Smart and Skilled is the NSW Government’s vocational training funding program. If you’re eligible, it subsidises all or part of the fee for an approved qualification, and you pay the balance as a student fee.
Adept Training (RTO 90991) is an approved provider, and its funded healthcare qualifications include Certificate III in Individual Support and Certificate III in Pathology Collection.
This guide goes through the details and costs, so you can see which qualifications are funded, how long they take, where they lead and what you’re likely to pay.
Which Healthcare Courses Are Government-Funded in NSW?
Adept Training delivers five nationally recognised healthcare qualifications under the NSW Government’s subsidised training program. Funded places are limited and allocated by intake.
A course appearing on this list means funding may be available, but it’s not guaranteed for every applicant.
| Qualification | Code | Funded under Smart and Skilled? | Typical duration | Where it leads |
| Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability) | CHC33021 | Yes, limited places | 25 weeks, plus 120 hours of work placement | Aged care worker, disability support worker, home care worker, assistant in nursing |
| Certificate III in Pathology (Pathology Collection) | HLT37525 | Yes, limited places | Up to 12 months allowed, with most students finishing in 3 to 4 months, plus 35 hours of placement | Pathology collector, phlebotomist, specimen collection officer |
| Certificate III in Pathology Assistance | HLT37415 (now replaced by HLT37525) | Yes, limited places | Ask the Adept team for your intake | Pathology assistant, specimen reception, laboratory support |
| Certificate III in Health Administration | HLT37315 | Yes, limited places | nline study with trainer support and no work placement | Medical receptionist, health administrator, records administrator |
| Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting | HLT47715 | Yes, limited places | 6 months study with both virtual and face to face sessions. | Medical practice assistant, health assistant |
A few things to know about the table:
- Certificate III is the main entitlement. Eligible students can receive subsidised training up to Certificate III under NSW Smart and Skilled. This covers four of the five qualifications listed.
- Certificate IV funding is more limited. Funding is available for selected priority courses and may depend on available places. Adept’s Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting is included.
- Pathology qualifications changed in December 2025. HLT37525 replaced the previous Pathology Collection and Pathology Assistance qualifications, with separate streams for each area.
If you’re moving into care or pathology for the first time, most people start with the Certificate III in Individual Support or the Certificate III in Pathology Collection. Both pair classroom learning with a work placement, so you finish with real workplace hours behind you.
The other qualifications suit different goals.
Health Administration, for instance, fits people who prefer front-desk and records work over hands-on patient care, and it can be completed from home. The Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting suits people who want both. It combines clinical tasks such as ECGs and blood collection with Medicare billing and practice administration.
What Will You Pay? Understanding Smart and Skilled Fees
Your fee under Smart and Skilled depends on the qualification, your personal circumstances and any qualifications you already hold. There’s no single price, which is why so many people find this part confusing. Here’s how the pieces fit together.
Subsidy vs student fee
Every approved qualification has a set price. When you’re eligible, the NSW Government pays a subsidy to the training provider, and you pay the remaining amount, known as the student fee. The student fee is determined by the NSW Government’s published fee schedule rather than by the provider.
To put that in perspective, the standard fee for Certificate III in Individual Support at Adept is $3,900 without funding. An eligible student pays only the student fee set for that qualification, and some students pay nothing at all.
The concession fee
If you receive a Commonwealth Government benefit, or you’re the dependant of someone who does, you may qualify for a concession fee. This is a discounted flat fee for the entire qualification, which varies up to $240 depending on the qualification level. Qualifying payments include JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment (Single), Carer Payment and the Age Pension.
You’ll need to show a current Centrelink Income Statement or Pensioner Concession Card when you enrol. The NSW Government sets out the full concession fee rules for benefit recipients and dependants. Some students are exempt from fees altogether, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students with disability.
Fee-free vs subsidised
These two terms get mixed up all the time, and they mean different things.
- Subsidised means the government pays part of the cost, and you pay a student fee.
- Fee-free means the government covers the full cost, so your student fee is zero.
In NSW, fee-free places come through specific initiatives, such as NSW Fee Free training for priority courses and fee-free traineeships. These places are limited and aren’t guaranteed. Before you enrol, ask your provider how long it will take to confirm a fee-free place. Also ask what your fee will be if a place isn’t available, so you’re not caught out after you’ve already committed to a start date.
If you already hold a qualification
Previous qualifications don’t affect your eligibility, but they can affect your fee. Since 2016, anyone who meets the criteria can access subsidised training up to Certificate III, even if they hold a higher qualification. That’s good news for career changers. Someone with a business diploma can still retrain as a support worker with a subsidy. Their student fee may be higher than for someone with no post-school qualification.
Estimate your fee before you enrol
The NSW Government’s Skills NSW course finder lets you check eligibility, compare approved providers and estimate the fee for a specific qualification. Run your numbers there first, so you go into the conversation with a provider knowing roughly what to expect. Adept Training also offers interest-free payment plans if you’d rather spread the cost.
Am I Eligible for Smart and Skilled?
You can access Smart and Skilled training if you meet every one of these conditions.
