Skills NSW

NSW Fee Free – giving people the skills businesses need

NSW Fee Free improves access to training for young people, job seekers, First Nations People, unpaid carers, women undertaking study in non-traditional trades and certain categories of visa holders.

It does this by offering:

full and part qualification courses
courses at TAFE NSW and other Smart and Skilled contracted training providers, including Adult and Community Education providers
enrolments until 31 December 2023.

Check your eligibility, explore the NSW fee free courses on offer and the training providers that can deliver them below.

Who is eligible?

Smart and Skilled provides eligible students with:

an entitlement to government-subsidised training up to and including Certificate III
government funding for higher-level courses (Certificate IV and above) in targeted priority areas.

Under Skills NSW, you may be able to study a fee-free course if you are:

15 years old or over
no longer at school
living or working in NSW
an Australian citizen, permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen.

Other eligibility conditions

Your eligibility is not affected if you have completed a vocational education and training (VET) course, including a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, as part of your high school education.

There are some exceptions to the eligibility conditions described above, such as for Aboriginal people.

Use the Skills Compare search to find a course and check your eligibility.