TAFE fees
When you enrol in a course, re-enrol or change your enrolment, you will receive an invoice with the amount you are required to pay. It is a good idea to understand what fees are involved, and to ensure that your enrolment, fee and personal details are correct. All students are expected to read the Victoria University Student Guide, which provides important information and dates for both enrolling and re-enrolling students.
On this page
Calculating your fees
The fees you pay depend on a number of factors, including:
- your citizenship status
- when you commence the course
- your age
- your prior qualifications
- the units and course that you enrol in.
Additional fees may apply such as Student Services & Amenities Fee and materials fees.
You can find out tuition fees for government funded courses commencing post 1 July in the Victoria University 2012 TAFE Fee Schedule.
To receive government funding to undertake a TAFE course, you must meet further eligibility criteria. If you are not eligible for government funding, you will need to pay the full-fee rate.
If you are a New Zealand citizen, you are eligible for government funded training as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
Vocational education / further education (TAFE) courses fit into one of five course categories:
- Foundation (Basic general education, English language and preparatory courses, VCAL(foundation))
- Skills creation (Certificate I and II, VCE, VCAL (Intermediate and Senior))
- Apprenticeships and Traineeships (Any course taken as part of a training contract, at any level)
- Skills building (Certificate III and IV)
- Skills deepening (Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma).
The fee you pay is aligned to the course category. The following table demonstrates how government funded TAFE fees are calculated for students who commenced their course prior to 1 July 2012:
| Course category | Fee per student contact hour | Concession fee* | Maximum fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | $1.08 | $50 | $500 |
| Skills creation | $1.62 | $105 | $875 |
| Skills building | $2.17 | $187.50 | $1,250 |
| Skills deepening | $4.33 | $100** | $2,750# $2,500## |
| Apprenticeships & Traineeships |
$2.17 | $187.50 | $1,250 |
| Fee Maintenance | $1.47 | $59 | $939 |
* You may be eligible for a reduced fee at the time of enrolment if you hold a valid concession card (check if your card is on the eligible concession card list). Make sure you present your concession card at the time of your enrolment.
** For Diploma and Advanced Diploma level only
# For commencing students
## For continuing students
Changes to funding by the Victorian Government
In May 2012, the State government announced a series of changes to funding for vocational education and training (VET).
What changed from 1 July 2012?
If you are commencing a course, student tuition fees may be different to the rates currently advertised.
- Concession fees for students under 25 studying a Diploma or Advanced Diploma course have been removed.
- Fixed concession fees for courses from Certificate I-IV have been removed. Students eligible for a concession will now pay 20% of the hourly student tuition fee rate (yet to be determined.
- Students who are aged 20 years or older and have completed year 12 or VCAL may now be able to access government funding to undertake training at a Certificate II level.
- Fees may apply to recognition of prior learning (to be determined).
- Eligibility exemption places will no longer be available from 1 January 2013.
What stays the same?
- If you are continuing in the course you are currently enrolled in you will not be impacted by these changes in 2012.
- Students enrolling in a Diploma, Advanced Diploma or full-fee paying Vocational Graduate Certificate may be eligible for VET FEE-HELP.
- Eligible Indigenous students can continue to apply for a concession rate at all qualification levels.
- The tuition fee exemption is still in place for students enrolling into one of the following courses for the remainder of 2012:
- Diploma of Children's Services (Early Childhood Education and Care)
- Advanced Diploma of Children's Services
- Eligibility requirements for a government funded place remain in place.
- TAFE students will still be able to apply for a range of merit and equity scholarships.
The University has and will continue to communicate with affected students through student email, the VU website and through your teachers and support staff.
Other helpful information
- Refocusing Vocational Education
- Frequently asked questions for students
- VU Media release: TAFE Funding cuts
VET FEE-HELP
VET FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan program that assists students in paying for all, or part, of their tuition fees when studying at university. It is available to students enrolled in a higher level vocational education and training course (Diploma level or above).
If you are eligible for assistance, the Australian Government pays the amount of the loan direct to Victoria University and records a debt against your Tax File Number with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). You are then required to repay your loan through the Australian taxation system once your income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment. Voluntary repayments can be made at any time directly to the ATO, regardless of income.
