Check student eligibility

A student may be eligible for a subsidised training place if they live or work in South Australia, and:

• are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or
• are a permanent Australian resident, or
• hold a state sponsored visa on a pathway to permanent residency (see Eligible visa types)

and are:

• 16 years or over and not enrolled at school.

School-enrolled students are subject to separate eligibility criteria, see Training School Students.

Currently, the South Australian Government is offering more opportunities for students to enrol in a course on the Subsidised Training List. This means eligible students can:

• access courses regardless of their prior qualifications
• undertake more than one course or short course.

School-enrolled students are entitled to access one Certificate II and one Certificate III course while at school.

Until further notice, students who are not school enrolled students, can continue to access subsidised training regardless of their training history or prior qualifications. School enrolled students have a different entitlement and may only complete one Certificate II and one Certificate III course, but not at the same time.

Standard entitlement after this time, for non-school enrolled students, will include the following entitlement based on an individual’s highest level of non-school education and their employment status at first enrolment in subsidised VET.

Eligible students may be able to access subsidised training based on their highest level of non-school education and their employment status at first enrolment in subsidised VET.

Status at first enrolment: No post-school qualifications OR unemployed and registered with an Employment Services Provider:

Entitlement to subsidised training:

• One training place at Certificate II level
• Two training places at Certificate III level or above
• Access to foundation skills courses or up to five fee-free bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them
• Access to up to five vocational bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them.

Status at first Enrolment: Certificate II level or below:

Entitlement to subsidised training:

• Two training places at Certificate III level or above
• Access to foundation skills courses as required
• Up to five fee-free bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them
• Up to five vocational bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them.

Status at first Enrolment: Certificate III level or above:

Entitlement to subsidised training:

• One training place at Certificate III level or above
• Access to foundation skills courses as required
• Up to five fee-free foundation skills bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them
• Up to five vocational bridging units of competency for those assessed to need them.

More about entitlement to subsidised training

Fee free foundation skills courses and bridging units (if assessed to need them through the Upfront Assessment of Need) include:

• up to five bridging units at every qualification level (if assessed to need them)
• subsidised courses.

The following visas are eligible for subsidised training:

• All permanent residency visa holders
• Skilled – Work Regional (subclass 491)
• Skilled – Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489)
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494)
• Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa, subclass 188
• Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV), subclass 790
• Bridging Visa A, subclass 010*
• Bridging Visa E (BE), subclass 050 and 051*
• Temporary Protection Visa (TPV), subclass 785*
• Bridging Visa B (BVB), subclass 020*
• Bridging Visa F (BVF), subclass 060*
• Partner Visa (Temporary), subclass 820 and 309
• Temporary Humanitarian Stay visa (subclass 449)
• Temporary Humanitarian Concern (THC) visa (subclass 786)

*Individuals on bridging visas are only eligible where they are waiting on the outcome of an application for a permanent visa or one of the temporary visas listed above.

Visa holders with the following repealed provisional visas are also eligible for subsidised training:

• Skilled – Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored Visa (subclass 475)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored Visa (subclass 487)
• Skilled Independent – Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 495)
• Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa (subclass 161)
  
• Investor (Provisional) Visa (subclass 162)
• State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) Visa, subclass 163
• State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa, subclass 164
• State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) Visa, subclass 165

To check a visa type, visit the Department of Home Affairs.

To check any work or study entitlement conditions attached to a visa, visit the Australian Government’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online service.

Some subsidised training has course conditions and is only available to certain students, such as apprentice and trainee Training Contracts or VET for School Students.

The Subsidised Training List provides information on courses and conditions to access subsidised places. To find out more you can also calculate subsidies for training delivery and customise and export data to understand what delivery means for your business.

To discover subsidised training opportunities, see the Subsidised Training List.

Skills SA contracted training providers delivering subsidised training are required to undertake the Upfront Assessment of Need process for all prospective students. The UAN process is closely mapped to Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 for enrolment. This is to ensure students get the support they need to start in the right course, at the right level, to successfully complete their training.

For more information, see Upfront Assessment of Need.

South Australians aged 16 years or older who are or have been under a Guardianship order of a Government Minister in Australia, are eligible to access courses on the Subsidised Training List fee-free with contracted Skills SA training providers. The usual eligibility rules apply.

To apply for a fee exemption, complete the form.

Application for Exemption as a person under the Guardianship of the Minister (DOCX)