7. Student fees

What you need to know
TAFE Queensland student fees consist of three separate types of fees:

1. Tuition Fees
2. Service Fees; and
3. Incidental Fees

Tuition Fees:
Tuition Fees are for your participation in education and training, and include:

1. Fee for service tuition fees (fees are full price); and
2. Government subsidised tuition fees (fees are less than full price, with the government paying some of the cost of training).

Service Fees:
Service Fees are for prescribed administrative services (including documents and records fees, special assessment fees, administration fees, and international fees). Refer to the Student Fee Schedule for more information.

Incidental Fees:
Incidental Fees are for additional activities, goods, and services related to your education and training (including consumables and materials, clothing, certificates and licenses, vaccinations, excursions and field trips, and other goods, materials, and services).

What you need to know

Payment due dates:
If you are paying upfront, for domestic students, you must pay Tuition Fees 30 days prior to your start of study (or when you enrol if it is less than 30 days before the start of study), unless you have other arrangements in place (e.g. a Payment Plan, or deferred payments through a student loan scheme).

If you are an international student, you must pay Tuition Fees as they are set out in your Letter of Offer.

Payment methods:
TAFE Queensland may accept payment of your student fees via the following methods:

1. Card payments;
2. BPay, Australia Post BillPay;
3. Cash – only available at selected locations. Contact us to see if your campus accepts cash; and
4. Telegraphic transfer (overseas students only).
5. Personal cheque, bank cheque, or money order (only when there is no other viable payment option)

Check with the TAFE Queensland region you are enrolling with to see which payment methods are accepted.

What you need to know

Payment plans:
If you are an eligible domestic student, TAFE Queensland will provide the option for deferred payment of Tuition Fees through a Payment Plan.

Payment Plans must be requested at the time of enrolment or prior to the start of study date for the relevant qualification or unit/s of competency.

The eligibility requirements for Payment Plans are:

1. You are a domestic student and 18 years of age or older (or if under 18 years of age have an appropriate guarantor who is over the age of 18 years);
2. You are an international student and 18 years of age or older
3. The Tuition Fees for your course or units of competency are $300 or greater;
4. You are not a FEE-HELP eligible student;
5. You are eligible for a VET Student Loan, and applying for a Payment Plan for the fees over the prescribed capped amount for the qualification;
6. You have no outstanding debt with TAFE Queensland; and
7. You have the financial capacity to meet the Payment Plan instalments.

To apply for a Payment Plan you will need to fill out a Payment Plan application.

You can request a Payment Plan at any time using the below ways:

1. Online, over the phone or at a customer service centre: Ask our customer service agents for a Payment Plan application to start the process as soon as you know your expected fees for the course;
2. When applying for your course online: If you apply for your course online via our Student Portal, you can select a Payment Plan as your preferred payment option in your application; and
3. Through our Student Portal: You can request a payment plan, even if you’ve submitted your course application or prior to enrolment. Log in to the Student Portal, go to the My Forms tile and select Request a Payment Plan.

Note: As part of the Payment Plan application, you will be required to sign a declaration agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Payment Plan.

Payment Plans will be paid through weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments. The final instalment will be scheduled no later than 30 days prior to the close of study date for the last unit included in the Payment Plan.

TAFE Queensland will cancel Payment Plans in the event that there are two consecutive unpaid or failed instalments, and the full amount of outstanding debt will be required to be paid immediately. If you or your Guarantor cancel a Payment Plan, the full amount of outstanding debt is still owed and will be required to be paid immediately.

You should not make additional payments Payment Plans outside of the scheduled instalments, unless making a catch-up payment relating to an unpaid or failed instalment. Additional payments outside of the Payment Plan may result in an overpayment of fees.

Student loans:
For eligible qualifications, TAFE Queensland will offer students the ability to access Commonwealth student loan schemes, including:

1. VET Student Loans;
2. FEE-HELP;
3. HECS-HELP; and
4. Other HELP schemes as applicable.

Student loans will enable you to select an option of:

1. Deferring all Tuition Fees (up to any applicable capped amount); or
2. Paying a proportion of Tuition Fees up-front, and deferring the rest.

In cases where a fee is deferred:

1. The deferred amount becomes a debt owed by you to the Australian Government; and 
2. Repayments occurs through the taxation system, once income thresholds are met.

Useful forms:

Student Fee Schedule

What you need to know

TAFE Queensland expects Tuition Fees to be paid at enrolment, or under the conditions outlined in the Payment Plan.

If you don't pay Tuition Fees at enrolment or in accordance with your Payment Plan you may be prevented from undertaking education and training activities.

TAFE Queensland may refer outstanding Tuition Fees to an appropriate debt collection agency in cases where payment has not been received by the relevant due date, which may also result in additional costs.

TAFE Queensland will withhold issuing AQF certification documentation where fees remain outstanding, except as where otherwise required.

What you need to know

Concessions:
If you are undertaking government-subsidised qualifications, TAFE Queensland may offer you a fee concession, for Tuition Fees, providing you meet the eligibility requirements.

Fee concessions must be applied for and approved as you enrol.

Scholarships:
If you are provided with an approved scholarship, you will be able to use it to pay for your Tuition Fees or Service Fees, or TAFE Queensland will give you the appropriate Tuition Fee or Service Fee reduction.

Further information:
If you are still having difficulty meeting your fee obligations, contact us.

Useful forms:

Student Fee Schedule