Fee-Free TAFE

If offered a Fee-Free TAFE place, applicants will be given a specific timeframe to enrol. If enrolment isn't completed within the timeframe, the Fee-Free TAFE place will be forfeited.

Fee-Free TAFE is intended for new students to the course being offered. To be eligible for Fee-Free TAFE you must meet the eligibility criteria as well as the entry requirements for the course.

Fee-Free TAFE covers course tuition fees only; this is the indicative course cost listed on the CIT course webpage. It does not cover the cost for any learning resources such as textbooks or other equipment required for the course.

Prospective 2024 Fee-Free TAFE students at CIT have six key steps:

No, prospective Fee-Free TAFE students are encouraged to focus on one Fee-Free TAFE course at a time, with the view to building their knowledge and skills and then progressing to the next qualification, if desired.

For example, the short course in Networking and Web Development can be undertaken in one semester and provides all relevant technical skills and knowledge to allow students to undertake the Certificate IV in Information Technology or Certificate IV in Cyber Security. All three of these courses are on the Fee-Free TAFE course list.

Fee-Free TAFE places in 2024 are limited to 600 each semester.

Fee-Free TAFE is intended for new course enrolments; however, you do not need to be new to CIT.

There were two tiers of eligibility criteria for 2023 Fee-Free TAFE courses.

Eligibility criteria for Tier 1 courses

To be eligible for a Tier 1 Fee-Free TAFE course at CIT in 2023, students had to:
- be at least 17 years of age, not enrolled at school or another program leading to the completion of year 12
- be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident or an eligible VISA holder, and live or work in the ACT.

Eligibility criteria for Tier 2 courses

To be eligible for a Tier 1 Fee-Free TAFE course at CIT in 2023, students had to meet the Tier 1 eligibility criteria AND also be included in any of the following priority groups:
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples
- people with a disability
- young people aged 17-24 years (not enrolled at school or another program leading to the completion of Year 12)
- a Year 12 student aged between 17-24 years who has fulfilled the requirements of the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate, including all assessments (proof will be required)
- jobseeker and/or in receipt of an income support benefit
- unpaid carers
- women experiencing financial hardship (additional information will be requested)
- women enrolling in the Certificate II in Construction Pathways (CPC20220) or the Certificate II Electronics (UEE21920)
- Veteran: An individual who is a current or former member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

In addition to the above, students also had to meet the eligibility requirements of individual courses.

To support your learning experience, CIT has a variety of support services available as part of your Fee-Free TAFE study.

These free services are designed to support Fee-Free TAFE students to develop core skills, be job ready and confident in applying for work.

Additional support services are prioritised for CIT Fee-Free TAFE students enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship pathway. The student success model includes personalised support from a dedicated CIT Contact Officer and Student Advisor.

Attend an information session to speak to teachers about the course. Find an information session here: https://cit.edu.au/study/information_sessions.

No, as each time you intend to study a Fee-Free TAFE course you need to apply for the specific course. via the Fee-Free TAFE application process.
This is because:

- Fee-Free TAFE in 2023 had different eligibility criteria to the extension of Fee-Free TAFE from 2024
- different course areas and course types may have different Fee-Free TAFE eligibility
- over time, your circumstances may change that may also change your type of Fee-Free TAFE eligibility assessment status
- not all Fee-Free TAFE courses are available each semester and intakes may fill when applications and enrolments open.

No, Fee-Free TAFE students have their course fees covered over continuous semesters, and if applicable years of study. Students must commence and engage in learning each semester to retain their Fee-Free TAFE place. Continuing Fee-Free TAFE students are responsible for re-enrolling at the end of each semester.