Course fees
Fees and charges for training and further education are set by you. A government subsidised course attracts the level of contribution set by the Minister for Higher Education and Skills, and is subject to other conditions set by the Minister.
Pre-accredited courses
Learn Local organisations can charge student course fees up to the following limits:
| Course category | Rate per hour | Total concession fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-accredited | Up to $1.08 per hour | Up to $50 maximum for a concession fee |
Additional costs, such as for materials and administration may also apply.
The subsidy rates paid to you for pre-accredited training purchased through the ACFE Board are:
| Course category | Rate per hour | Total concession |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-accredited | $7.19 per hour | Reimbursed from a fixed pool |
Accredited courses
New fee and funding arrangements apply from 1 July 2012 for new course commencements and for all students from 1 January 2013.
Under the new arrangements, all providers including Learn Local Registered Training Organisations may set fees at a level they believe reflects the quality, cost and reputation of their training. You will be required to publish your fees. In addition, from 1 January 2013 you will be required to report the hourly fee rate charged to an individual student in an enrolment as part of changed data reporting requirements. The new arrangements are outlined below.
Government supported places
The Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG) will continue to provide an unlimited number of government subsidised training places in accredited courses to make vocational education and training more accessible. The new course subsidy scheme consists of five broad bands of courses based on different levels of subsidy and a weighting for each course. The new course subsidy list is published on the SVTS website.
Loadings
A new five per cent loading will be applied to all government-subsidised training delivered in a non-metropolitan area, for new commencements from 1 July 2012 and for all enrolments from 1 January 2013. The loading does not apply to online and distance training delivery.
A list of non-metropolitan postcodes and area names is available on the SVTS website. Broadly speaking, it reflects non-metropolitan DEECD regions of Barwon South Western, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume and Loddon Mallee.
Loadings for young people aged 15 to 19 years and for Indigenous students will change. For new commencements from 1 July 2012 and all enrolments from 1 January 2013, this loading will be used as a multiplier of the new course subsidy in determining the final price paid for government-subsidised delivery of training.
From January 1 2013, the youth loading will be more narrowly targeted to training of a young person aged 15 to 19 who does not hold a Year 12 certificate or equivalent and is from a low SES background. This will require a new approach to recording student SES status, which will be finalised in the coming months.
The Indigenous loading of 1.5 will be maintained for all Victorians who identify as Indigenous.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a government subsidised place your student must be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen
- a permanent resident of Australia
- a holder of a Special Category Visa (sub-class 444, New Zealand citizen)
- a Temporary Protection Visa holder.
And any of the following:
- under 20 years of age
- undertaking Foundation Skills course
- undertaking an apprenticeship
- undertaking a Certificate II or above level qualification, where their existing highest level qualification is VCE or VCAL
- 20 years and older and ‘upskilling’ by undertaking a course as a higher level than their existing qualification.
Eligibility exemptions are no longer being issued to providers.
Concessions
Students will be eligible for a fee concession if they enrol in a government subsidised course at a certificate IV or below* and are in one of the following groups:
- Commonwealth Health Care Card holder, and your dependant children and dependant partner
- Pensioner Concession Card holder, and your dependant children and dependant partner
- Veteran’s Gold Card holder (but not your dependants).
To receive a concession fee, the person enrolling must either have the card or be able to show that they are a dependant of a card-holder.
From 1 July 2012 for all new course commencements, and from 1 January 2013 for all enrolments, concession students will be charged 20 per cent of the full course fee. Providers will receive a contribution to the revenue foregone (up to a benchmark).
Existing concession card students studying in 2012 will continue to pay the current flat concession fee (subject to continuing to be eligible for a concession) until 31 December 2012.
‘Zero fee’ training places will be made available for young Victorians aged 21 and under living in, or recently transitioned from, out of home care under the custody or guardianship of the State.
* Concession fees are not available for diploma and advanced diploma courses, however, income-contingent loans may be available.
Recognition of Prior Learning
For new commencements from 1 July 2012, the funding rate for RPL will be reduced to 50 per cent of the published subsidy price for a course of unit, except for courses in subsidy Band A or other designated courses where qualifications are required to meet occupational licencing purposes. Government-subsidies will not be made available for RPL in Foundation Courses. Students will now pay for RPL under the same fee arrangements applying to other delivery. Further information will be available on the Skills Victoria Training System (SVTS) website.
From January 1 2013, the government will also set stronger requirements to be met by funded providers to be eligible to claim subsidy for reported RPL.
More information
More information, see: