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Fee-Free TAFE

Fee Free Training

 

Fee-Free TAFE provides free training to people seeking to learn, retrain or upskill.

Fee-Free TAFE is a jointly funded initiative of the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

Eligibility criteria apply.

Approved students will need to pay for any learning resources such as textbooks or other equipment required for the course.

The course will remain fee-free for the duration of your training as long as you remain engaged in your study.

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Fee-Free TAFE

Fee-Free TAFE will continue at CIT with 600 fee-free places available for Canberrans in each semester until December 2026.

Prospective Fee-Free TAFE students are encouraged to apply early as places are limited.

If the allocation of Fee-Free TAFE places for a course is exhausted while applications are being processed, places will not be offered, and no further Fee-Free TAFE applications will be accepted.

Canberrans who identify as being part of an ACT priority learner cohort in their CIT Fee-Free TAFE application will be offered an available place where one is available. Enrolments will be offered on a first-in, first-served basis.

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 eligibility

  • Eligibility criteria
    • To be eligible for a Fee-Free TAFE course at CIT, prospective Fee-Free TAFE students at the time of application must:

      - be at least 17 years of age, not enrolled at school (including Year 11 or 12) or another program leading to the completion of Year 12 (including the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate) - please refer to the FAQs below
      - be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident or an eligible VISA holder
      - live or work in the ACT
      - not have enrolled in the course previously
      - meet the eligibility requirements of individual courses.
    • Plus, anyone who identifies with at least one of the below learner cohorts, at the time of application, will be offered a Fee-Free TAFE place where one is available.

      - 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)
      - Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples
      - people with a disability (prior to enrolment, you will be required to meet with CIT Student Support to discuss any supports required)
      - jobseeker/looking for employment however, you do not have to be in receipt of an income support benefit
      - unpaid carers
      - women experiencing financial hardship (additional information will be requested, applications will not be assessed until all information is provided)
      - women enrolling in non-traditional fields, including the Certificate II in Construction Pathways (CPC20220) and the Certificate II Electronics (UEE21920)
      - Veteran: An individual who is a current or former member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
    • A limited number of short courses may be available for applicants who only meet the initial entry requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, the Battery Electric Vehicle Inspection and Servicing Skill Set AURSS00064

Fee-Free Construction

CIT is excited to expand the Fee-Free TAFE course list to boost skilled workers in the housing and construction sector, following the ACT Government's commitment to additional places from 1 January 2025 for two years.

View Fee-Free Construction courses

Fee-Free TAFE course list

Currently the courses listed below are open for Fee-Free TAFE applications. The list below will be updated to include courses available for Semester 2 2025 prior to the opening of applications on 3 May.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can access Fee-Free TAFE course?

    • 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.

  • What does the Fee-Free TAFE Initiative pay for at CIT?

    • 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.

  • What are the steps for applying and enrolling into a Fee-Free TAFE course at CIT?

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

    • Enquire: you can register your interest to enquire about a course
    • Apply: apply for the course you are interested in
    • Assess: CIT will assess your application against the eligibility criteria and course requirements. Note, check the CIT course page for 'entry requirements' such as undertaking a literacy and numeracy assessment.
    • Offer: if you meet the listed Fee-Free TAFE eligibility requirements, and places are available, you will receive an offer to enrol.
    • Enrol: enrolling into subjects is a critical step to securing your Fee-Free TAFE place in the course you applied for, if you delay, then you may miss out on a limited Fee-Free TAFE place.
    • Attend: attending and engaging in your subjects is the critical last step to keeping your Fee-Free TAFE place. If you do not commence or withdraw from your CIT Fee-Free TAFE course, you will lose your place and may be ineligible to enrol through this ongoing Fee-Free TAFE initiative.
    • If you disengage without contacting CIT Student Services, you may lose your Fee-Free TAFE course place.
  • Can I enrol in more than one Fee-Free TAFE course at CIT?

    • 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.

  • Can I submit more than one Fee-Free TAFE application at a time?

    • If you submit multiple requests for the same semester or course, CIT will only process your first application.

  • How many Fee-Free TAFE places will be available at CIT?

    • Fee-Free TAFE places in 2025-2026 are limited to 600 each semester.

  • If I'm currently studying at CIT, what does this mean for me?

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

  • How can I find out more about the course I'm interested in?
  • Once I am a Fee-Free TAFE student at CIT, am I automatically eligible for another Fee-Free TAFE course?

    • No, each time you intend to study a Fee-Free TAFE course you will 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.

  • Am I only a Fee-Free TAFE student at CIT for the calendar year I start?

    • 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 each semester.

  • What happens if I do not successfully pass a subject in my Fee-Free TAFE course?

    • As a CIT Fee-Free TAFE student you can re-enrol once into a unit/subject where you have not successfully passed the unit/subject the first time. Any additional re-enrolment into unit/subject will incur fees.

  • What happens if I withdraw from my Fee-Free TAFE course?

    • If you withdraw in full from a Fee-Free TAFE course you will forfeit the fee free place. A condition of the Fee-Free TAFE Initiative is that you must remain engaged in your study.

      If you disengage from study without any communication for more than 90 days, you will forfeit the fee free place. If you forfeit the fee free place you can still complete the course however fees will apply.

  • I've completed Year 12 this year and I'm 17 years old, can I apply for Fee-Free TAFE?

    • Yes, a student aged between 17-24 years who has fulfilled the requirements of the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate, including all assessments early in the calendar year can apply for Fee-Free TAFE. You will need a letter from your college or school advising you have completed all academic requirements to achieve the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate. Please note that address and citizenship eligibility also apply.

  • I'm at least 18 years old and studying the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate, am I eligible to apply for Fee-Free TAFE?

    • Fee-Free TAFE is a pathway for school leavers, it is not an alternative to completing Year 12 at college or school. However, if you are studying the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate Abridged (Mature) Package at CIT and wish to combine it with a Fee-Free TAFE course to improve your job-ready skills, you may be eligible to apply for a Fee-Free TAFE course. Please note that all CIT courses have literacy and numeracy requirements, and you will be required to complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy quiz. Address and citizenship eligibility also apply.

  • What can I do if I want to study a Fee-Free TAFE course, but I do not live or work in the ACT?
  • What is Fee-Free Construction?
    • The Fee-Free Construction Program was announced in May 2024 by the Australian Government to boost the number of skilled workers in the construction and housing sector. The ACT Government has signed up for the additional Fee-Free Construction places from 1 January 2025 for two years.
    • The CIT Fee-Free Construction course list is available from the CIT Fee-Free Construction webpage. Please note CIT apprenticeship qualifications are not included, however pre-apprenticeship short courses and construction industry short courses and full qualifications are included.

Need careers advice?

CIT offers a free career advice service to prospective and current students who are looking to gain more information about choosing the right course and career pathway.

Please complete the career advice enquiry form to book in a phone or video appointment with the CIT Career Advisor to determine the learning pathway that is a fit for you.

Need help?

Our Student Services team can help answer any questions you might have. Please call us on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au

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