You can find course fees for TAFE courses at Diploma level and above in the 2013 VET FEE-HELP Fee schedule. This contains:
- the government funded fee rate per course/unit of study
- the minimum and maximum government funded fee rate per course/unit of study
- the full fee rate per course/unit of study
- delivery and location information
- unit of study start dates, end dates and relevant census dates.
Full details about VET FEE-HELP are available on the Study Assist website.
Full fee paying places
If you are a local full fee paying student, you are required to pay the full tuition costs of your Units of Study.
You can find course fees for TAFE courses at Diploma level and above in the 2013 VET FEE-HELP Fee schedule.
Deadlines for full fee paying students
Throughout your studies you will need to meet various fee deadlines (refer to Fee dates).
International students who do not pay by the due date will incur a $130 late enrolment penalty and may have their enrolment cancelled after 20 working days.
Local full-fee, New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and upfront HELP students will incur a debt collection charge of $130.
Census dates
The census date is the last day to finalise your enrolment, submit a Request for Commonwealth assistance form (to access a government subsidised place or HELP loan), pay all or part of your up-front student contribution or provide your Tax File Number (TFN), if you have requested a HELP loan and have not already done so. Please note that Census does not apply to students studying at Certificate levels I to IV.
International and local full fee students who have not paid their fees by Census will have their enrolment cancelled after this date.
New Zealand citizens, Permanent Residents and upfront VET FEE-HELP students, who did not pay or provide a TFN by Census will have their enrolment cancelled after this date.
Re-instatement can only take place if you pay full-fees which are substantially higher than the fees on your invoice. A re-instatement charge also applies.
Changing your enrolment
Timely enrolment amendment
Prior to Census each semester there is an administrative census date for timely amendments (refer to Fee dates) to your Course and Unit(s) of study. Changes made after the timely amendment date will incur a late enrolment penalty of $50 per form. Please ensure you are aware of all deadlines related to your studies in order to avoid academic and financial penalties. You may also be eligible for a refund if withdrawing on or before Census.
Post census amendment
If you decide to withdraw from your course or make changes to your enrolment after census date, this can have serious financial and academic implications for you.
Enrolment amendments made after Census until the last working day before the start of examinations will incur a $70 post census amendment penalty per form. If you withdraw, you will still be liable to pay for the Unit/s of Study and will receive a withdrawal/fail result. Unit additions for the current semester will be charged as full fee and need to be paid at the time of the addition.
We may consider the situation if you can demonstrate special circumstances.
Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN)
Each semester VET FEE-HELP students will be issued a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) online via MYVU Portal. The CAN itemises your Units of Study and accrued VET FEE-HELP amount.
If you believe your CAN is incorrect, contact must be made in writing within 14 calendar days from the date the CAN is issued. If you submit your query after this 14-day period, you will incur a $90 late CAN dispute charge. Queries can be:
- sent as a question through ASKVU
- faxed to +61 3 9919 2088
- in writing to Fees Coordinator, Admissions and Enrolments, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne VIC 8001.
Please include your name, Student ID number, course code, semester and year. You will need to specify:
- which details you believe are incorrect; and
- why you believe they are incorrect.
Read more about the CAN on the Study Assist website. To find out when the CAN is available refer to Fee dates on the Important study dates page.
Fee extensions and financial assistance
If you are studying a Diploma or above course, you may have the option to defer your fees to VET FEE-HELP. If you are studying below Diploma, you have the option to obtain a fee extension by making an upfront payment of $100. This will automatically give you an additional three weeks to pay. Within three weeks you must either pay the total amount outstanding, or pay 50% of the outstanding balance to obtain a final eight-week extension.
We can assist you in several ways if you are having problems paying the required fees. For more information about other loans and support available, please see Financial Assistance.
International students
Tuition fees can be found on the course pages in our online course finder. Please note that course fees are subject to change and it is best to contact us to confirm the amount.
Contact us
ASKVU Find answers and ask questions
Phone: +61 3 9919 6100
Visit: Student Service Centres