Smart and Skilled
What is Smart and Skilled?
Includes information for pre-enrolment, and enrolled students
Fees and Charges
Smart and Skilled fees, charges and payment methods
Tomaree Community College courses can be government-subsidised or provided on a ‘fee-for-service’ basis.
A fee applies for most TCC courses and must be paid when you enrol. The amount you pay depends on the type of course you study, and on your personal circumstances.
Payments can be paid with Credit Card, Cash or by Cheque (made payable to Tomaree Community College Inc.)
When a course is government-subsidised, the Smart and Skilled fee applies. Concessions or exemptions may apply for eligible students.
About Smart and Skilled course fees
In 2015 the NSW government is changing the way training in NSW is funded.
Under the new ‘Smart and Skilled’ changes, the NSW Government is targeting funding towards the skills that are needed for jobs and economic growth.
As part of these changes, the NSW Government has released the Skills List, which sets out priority areas for training. The qualifications on this list will receive government subsidies to make sure training priorities match the needs of the economy. This list includes qualifications that will attract a government subsidy in 2015 plus their prices and fees.
The Skills List That Tomaree Community College has been approved to deliver:
- CHC30121 Certificate III Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support
- FSK20119 Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways
To view the complete Skills List, fees and eligibility requirements visit: www.smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au.
Which courses are government-subsidised?
- CHC30121 Certificate III Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support
- FSK20119 Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways
From 2015, only courses on the NSW Skills List will attract government subsidies. Qualifications that are not on the NSW Skills List may be offered as fee-for-service courses.
How does this affect me?
- Student fees will change, but will be in line with all RTOs approved as Smart and Skilled providers as the reforms are also regulating the market price of government-subsidised training.
- Students who want to study in government-subsidised courses will need to meet specific personal eligibility criteria and choose from courses included on the NSW Skills List.
- Continuing students who are eligible to continue their study as government-subsidised will be impacted as the fee that they pay in to complete their course will be based on the NSW Skills List student fees instead of the current TAFE NSW fee schedule.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are exempt from paying the Smart and Skilled fee.
Students with a disability
Students who live or work in NSW and who receive a disability support pension and students with a disability are exempt from paying the Smart and Skilled fee for one course enrolment per year and are eligible for a concession fee for each subsequent course enrolment in that year.
Tomaree Community College has wheelchair disability access to all training rooms located on site.
Re-enrolling TCC students
Concessions
- Concession fees per qualification will be set as a flat fee for the qualification level. Students who are eligible for a concession fee include:
- Commonwealth welfare recipients
- Dependent child, spouse or partner of a Commonwealth welfare recipient.
Am I eligible for a concession?
If you are eligible for government-subsidised training you may be eligible for a fee Concession. Please see the list below for applicable Commonwealth benefits or allowances:
- Age Pension
- Austudy including Veterans Children Education Scheme
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment
- Family Tax Benefit Part A (maximum rate)
- Farm Household Allowance
- Newstart Allowance
- Parenting Payment (Single)
- Sickness Allowance
- Special Benefit
- Veteran’s Affairs Pensions
- Verteran’s Children Education Scheme
- Widow Pension including Widow B Pension
- Widow Allowance
- Wife Pension
- Youth Allowance
Please note:
- A NSW Apprentice on a Newstart Allowance is not eligible for a concession fee.
- A NSW New Entrant Trainee on a Newstart Allowance is not eligible for a concession fee
- Claims for exemption or concession must be made at the time you enrol for the course. It is not possible to change the type of fee you pay after you have commenced training
Students who are recognised as the dependant child/spouse/partner of a recipient of an eligible benefit or allowance may also be eligible for the concession fee. To find out if you are eligible for a full-fee exemption or concession fee, contact TCC before enrolling. TCC can also advise you about what documentation you will need to bring with you to enrol.
Proof of eligibility - acceptable evidence
Proof of identity/personal and program eligibility:
Proof of identify – USI.
