Subsidised VET: student overview
If you are a student who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, good news — government subsidised courses can often dramatically reduce the cost of your vocational training. As you can see from the Coursely comparison page, subsidies can turn a $4,000 course into a $30 course!
The issue is figuring out if you're actually eligible.
Eligibility rules vary widely between states and territories. To make things more complicated, a few states and territories have multiple different subsidy programs with different eligibility criteria — how confusing!
This guide outlines the basic criteria for Australian students to get subsidised VET training in Australia.
If you meet these eligibility criteria — it likely means you can rely on our subsidy filter to search for discounted providers.
You'll also find the contact details for each state/territory if you want to be 100% sure before you go forth and explore your options.
💡 Note: If you fall into certain student categories, such as a student with a disability or a First Nations student, you may be classified as a 'concessional student' and be entitled to even more generous subsidies. Our subsidy filter only covers basic subsidies, not these more specific ones.
Subsidy eligibility by State and Territory
Below is the basic subsidy eligibility criteria by State and Territory. If you meet these requirements, you may be eligible for a subsidy for your course (and you can use our subsidy filter!).
❗ Note: Even if you meet the below requirements, there is still a chance that individual course providers have additional criteria you need to meet, or are not able to offer you funding. For example, sometimes a course provider is only given a certain number of subsidies they can provide to students. You always need to confirm with the provider.
New South Wales (NSW)
✅ 15+ years old
✅ No longer at high school
✅ Living or working in NSW (or First Nations person in defined border areas)
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / NZ Citizen / humanitarian visa holder
NSW Education detailed eligibility page
Contact Skills NSW for additional questions: 13 28 11
Queensland (QLD)
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / eligible non-study visa
✅ Living or working in QLD
Queensland Gov. eligibility quiz
Contact QLD Training and Employment for additional questions: 1300 369 935
Victoria (VIC)
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / NZ citizen
✅ Physically present in VIC or border region
✅ Limited to 2 courses at a time/year
Victoria Gov. detailed eligibility page
Contact the VIC TAFE and Training Line for additional questions: 131 823
Western Australia (WA)
✅ Left school
✅ Living in WA
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / eligible non-study visa
Jobs and Skills WA detailed training page
Contact the WA Jobs and Skills Centre for additional questions: 13 64 64
South Australia (SA)
✅ Australian / NZ citizen / Permanent Resident / sponsored visa
✅ 16+ and not enrolled at school
✅ Living or working in SA
Contact Skills SA for additional questions: 1800 673 097
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The ACT Skills page does not provide clear information on eligibility across programs (as at February 2026).
The best option is to contact Skills Canberra directly to enquire into your eligibility: 02 6205 8555 or skill@act.gov.au
Northern Territory (NT)
✅ Resident of NT
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / NZ citizen (6+ months in Australia) / Eligible visa (non-study/work visas only)
✅ 15+, not in school* (there is a specific VET program for high schoolers)
NT Education and Training detailed training page
Contact your local Student Engagement Office (Darwin): 0428 294 051
Tasmania (TAS)
✅ Australian citizen / Permanent Resident / Visa holders (excluding study visas)
✅ Must live in Tasmania
Skills Tasmania eligibility outline
Skills Tasmania would prefer you to contact the training provider, but you can also contact the Grants Program Manager: 03 6165 6027
What now?
If you've made it this far we're assuming you've met the basic eligibility criteria for the State or Territory where you live. Congrats!
The next step is to identify whether the course you want to study is covered by a subsidy. On Coursely, we indicate the standard subsidised price and which State or Territory is offering the subsidy.
Remember, this is an indication only. Individual pricing changes all the time at the provider level. Once you see a provider that meets your requirements, you can click through to the provider website or submit an enquiry that goes directly to the provider through Coursely.
If a provider indicates a price that isn't on our website, be sure to come back and let us know, and look for a better deal!
FAQs
Is government funding available for everyone?
No. It depends on a variety of factors, often including your citizenship, age, residency status, and past study. Use the basic checker as a starting point. From there, find a provider who offers subsidies and confirm any specific eligibility that may apply.
What is the difference between a concession and non-concession student?
A non-concession student for the purpose of course subsidies is typically a student who does not fall into a class of disadvantage, such as having a disability, being in income support, being unemployed, and many others.
A concession student is someone who does fall into one of these classes.
Usually, concession students enjoy higher subsidies than non-concession students in recognition of their situation. This is something your provider can confirm with you. We only focus on non-concessional students on Coursely.
What if I am in High School?
Many States and Territories have specific programs for school-aged students who are not eligible for the standard subsidies outlined in this article.
Honestly, you could prepare a whole webpage just on this (we're working on this now)!
For now, your best next step is to reach out to your school counsellor or contact the State or Territory authority using the phone numbers above. They'll be more than happy to help you out.
Can international students access these subsidies?
Typically no — most study visas are not eligible. That is why Coursely does not mention subsidies on our course pages for international students.
Does Coursely show which courses are subsidised?
Yes! The Coursely comparison tool helps you filter courses by whether a subsidy is available, so you can view eligible options fast.
We're here to make this easier. Any questions or feedback? Contact us here.