Fees & Student Loans
Learn more about our fees and how to apply for a VET Student Loan.
Types of Fees
General tuition fees cover the cost of your day-to-day classes.
Your course fees will include an annual Student Services Fee. This contributes to the provision of student engagement, learning and support services. It does not apply to short course participants.
Your course fees also include a "Course Materials" charge. This covers class materials such as handouts and booklets, license fees for e-Learning resources, and any excursions you may take as part of your course.
Some courses may also require you to purchase textbooks, kits, tools, uniforms, or personal protective equipment. A fill list of costs associated with your course will be provided to you during your Course Information Session or Pre-Training Review interview.
VET Student Loans
VET Student Loans are only available for eligible students wishing to study approved Diploma and higher level courses. VET Student Loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirements.
VET Student Loans is a student loan scheme for VET and TAFE courses and is part of the Australian Government's Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). VET Student Loans are income-contingent, meaning the amount you repay each year is based on how much money you are earning.
Eligible students can receive a VET Student Loan to pay all or part of their tuition fees for an approved accredited course from a VET provider such as GOTAFE. The Australian Government pays the amount of the loan directly to the student's VET provider. Throughout your lifetime, you can borrow up to the FEE-HELP limit in order to pay your tuition fees. Your VET Student Loan debt becomes part of any HELP debt you have accumulated through study with other VET providers or universities. Once your income reaches the minimum repayment threshold, you will start repaying your loan through the Australian taxation system.
The VET Student Loan covers tuition fees which are paid to GOTAFE and registered as a debt to the student. See the VET Student Loan Fee Schedule for information about courses that have been approved for VET Student Loans, and the fees GOTAFE charges. A loan fee of 20% applies to all full fee-paying students with VET Student Loans. The FEE-HELP limit does not include this loan fee.
For students applying for a VET Student Loan course at GOTAFE, you are strongly recommended to read the government Student Information Booklet and Study Assist website. For detailed information as to how the VSL scheme is managed at GOTAFE, see the VET Student Loans Entry Student Fact Sheet.
Further Information
VET Student Loans Entry Student Fact Sheet
2024 VET Student Loan Fee Schedule
Free TAFE Courses
Free TAFE is available for a number of courses that are 'high priority' due to skills shortages in some industries.
Refund Policy
Material fees
Some course material fees may be refunded, depending upon the amount of materials already supplied during the course, and will be determined on a course by course basis.
Student Services Fees
These fees will not be refunded.
Tuition Fees – Accredited Courses
For units where the student has not commenced participation in the training associated with the unit, 100% of the tuition and material fees associated with the units will be refunded.
For units that have commenced, 100% of tuition fees and material fees for consumables will be refunded if the withdrawal is requested within 28 days of the course commencement date.
If the withdrawal request is later than 28 days, no tuition or material fee refunds will apply for units that have commenced.
Tuition Fees – Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses (from the approved VET Student Loan course list)
Students who wish to withdraw from a course and have a VET Student Loan must withdraw from the course prior to the VET Unit of Study Census Date. After the Census Date, no refund will occur, and the VET Student Loan will remain in place.
Non-accredited courses or short courses
Full refunds will be available to students who withdraw up to 5 days before the start of the course.
A refund of 80% will be provided if you notify us of your withdrawal within 1 day before to the start of the course.
Please refer to the Policies and Procedures section below for the latest information regarding refunds within our Fees and Charges brochure.
Privacy Policy
GOTAFE is committed to complying with the Information Privacy Principles as defined in the Commonwealth of Australia Privacy Act 1988.
All personal, sensitive and health information collected and held within the Institute will be held securely and used for the primary purpose for which it was collected and will only be provided to agencies for which it is collected, to enable the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE to meet its statutory obligations.
Any information held within the Institute will not be used for a purpose other than the primary purpose for which it was collected without the individual’s consent, unless the use or disclosure of the information is authorised by, or under law.
Learn more about our Privacy Policy and how it protects you.Security policy
We use the highest industry standards of authentication and security to ensuring that your payment details remain secure.