
- Unemployed
- Underemployed (working less than 25 hours per week)
- Returning to the workforce after a gap of 12 months or more
- Looking to reskill or upskill due to unforeseen circumstances such as covid-19 impact, industry closure, recovery from illness or mental health or are aged 55 years or older
- Is affected by economic disadvantages
- Is affected by personal circumstances
- Is aged between 15-24 years and at risk of not otherwise progressing to further education, training, or employment.
- Has not achieved a year 12 or equivalent
How to confirm your eligibility for funding
Once you have completed your enrolment application our enrolment officer will evaluate your eligibility and advise you of the outcome.
TSB Funding Eligibility
You may be eligible for TSB funding if you do not meet other funding criteria under the ACE program and are either:
• the owner of a small business*; or
• an employee of a small business* or not-for-profit organisation.
*A small business is an enterprise with: less than 20 full time equivalent (FTE) employees; or, less than 200 FTE employees if the enterprise’s primary operations is in a Regional or Remote Location
Evidence Required:
If you are an employee: letter from the employer confirming employment and that the employer meets the definition of a small business or is a not-for-profit
If you are the owner of a small business: statement onfirming the business meets the definition of a small business
How to confirm your eligibility
You can complete your enrolment online to confirm your eligibility. Go to the course you wish to confirm eligibility for and click ‘Enrol Now’.
