Apply for TAFE courses

Find out how to apply for a TAFE skill set, certificate, diploma or advanced diploma as you finish secondary school.

1. Choose your course

Find TAFE courses that align with your interests and career goals by selecting the 'TAFE' tab on our course listing pages.

Select the course(s) you're interested in to learn about the subjects you will study, the practical experience you will gain, potential career outcomes, and any available study pathways.

If you’re taking a TAFE course as part of your school study, see Vocational Education & Training Delivered to Secondary Students (VDSS).

Explore courses by your interests

2. Read the entry requirements

On the course page(s), navigate to the 'entry requirements' section to discover what you'll need to apply. 

Requirements vary and may include English-language standards, academic background, personal attributes, or skills such as driving.

You'll also find information about tasks required to complete the course, such as immunisations and Police Checks. If the course includes eLearning, please review our software requirements.

Confirm your eligibility for the course and make a list of everything needed to apply.

If you don't meet entry requirements, check for any 'pathways', which offer an alternative way into the course.

3. Check your funding eligibility

Government funding, such as Skills First and Free TAFE, is available for many of our TAFE courses, reducing the cost of studying. 

Fees, concessions and funding schemes are listed on the course page. If you are unable to cover your course fees, you may be eligible for a loan.

Find out about funding eligibility

4. Find scholarships & support

We have targeted support available for Indigenous applicants and asylum seekers.

We also offer scholarships for any TAFE student who is in need of financial and practical assistance. Some scholarships applications are made directly to VU, while others are made through an external organisation. 

Find a scholarship 

5. Prepare your application

You can start your application without documentation and we will follow up by email to let you know what you need to provide.

Submit copies, rather than originals, as they won't be returned.

Compulsory 

• Proof of citizenship – Australian or New Zealand birth certificate or passport, Medicare card, or Australian citizenship certificate
• USI – Find or apply for your unique student identifier (USI)
• Course-specific requirements – Evidence of meeting entry requirements, as outlined on the course page

Where relevant to your application

For special funding and concessions:

• Concession card – where you have one, and you are applying for a Skills First–funded certificate I–IV course
• Referral forms – where required for schemes that help disadvantaged applicants

For credit for a TAFE certificate you completed while at school:

• Study history – copy of official academic transcript for VET studies undertaken while completing VCE
• VU forms – for credit transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning

6. Check the application method

Most VU TAFE course applications can be made directly to us.

For apprenticeships and traineeships, you need find an employer before you apply. Alternatively, you can start with a pre-apprenticeship at VU. 

Applications for VDSS, studied while you’re in still at secondary school, are made through your school.

A few TAFE courses take applications through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Click 'apply' on the course page to check. Where VTAC is listed you must apply through VTAC and submit any documentation to them.

7. Apply to VU

Click 'Apply' on the course page or below to register and begin your application.

Search for your course and select your preferred study option, e.g. full-time or part-time, where applicable.

Choose 'select another course' if you would like to be considered for multiple courses at VU. We will evaluate your applications in order of preference. Click the three dots beside the course entry to arrange them in your preferred order, starting with your top choice.

You can save the application partway through and return to finish it later. 

Access your application via 'my applications' on the landing page and ensure that all fields are complete. 

Once you have finished your application, review it and submit.

We will follow up to request any information required to finalise your application. You will also need to complete a literacy and numeracy test and an interview; please see 'After you submit your application' following for more information.

Apply to VU