study/course fees/tafe student fees/

Paying for TAFE

TAFE (also known as VET) is a significant investment of your time and money, and it’s important to feel like you are making an informed decision about paying your course fees. 

When it comes to paying for your course fees, you can:

  • defer your tuition or student contribution fees and access a VET Student Loan, or
  • spend part of your fees upfront and defer the rest, or
  • pay all of your unit fees upfront.

Thanks to the Australian and Queensland Governments CQUniversity can provide eligible students with a range of funding and subsidy options. The Government will pay all or part of a student’s course tuition fees, reducing the amount of money a student needs to pay.  These government subsidies are aligned with the need for workers in specific industries. Students can review CQUniversity’s available funding option on TAFE Subsidised Training. 

Course tuition fees are subject to change and specific resources are required for many courses

A VET Student Loan is a loan from the Australian government that assists eligible students in paying their tuition fees.  A VET Student Loan gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is paid.  The debt is repaid through the Australian tax system once you reach the minimum income threshold for repayment; repayments continue until you have repaid the debt.  For more information on the minimum threshold set by the Australian Government and repayments, please view the VSL Information Booklet.

VET Student Loans are only available to approved courses at diploma level and above. A VET Student Loan cannot be used for a Certificate IV level course or below. 

Fee concessions may apply to government funded courses or units for eligible students to help reduce the cost of your study and training. Other costs e.g. trade equipment

If you are paying full fees, instalment plans are available for CQUniversity students who meet specific eligibility criteria. 

To apply for a VET Payment Plan, complete and submit a VET Payment Plan Enquiry prior to enrolment and a member of our Student Engagement Team will be in touch to discuss eligibility and the application process.

Payment Plans are approved for one enrolment intake at a time and are only provided where enrolment fees are $300 or greater. A minimum deposit of $75 or 20% of the total cost of enrolment, whichever is the greater, is required prior to the loan being issued. Loans are repaid via regular direct debit payments and must be fully repaid at least 30 days prior to the end date of the study period for which the payment plan has been approved.

CQUniversity offers a range of Scholarships that are available to our TAFE students as we believe a quality education can be for everyone – regardless of background, location or life circumstances.

Whether you’re just starting out or continuing your studies, receiving a scholarship can help balance your study and life commitments. A scholarship looks good on your resume and may open the door to industry networks and work experience opportunities. You can review our range of scholarships here and find the right scholarship for you.

Refer to CQUniversity’s student refund and credit balance policy and procedure for information regarding CQUniversity’s student refunds and credit balances.

As an international student, you will enrol in your course as a full fee-paying student. Tuition fees vary depending on the course you study. At CQU, we offer additional support when it comes to tuition fees plus, we have competitive fees.

Find out more about international course fees.

A CCQUni student spending time with an elderly lady

Subsidised TAFE Training

Subsidies for eligible students reduce the cost of vocational courses to low or free tuition fees, reducing the amount of money you need to pay. These government subsidies are aligned to the need for workers in specific industries.

Payment Plans

If you are paying full fees, there are instalment plans available for some CQUniversity students. Prior to enrolment, a Payment Plan Application form must be completed, and you will be required to negotiate terms with the Student Advice Team.

A minimum of $75 or 20% of the total cost of enrolment, whichever is greater, is payable at the time of enrolment. However, exceptions will depend on the cost of the program and the time frame of payments, which must not exceed 11 weeks in total. The minimum amount for repayments is $20, and you must finalise all payments no later than 30 days prior to the completion of the study. Once approved, you are liable for the full cost of the course after the start of the study date. All outstanding invoices must be paid in full, even if you withdraw after the program has commenced.

Financial Assistance 

The Commonwealth Government has various financial support payments dependent on age, study commitments, approved activities and work or job search commitments.

Please visit the Services Australia website or your local Centrelink Office for assistance eligibility and apply early in your program.

Explore TAFE Fees

Scholarships

Find out about the wide range of scholarships, awards and financial assistance programs we have on offer.

TAFE Subsidised Training

Reduce the fees you pay with government subsidised training, from free to low-fee TAFE course options.

Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible for the concession fee, you must be eligible to access subsidised training, as well as meet the eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • the student holds a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card issued under Commonwealth law or is the partner or a dependant of a person who holds a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card and is named on the card.
  • the student provides CQUniversity with an official form under Commonwealth law confirming that the student, his or her partner, or the person of whom the student is a dependant, is entitled to concessions under a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
  • the student is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  • the student has a disability.
  • the student is an adult prisoner.

You also need to:

  • be 15 years or older and no longer in school
  • live in Queensland full time
  • be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or temporary resident with the necessary visa or work permits.
  • meet any other eligibility as specified for the funding program and/or course

Confirmation of eligibility may be requested to support your concession status, such as:

  • confirmation of identity (e.g. birth certificate, student ID with photo, passport, driver's license)
  • advice from the Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) that Abstudy has been approved.
  • a declaration from the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community group or from TAFE Queensland Brisbane's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander officer.

For more information, please call our friendly Student Advice Team on 13 27 86.

A quick way to determine your eligibility is to use the VSL Eligibility Tool on the Australian Government. VET Student Loans will not be approved for students who do not meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, you must:

  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements (see below)
  • have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date.
  • meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
  • not have exceeded your HELP or VSL loan limit.
  • must be deemed academically suitable to undertake your approved course (CQUniversity will assess your competence using the Australian Government-approved assessment tool Basic Keys Skills Builder)

Citizenship and residency requirements:

  • an Australian Citizen, or
  • the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who usually resides in Australia, or
  • a New Zealand citizen who is the holder of a Special Category Visa (SCV) and meets other eligibility criteria.

Academic suitability:

  • Australian Year 12 Certificate of Education, or
  • Successful completion of an Australian Qualifications Framework Certificate IV or higher qualification with a language of instruction if English or at a level in a framework that preceded the AQF equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF.

If you cannot provide the above documents, you will be required to display competence at Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in reading and numeracy. CQUniversity will assess your competence using the Australian Government-approved assessment tool Basic Keys Skills Builder (BKSB).

You must submit your eCAF on or before your first census day. If you do not submit your eCAF on or before the census day, you will not be able to access a VET Student Loan for that fee period.

For more information on VET Student Loans, visit the Study Assist website.

To apply for a VET Student Loan, you must complete the Request for a VET Student Loan electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) by the census day.

You must first enrol with your provider and indicate you wish to access a VET Student Loan. Your provider will then give the department your enrolment information, including the nearest applicable census day, through the eCAF system.

You will receive an email with login details to sign into the eCAF system. Once you sign in, you must verify the pre-populated information and complete the mandatory fields. You must then wait at least two full business days after you have enrolled in your studies before submitting the eCAF.

You must submit the eCAF on or before the first census day for which you would like the loan to apply.

Once you submit your eCAF, you will receive an email confirming your loan approval and providing you with a copy of your completed form. You should keep this for your records.

Census dates can be found via the CQU academic calendars.

For more information on applying for a VSL, please read the VET Student Loans Information Booklet.

Yes, there are loan caps determined by the Australian Government. There are generally three loan cap bands of $5,406, $10813, and $16,221 (2022 amounts) which approved VET Student Loan courses fall within. You cannot borrow more than the maximum loan amount for your course.

For more information on VSL loan caps, view the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.

Please note that from 1 January 2020 the Australian Government introduced a combined HELP loan limit which caps the amount you can borrow. This loan limit includes any new HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP or VET Student Loans debt incurred from 2020 onwards plus any existing debt.

For more information on the HELP loan limit, visit the Study Assist website. 

JobTrainer is closed to new students. The Queensland Government website provides further information.