Financial Support
A number of government financial support programs are available to eligible Australian students. Please read the following information carefully to determine your eligibility for and access to financial assistance while completing your course.
Study Support Payments
Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY are support payments intended to cover a student’s general living expenses. Many Australians are eligible for one of these payments. Please contact the Department of Human Services for more details.
Students who are single parents, caring for someone with special needs, or who are receiving the Disability Support Pension may be eligible for the Pensioner Education Supplement. Please contact the Department of Human Services for more details.
Tuition Fee Concessions & Subsidies
An 80% tuition fee concession is available to eligible low income students enrolling in courses at Certificate IV level or lower. Students with a Commonwealth Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card and Australian military veterans holding a Veteran’s Gold Cardare eligible. As are students who are the dependant spouse or child of a card holder.
An 80% tuition fee concession for almost all courses is available to students identifying as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
People who are transitioning out of Victorian state-based care may be eligible to pay no tuition fee for almost all courses. Please see our fees and charges page for details of all these concessions.
The Victorian Training Guarantee provides a subsidy for people undertaking an approved Victorian course that is at a higher level than any they have studied before (other conditions apply). This subsidy is included when we give you a quote. Please contact us to learn more about it.
Student Loans
Trade Support Loans are low interest loans for people studying approved trades, agriculture and horticulture courses (including apprenticeships). Trade Support Loans can be spent on anything you need to learn your trade, including tools.
VET Student Loans is a low interest loan scheme for approved Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas. Under both schemes, eligible students can avoid paying their course fees up front, begining to pay them once they earn a substantial wage. A low rate of interest is charged. Please note that VET Student Loans also include a loan fee and can not be used to cover amenities, materials and some other fees and charges. Students should refer to the SuniTAFE's VET Student Loans Student Entry Procedure for information on eligibility to access VET Student Loans. Please contact us to talk more about these loan programs or visit our fees and charges page.
Child Care Support
If you are a student who has children, you may be eligible for Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance. This offers additional assistance to the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate. Our Mildura Campus is home to TAFE Kids, a centre offering child care and kindergarten services. It provides care to children of SuniTAFE students, staff and the general public. Child care services are also available in Swan Hill. Please contact us to find out more about the child care services and fee assistance available.
Software Discounts
Some software companies provide substantial discounts to SuniTAFE students, including Microsoft and Adobe. Please talk to the SuniTAFE Bookshop for details.
Rent Assistance
Students may be eligible for government Rent Assistance to help with accommodation costs. Our Mildura Campus includes Student Residences that can provide students with single and shared rooms in close proximity to all our campus facilities. Please contact us for details about our Residences, and the Department of Human Services for information about Rent Assistance.
Transport Discounts
If a student lives near one of our campuses and plans to use a bus to attend classes, you may be eligible for a Victorian Public Transport Student Concession Card. This card gives students cheaper bus fares. Apprentices, people undertaking courses of less than 10 weeks duration and part-time students are not eligible. Please contact Public Transport Victoria for more details. NSW residents may be eligible for one of a number of student concession cards. Please contact Transport for NSW for details.
Students needing to leave home to attend one of our campuses may be eligible for the Fares Allowance. This can assist with up to three trips per year between the locality where you study and where you originally lived. This is in addition to any discounts gained from the use of a concession card. To learn more about the Fares Allowance, please contact the Department of Human Services.
Tax offsets
Students (or their legal guardians) may be able to claim some education related expenses on their tax return, reducing their overall tax. If you wish to pursue this, please talk to a qualified accountant.