Citizenship, Australian permanent resident, Humanitarian visa holder
Evidence required – Australian passport, birth certificate or a certificate of Evidence of Resident status (CERS), which confirms status as a Australian permanent resident; or Humanitarian visa.
Date or birth Evidence- student declaration/signature and valid USI check undertaken by the Department
Live or work in NSW – Evidence – student declaration/signature
registration as NSW apprentice or new entrance trainee Evidence – Training contract TCID department system check against Training Contract details stored in State Training Services database
Previous highest level qualification Evidence – student declaration/signature plus USI check of previous history. (STS system check against Smart and Skilled records in STS database and STS check against USI transcript.
year 10 completion or equivalent (if under 17) Evidence – student declaration/signature.
Fees for students that are not entitled to concessions
This means that you do not fit in the above information. Your fees are calculated on the Smart and Skilled Website by you when you do a search for the course and training provider of your choice. www.smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au
Exemptions
Ways that Smart and Skilled supports disadvantaged students includes:
- Fee exemptions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disabilities and the dependents of Disability Support Pension recipients.
- Fee exemptions for refugees and asylum seekers (and eligible partners) for training up to and including Certificate IV.
- Scholarships for training up to and including a Certificate IV for:
- young people who are eligible for a concession fee
- young people who are or have been in out-of-home care
- people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic and family violence and their dependents.
- Fee concessions are also available to students receiving Commonwealth Government benefits and the dependents of benefit recipients. See Disadvantaged students and Subsidised training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Fee-free foundation skills courses area available for people who want help with language, literacy, or numeracy skills. See Foundation Skills, Community College providers and NSW Skills List.
USI unique Student Identifier number
The USI will allow all of your training records, entered in the national vocational education and training (VET) data collection, to be linked. Wherever you enrol and complete training it will be available to you through the National VET data collection. The USI will be available online and at no cost to you. The USI will stay with you for life and be recorded with any nationally recognised VET course that is undertaken from 1st January 2015.
Why do I need a USI?
You may need to provide evidence of your academic achievements, for example when applying for a job or to undertake further study.
Everyone undertaking nationally recognised VET courses will need to have a USI to receive their statement of attainment or qualification.
Your USI must be provided to Tomaree Community College before you can receive a statement of attainment or qualification. Tomaree Community College will not be allowed to issue your certificate unless we have your USI recorded.
Privacy
What about my privacy and how will it be protected?
The protection of your USI – and the personal and educational data that it links to – is paramount and important safeguards will be in place to protect your privacy. You will have control over your USI and you can determine who can have access to your personal and educational records associated with it.
What is the benefit to me?
The USI will make it easier for you to find, collate and authenticate your VET achievements into a single transcript. It will also ensure that your VET records are not lost.
Government help for study expenses
When you study at TCC, you may be eligible for Centrelink benefits such as Austudy, Abstudy or Youth Allowance. Check with Centrelink to find out what you can claim.
Where do I go from here?
Enquiry Process: There is an Enquiry form to complete by the prospective student that is available from the main building office. The next process that follows is:
The enrolment process Identification when you enrol onto a training course, you will be asked to supply the following identification:
- A copy of your ID such as students photo ID / drivers licence
- A photo (a TCC staff member will take your photo using their mobile phone with your consent this may be uploaded with your enrolment)
- A Unique Student Identifier (USI) number, if you do not have a USI, you will need to apply for one upon enrolment by visiting www.usi.gov.au
For students, when creating your USI please make sure you have one form of ID from the list below ready:
- Driver’s Licence
- Medicare Card
- Australian Passport
- Birth Certificate (Australian) *please note a Birth Certificate extract is not sufficient
- Certificate Of Registration By Descent Citizenship Certificate
You will also be asked to complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy assessment this tool is used by the RTO to identify anyadditional support services that you may find beneficial throughout your training.