Education

Below is the list of concessions available in the education category. To view each concession, click on its name. To expand or collapse the information for every concession use the button below:

PRIMARY SCHOOL (K-6), HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

School Uniform Exceptional Assistance Scheme

Assistance may be given to buy school uniforms for:

  • students in exceptional or extenuating family circumstances.

For more information:

Contact a social worker at the student’s school.

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Spectacles assistance

Assistance to buy spectacles may be available to low-income families with:

  • students from kindergarten to year 12 at government and non-government schools.

Parents/guardians who have been approved for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) or who hold one of the following cards are eligible to apply:

  • Service Australia or Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
  • Services Australia Health Care Card
  • Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card.

Approved applicants will receive assistance with the cost of one pair of standard prescribed lenses and standard frames from a participating optometrist in any 12-month period unless special circumstances apply (for example, a prescription change).

Assistance is also available to grandparents raising grandchildren.  Grandparents may need to provide proof that their grandchildren are legally in their care.

For more information:

Department for Education, Children and Young People
Phone:
1800 827 055
Email: FAU@decyp.tas.gov.au
Web: www.decyp.tas.gov.au

Services Australia Health Care Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
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Student assistance

The Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance for low-income families with the cost of levies for:

  • full-time students from kindergarten to year 12 at government and non-government schools.

Parents/guardians who hold one of the following current concession cards are eligible to apply:

  • Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card.
  • Services Australia Health Care Card
  • Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card.

Assistance to families in non-government schools is at the discretion of the school. Catholic schools directly assess eligibility for assistance to families.  Requests for assistance need to be directed to the relevant school.

Assistance is also available to grandparents raising grandchildren. Grandparents may need to provide proof that their grandchildren are legally in their care.

For more information:

Department for Education, Children and Young People
Phone:
1800 827 055
Email: stas@decypp.tas.gov.au
Web: www.decyp.tas.gov.au

Services Australia Health Care Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
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ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education course

Concessions on fees for most adult education courses are available for full-time students and to holders of a:

  • Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card
  • Services Australia Health Care Card
  • Tasmanian Seniors Card

Please note that carers supporting learners with disability can attend classes free of charge.

For more information:

Libraries Tasmania 
Phone:
6165 5564
Email: adulteducation.libraries@libraries.tas.gov.au
Web: https://adulteducation.libraries.tas.gov.au/

Services Australia Health Care Card; Seniors Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
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STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation allowance for students (year 11 and 12)

Financial support may be given to year 11 and 12 students who live away from home due to the distance between their usual home in Tasmania and the closest institution offering their chosen course of study. The assistance is available to:

  • year 11 and 12 students whose nearest school is more than 40 kilometres from their usual home.

The allowance is not income-tested.

For more information:

Department for Education, Children and Young People
Phone: 1800 827 055
Email: FAU@decyp.tas.gov.au
Web: www.decyp.tas.gov.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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STUDENT TRAVEL

Adult student transport concession - special circumstance

Adult students may be eligible for a special circumstance student bus pass which allows them to travel at the child student fare on one or more fare-charging bus services between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm on school days, if they: 

  • are aged 18 years or older at 1 January in the year of study
  • are a full-time student (600+ hours per year) enrolled at an education facility recognised by the Department for Education, Children and Young People
  • are studying at a level that is no higher than is offered to any year 11 or 12 student at a senior secondary college, and
  • have not had the opportunity to complete the equivalent of two years post-year 10 study due to circumstances beyond their control.

If the student holds a concession card, they may be eligible to travel for free.

For more information:

Department of State Growth
Phone:
1300 135 513
Email: bus.passes@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
Web: www.transport.tas.gov.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Adult student transport concessions

Adult students are eligible for adult concession fares on public bus and ferry services when:

  • aged 18 years or older on 1 January in the year of study, and
  • a full-time student (600+ hours per year) enrolled at an education facility recognised by the Department for Education, Children and Young People, university, TasTAFE or Tasmanian College of English.

A further 20% discount is applied when using a smartcard such as Greencard, or Transportme, or a 10-trip ticket, where available.

For more information:

Contact your bus service operator.

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Apprentice and trainee travel allowances for off-the-job training

A travel allowance of 41 cents per kilometre (45 cents for students living on the West Coast) may be payable to:

  • apprentices and trainees who must travel more than 42 kilometres return to attend off-the-job training.

Where apprentices and trainees are required to travel within Tasmania for training, an accommodation allowance of $55 per night is available to:

  • apprentices and trainees who must travel more than 60 kilometres each way to attend training with a registered training organisation within Tasmania.

