Understanding your fees at AVT can seem tricky at first — especially when you hear terms like full fee, funded non-concession, and funded concession. Let’s break it down for you:
What are Government Funded Fees?
Government funding helps reduce the cost of your course through programs like Jobs and Skills WA (if you’re eligible).
If you meet the funding eligibility criteria, your course fee will be ‘subsidised‘ or ‘funded’ — meaning the government pays part of the course cost on your behalf.
There are two types of government subsidised fees:
- Funded Non-Concession Fee – a reduced fee if you are eligible for funding but do not have concession status.
- Funded Concession Fee – an even lower fee for those eligible for funding and who meet concession requirements.
What is a Concession Fee?
For the purposes of understanding AVT fees, a concession fee is a further discount on the government funded fee.
To access the additional concession fee, you must hold a valid concession card or be in receipt of services from a Commonwealth support or employment services program at the time of enrolment. A valid concession card is current (not expired) and issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Accepted concession cards include persons and dependants of persons holding a:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Repatriation Health Benefits Card issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; or
- Health Care Card
Commonwealth support and employment service programs accepted include:
- Persons in receipt of services from Workforce Australia; or ParentsNext
- Secondary school-aged persons who are not enrolled at school.
- Persons and dependants of persons who are inmates of a custodial institution.
- Persons and dependants of persons in receipt of AUSTUDY, ABSTUDY or Youth Allowance
Note: this list is current at the time of publishing and may change from time to time.
Full Fee vs Funded Non-Concession vs Funded Concession — what’s the difference?
| Category | What it means |
|---|---|
| Full Fee | You are not eligible for any government funding and must pay the full course cost. Even if you have a concession card, if you are not eligible for funding, you still pay the full course fee |
| Funded Non-Concession | You are eligible for government funding but do not have a valid concession card. You pay a reduced fee. |
| Funded Concession | You are eligible for government funding and hold a valid concession card, so you pay the lowest available fee. |
Quick Example
- Emma is not eligible for funding but has a valid concession card → She pays the full fee.
- Laura is eligible for funding and has a concession card → She pays the funded concession fee.
- Liam is eligible for funding but doesn’t have a concession card → He pays the funded non-concession fee.
- Sophia isn’t eligible for funding → She pays the full fee.
Why does this matter?
Understanding whether you qualify for a concession fee or just the standard government funding can make a difference to your course costs. It’s important to check your eligibility before enrolling!
