WA Lower Fees, Local Skills - Fee-Free and Low-Fee TAFE
This page is a direct rule-based guide for AU_WA_LOWER_FEES_TAFE (rule version 2025-26, effective 1 July 2025). It explains WA's Lower fees, local skills program, which cuts or removes course fees on hundreds of priority TAFE qualifications.
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Quick Answer
You may qualify if you live in Western Australia and are enrolling as a full-time student or apprentice. In the questionnaire it is reached when state = WA and full_time_student_or_apprentice = true.
It is not a cash payment. Instead, course fees on more than 250 priority qualifications are reduced or removed, and concession, youth and jobseeker students have their annual fees capped at $400.
Outcome summary: a substantially lower cost of skilling up at TAFE, so you can train for an in-demand WA occupation without a large upfront fee bill.
What Is This Payment?
Lower fees, local skills is a Western Australian Government initiative delivered through Jobs and Skills WA and the state TAFE colleges. It lowers or removes the course fee on a large list of priority qualifications chosen to fill local skills shortages.
The rule database tags it as a Group B benefit with eligibility_only as its result role. That means the questionnaire confirms whether you can access the reduced fees rather than calculating a dollar payment to you.
The value is delivered as a fee discount at enrolment. For concession card holders, young people and jobseekers, the total course fee for eligible qualifications is capped, so the saving compared with the standard fee can be significant.
How Much Can You Get?
The amount block is eligibility_only with period: none. There is no direct cash payment; the value is the reduced or removed course fee at enrolment.
- Fee-free or low-fee places on more than 250 priority TAFE qualifications.
- An annual fee cap of $400 for concession, youth and jobseeker students on eligible courses.
- The exact saving depends on the course you choose and whether you hold a concession card or are aged under 25 or unemployed.
Eligibility Conditions
The eligibility block is an all set, so every condition must pass.
- Western Australian resident:
state = WA. The program applies to training delivered at WA TAFE colleges. - Enrolling as a full-time student or apprentice:
full_time_student_or_apprentice = true. You are taking up a place in an eligible qualification.
Whether a specific course is fee-free, low-fee or fee-capped depends on the published priority qualifications list, which is updated for each year, so check the current list before you enrol.
The deeper concession fee cap is aimed at people who hold a Centrelink or DVA concession card, who are aged under 25, or who are unemployed. If that applies to you, your annual fee on an eligible course is limited to $400.
How To Apply
The channel is online through Jobs and Skills WA and the TAFE colleges.
- Search the Lower fees, local skills course list on the Jobs and Skills WA website.
- Enrol with a participating WA TAFE college; the reduced fee is applied at enrolment.
- Bring evidence of any concession (concession card, age or jobseeker status) so the fee cap can be applied.
Rule-Based Scenarios
Scenario 1: a school leaver starting a certificate
Mia, 18, enrols full-time in a priority Certificate III at her local WA TAFE. Because she is under 25, her course fee is capped under the program, saving her hundreds of dollars compared with the standard fee.
Scenario 2: a concession card holder retraining
David holds a Health Care Card and enrols in an eligible aged-care qualification. The concession fee cap limits his annual fee to $400 for the course.
Scenario 3: an apprentice in a priority trade
Jack signs an apprenticeship in a priority construction trade. The qualification sits on the lower-fee list, so the off-the-job training component costs far less than the full fee.
Scenario 4: a course not on the priority list
Sarah enrols in a qualification that is not on the priority list. She pays the standard course fee, because the lower-fee discount only applies to listed priority qualifications.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming every TAFE course is discounted: only the 250+ priority qualifications on the published list attract the lower fee.
- Thinking it is a cash payment: the value is a reduced or removed course fee, not money paid to you.
- Not claiming the concession cap: if you hold a concession card, are under 25 or are unemployed, tell the college so the $400 fee cap is applied.
- Confusing it with HECS or VET Student Loans: this lowers the course fee itself; it is not a federal student loan.
- Enrolling without checking the current list: the priority list changes each year, so a course that was free last year may not be this year.
- Ignoring residency: the program applies to training delivered in Western Australia.
Related Benefits
- WA Secondary Assistance Scheme - $350 a year for secondary students of concession families.
- WA Student Travel Subsidy Scheme - travel help for geographically isolated students.
- WA Seniors Card - concessions and discounts for older Western Australians.
- WA State Concession Card - access to WA concessions for eligible residents.
- Austudy - federal income support for full-time students aged 25 and over.
- Tertiary Access Payment - federal help for students relocating to study.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lower fees, local skills a cash payment?
No. It reduces or removes the course fee on eligible TAFE qualifications; it does not pay money to you.
Which courses are covered?
More than 250 priority qualifications chosen to address Western Australian skills shortages. The list is published by Jobs and Skills WA and updated each year.
How much can I save?
It depends on the course. Some priority qualifications are fee-free, while concession, youth and jobseeker students have their annual fee capped at $400 on eligible courses.
Who gets the concession fee cap?
People who hold a Centrelink or DVA concession card, are aged under 25, or are unemployed, when enrolling in an eligible course.
Where do I enrol?
Through Jobs and Skills WA and the participating Western Australian TAFE colleges. The reduced fee is applied at enrolment.
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