Where apprentices and trainees are required to travel from Flinders Island, King Island and Cape Barren Island, an accommodation allowance of $55 per night is available, including weekends, if attending for two or three weeks. The Tasmanian Government will:

  • provide $60 towards airport transfer and
  • pay the full cost of return airfares paid for travel to attend their Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in Tasmania.

Where apprentices and trainees are required to travel interstate for trainin, the Tasmanian Government will: 

  • contribute to the cost of airfares
  • provide $60 towards airport transfer
  • pay an accommodation allowance of $100 per night.

For more information:

Skills Tasmania
Phone:
6165 6055
Email: travelclaims@skills.tas.gov.au
Web: www.skills.tas.gov.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Conveyance allowance

An allowance to assist with the cost of transporting students to the nearest school or school bus service is available to students who:

  • live outside an area with an urban bus service, and more than five kilometres from the nearest government intake area school, educationally appropriate school or bus stop servicing that school, or
  • are in grade 11 or 12, living on a Bass Strait island and needs to attend an educationally appropriate school on mainland Tasmania or interstate.

For more information:

Department of State Growth
Phone:
1300 135 513
Email: passenger.transport@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
Web: www.transport.tas.gov.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Student bus fares

Child students always pay a flat rate, not just for travel to and from school. The fare is the same regardless of distance or location. This concession applies to students who are:

  • under 18 years or turning 18 years in the year of study; and
  • a full-time student (600+ hours per year) enrolled at an education facility recognised by the Department for Education, Children and Young People.

A further 20% discount is applied when using a smartcard such as a Greencard or Transportme, or a 10-trip ticket, where available.

For more information:

Contact your bus service operator.

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Student free travel - urban, urban fringe and rural areas

A student bus pass for free travel provides free travel on one or more fare-charging bus services between home and school. Free travel applies between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm on school days for students who are:

  • under 18 years or turning 18 years in the year of study, and
  • a full-time student (600+ hours per year) enrolled at an education facility recognised by the Department for Education, Children and Young People

and who meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • have a Service Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card or are listed as a dependant on the card
  • are under a Care and Protection Order
  • live in a rural area and are attending their Intake Area School, which is also located in a rural area, and there is no free bus service available to that school
  • require a Free Transfer pass as they must transfer between two or more fare-charging bus operators between home and school.

For more information:

Department of State Growth
Phone: 1300 135 513
Email: bus.passes@stategrowth.tas.gov.au

Website:  Student bus pass for free travel – Transport Services

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
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TasTAFE

Fee Waiver

Fees can be waived in full, or reduced to concession rate or other amount, for students in extreme financial hardship or for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Students are referred to a Student Counsellor or Aboriginal VET Officer for assessment.

For more information:

TasTAFE
Phone:
1300 655 307
Web: www.tastafe.tas.edu.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Accommodation

TasTAFE offers shared accommodation in self-contained motel-style units for both short and long term stays, located onsite at the Clarence campus in Hobart and the Alanvale campus in Launceston. Rates for students are $38 per night or $170 per week.

For more information:

Clarence: 6165 6591

Alanvale: 6777 2687

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Courses without fees

Courses that have no tuition fees include:

  • any of the foundation programs
  • the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) and
  • approved Fee Free TAFE courses.

Tuition fees are not charged for inmates at a prison or detention centre.

For more information:

TasTAFE
Phone:
1300 655 307
Web: www.tastafe.tas.edu.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Student childcare subsidy

Up to a 25% reimbursement of childcare costs (to a maximum of $400 per student per year) is available to students:

  • enrolled in an accredited course at TasTAFE, and
  • with childcare provided through a carer registered under the Family Day Care Scheme or a day care service or carer licensed by the Department for Education, Children and Young People.

This concession is subject to available funds.

For more information:

TasTAFE
Phone:
1300 655 307
Web: www.tastafe.tas.edu.au

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria
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Tuition fees

A reduction on the normal tuition fee for government subsidised program for each qualification or skill set is available to enrolled students who:

  • are receiving a Centrelink allowance such as Newstart, Youth Allowance, Disability Support Pension, a Pension, Austudy or Abstudy
  • are listed on a current Centrelink Card as a dependant
  • hold a current Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card, or
  • hold a current Services Australia Health Care Card.

For more information:

TasTAFE
Phone:
1300 655 307
Web: www.tastafe.tas.edu.au

Services Australia Health Care Card; Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria; Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card; Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
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Key

These icons will help you locate the concessions available to you:

Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card

Services Australia Health Care Card

Services Australia Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Seniors Card

Companion Card

Concession available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria

Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Cards - Orange

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Cards - Gold

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Cards - White

Find out more about these cards