- You’re aged 15 or older
- You’re no longer in high school
- You live or work in NSW
- You’re an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, a humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen
- You hold a Unique Student Identifier (USI), or you’ve applied for one
Some exceptions apply, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in defined border areas outside NSW. Adept’s guide to Smart and Skilled eligibility walks through each criterion in full and explains how to check yours.
Smart and Skilled vs Fee-Free TAFE vs Traineeships
All three options reduce what you pay, but they work in different ways and suit different people.
| Smart and Skilled | Fee-Free courses | Traineeship | |
| Who funds it | NSW Government | Commonwealth and NSW Governments | NSW Government, through Smart and Skilled |
| Who’s eligible | Anyone meeting the Smart and Skilled criteria | Smart and Skilled eligible students enrolling in a priority course, where places are available | New trainees employed under an NSW training contract |
| What you pay | A student fee, a concession fee of up to $240, or nothing if exempt | Nothing, if you secure a place | Nothing, for traineeships starting before 30 June 2027 |
| Best for | Career changers who want to study around work or family | Students whose course is on the priority list and who can wait for a confirmed place | People who want to earn a wage while they train |
Despite the name, fee-free places aren’t limited to TAFE. They’re offered through TAFE NSW and other approved Smart and Skilled providers.
A traineeship also works differently from a standard enrolment. You need an employer to take you on and sign a training contract before your training starts. Traineeships usually take one to two years, and you earn a wage throughout.
Under the current NSW initiative, each person can start up to three fee-free traineeships. Adept publishes a traineeship handbook, so if an employer is willing to take you on, ask the team whether a traineeship suits the role.
How to Enrol in a Funded Healthcare Course in NSW
- Check your eligibility. Confirm you meet the criteria above, then run your details through the Skills NSW course finder.
- Choose your qualification. Think about the work you want to do day to day. Care work, pathology collection and medical administration suit very different people. If you’re torn between two options, talk them through with the course team before you enrol. A short conversation now can save you from starting the wrong qualification.
- Confirm funded places for your intake. Funding is allocated in limited numbers, so ask whether a funded place is available for your preferred start date.
- Gather your documents. You’ll need your USI, photo ID and proof of residency, such as a birth certificate, passport, green Medicare card or citizenship certificate. Bring concession evidence if it applies to you.
- Complete the LLN assessment. A Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment checks that you’re ready for the reading, writing and maths in your course.
- Enrol. Complete your enrolment form, confirm your student fee and lock in your start date.
Studying a Funded Healthcare Course at Adept Training
Adept Training (RTO 90991) is an Australian-owned registered training organisation at 83 Marion Street, Harris Park, in Western Sydney. The campus is a three-minute walk from Harris Park Station, and Adept has been training healthcare workers for more than 25 years.
Most courses use blended delivery, which suits people fitting study around a job or family. You complete the theory online in your own time, then attend practical sessions face-to-face on campus. Pathology students complete their 35-hour placement at the on-site, licensed collection centre, which is run in partnership with 4Cyte Pathology. There’s no waiting for an outside clinic to take you on.
Funded places for upcoming intakes are limited. To find out whether one is available for the course you have in mind, call the Adept team on 1300 366 044 or send through an enquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do a Smart and Skilled course if I'm on Centrelink?
Yes. Receiving a Centrelink payment doesn't affect your eligibility, and it may reduce what you pay. People on a Commonwealth benefit, such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, or the Age Pension, may qualify for a concession fee. So may their dependants. That fee is up to $240 for the whole qualification.
How many funded courses can I do in NSW?
Completing one funded course doesn't use up your eligibility. You can generally take on further subsidised training, including another Certificate III, as long as you meet the criteria and a funded place is available. A further qualification may carry a higher student fee because of what you already hold. The Adept team can check how your study history affects your options.
Is Smart and Skilled the same as free TAFE?
No. Smart and Skilled is the overall NSW funding program, and most students under it pay a subsidised student fee. Fee-free training is a separate initiative that fully covers the cost of priority courses. Despite the name, fee-free places are offered through TAFE NSW and other approved Smart and Skilled providers. Places are limited and aren't guaranteed.
Can I get funding if I already have a Certificate III?
Yes, in most cases. Since 2016, previous qualifications haven't affected eligibility for subsidised training up to Certificate III. Your existing qualification may raise the student fee, but it won't stop you from retraining. This helps people moving into healthcare from another industry, such as a retail worker retraining for a role in aged care.
Do I have to live in NSW, or is working in NSW enough?
Working in NSW is enough. The rule is that you must live or work in NSW, so someone living interstate who works in NSW can qualify if they meet the other criteria. There's also an exception for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in specific border areas outside NSW.
What if funding runs out before my intake starts?
Funding is released in limited allocations, so places for a particular intake can fill. If no funded place is available for your preferred start date, you can ask about a later intake. You can also enrol at the standard fee using an interest-free payment plan. Confirm your funding status in writing before your course begins.
Are online healthcare courses covered by Smart and Skilled?
They can be. Funding is tied to the qualification and the approved provider, and online delivery can be included. Adept's Certificate III in Health Administration is delivered fully online and sits on its funded list. For blended courses, such as pathology and individual support, the online theory is part of the same funded qualification.