#NSW Smart and Skilled "Cooling Off Policy"
The NSW Smart and Skilled Program requires a mandatory Cooling Off Period where a full refund will be provided for learners who choose not to proceed with their studies under this NSW subsidised program.Â
This Cooling Off Period is 10 business days from the date the enrolment application is submitted for a Smart and Skilled subsidised training.Â
All requests for cancellation or withdrawal made after this 10 business days, will be managed under the College's published Refund Policy found on this page.
#Commonwealth Benefit or Allowance Concessions under Smart and Skilled
Information on Commonwealth Benefits or Concessions is found in the most recent NSW Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy found .
The full list of eligible programs are found in Appendix 2: Specified Commonwealth Government benefits and allowances for concession fees.
If you are receiving a Commonwealth Benefit of allowance, you and your dependents may be entitled to a concession i.e. a lower enrolment fee.
Certificate III and Certificate IV Concession Fee = $240
Concessions do not apply to Diploma qualifications
The following list shows the type of payments that are eligible for a concession fee.Â
Eligible recipients are those who receive the following Commonwealth Benefits and allowances:
Age Pension
Austudy
Carer Payment (See note below)
Farm Household Allowance
Family Tax Benefit Part A (Maximum rate)
Parenting Payment (Single)
Special Benefit
Veterans' Affairs Pensions
Veterans' Children Education Scheme
Youth Allowance
 Please note:
A NSW Trainee on a JobSeeker Payment or a NSW Trainee who is the dependent of a person receiving a JobSeeker Payment is no eligible for a concession fee.
The Carer Payment is a specific benefit paid by the Commonwealth; this category does not include the Carer Allowance or Carer Adjustment Payment
#Fee Exemptions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students in NSW
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are exempt from fees for any Smart and Skilled subsidised courses as long as they reside in NSW or in specific regional areas along the NSW border and meet the other Smart and Skilled eligibility requirements.
#Students with a Disability under Smart and Skilled
Eligible students who are on a Disability Support pension are exempt from fees for any Smart and Skilled courses.
Proof of exemption required is a current Department of Human Services (Centrelink) Income Statement or a copy of a current Disability Support Pensioner Concession Card that has been witnessed by a JP or at the Post Office.
The dependants of Disability Support pension recipients are also eligible under Smart and Skilled for fee exemption for any Smart and Skilled courses. If you are a dependent, you are also required to provide evidence from Centrelink to confirm your status.
Other evidence options for disability exemptions include or a letter from a doctor, government agency or specialist outlining the training support needs due to the disability. The College would need to confirm these documents meet the requirements, so it is preferred that a Disability Support Pension Card is provided.
#Social Housing or Out-of-Home Care Status
Concession eligible students aged between 15 and 30 may have their fees waived as a "Fee Free Scholarship".
To be eligible, you need to live in social housing or on the NSW Housing Register (waiting list).
Social housing includes:
Public housing
Community housing
Aboriginal housing, and
Crisis accommodation / supported accommodation
FAC’s funded private rental assistance (private rental subsidy, rental bond loans and tenancy guarantees)
You may also be eligible if you are currently in out-of-home care or have been in out-of-home care previously.
Relevant evidence may be a Rental Statement; Lease; letter from your housing agency or emergency housing facility. In circumstances where this is not possible you will be required to submit a Statutory Declaration that will be provided to you to get completed and witnessed. The College would need to confirm these documents meet the requirements.
After you apply to enrol the College will ask you to send through the required evidence of eligibility for a concession enrolment and your ID documents to confirm your age. We will then lodge the Fee Free Scholarship application to the Department.
If approved we will cancel your concession fees payable and refund any fees that may have already been paid.
You are eligible for: One Fee-Free Scholarship per financial year (from 1 July 2015); A maximum of two Fee-Free Scholarships over four financial years (ending 30 June 2019)
#Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Traineeships
Under the NSW Smart and Skilled, Trainees may be eligible for the Fee Free Traineeship Waiver Initiative.
Click here to go to the .
NSW trainees, including school based trainees, whose traineeship qualification is funded under Smart and Skilled and who commence subsidised training on or after 1 January 2020 are eligible. This includes:Â
Trainees who commence subsidised training for the first time on or after 1 January 2020.
Trainees whose traineeship is cancelled and subsequently recommence a traineeship in the same vocation with a different employer, and recommence subsidised training on or after 1 January 2020.
Trainees whose traineeship is cancelled and subsequently commence a new traineeship in a new vocation with the same/different employer, and commence in subsidised training on or after 1 January 2020
A trainee who has completed a traineeship and is undertaking a subsequent traineeship and is commencing the subsidised training in the subsequent traineeship on or after 1 Jan 2020.
Specific trainee exclusions from eligibility
A NSW Trainee who commenced subsidised training prior to 1 January 2020 and subsequently, on or after 1 January 2020 recommences their subsidised training:
with the same provider, and is employed by the same employer and in the same vocation, or
changes provider and remains party to a training contract with the same employer and in the same vocation is not eligible for fee free training.