Understanding Traineeships Fees in Queensland
ACCM fully understands the below information can be difficult to follow. If you have any questions regarding any of this information please reach out to us and we are more than willing to explain the below in detail.
The fee displayed on the Course Page is a cumulative fee that shows the Student Contribution Fee and if required an Employer Fee (explained in detail below) as a displayed total.
Understanding the Student Contribution Fee
For all state-subsidised Traineeships in Queensland delivered under Skills Assure, a Student Contribution fee applies.
There may be an additional employer fee (explained below), however all Traineeship require the Student Contribution Fee, except as outlined in a further paragraph.
The Student Contribution Fee varies based on the exact Units of Competency selected for the Qualification to be completed as part of the Traineeship.
Each Unit of Competency is allocated a “nominal hours” fee (ie 20 hr, 25 hrs, etc) by the government that is tied to State-subsidised funding, and is not a factor in the length of time the Unit should take to achieve to complete. It is purely part of a funding determination process.
The QLD Student Contribution fee is currently $1.60 per nominal hour for all Units in the Qualification.
The fees quoted on each specific course page in the Fee Checker are a nominative fee (placeholder fee) which will vary based on the actual Units of Competency chosen as well as any reductions/exemptions outlined in this section.
To repeat, the nominative fee displayed is based on this preliminary Student Contribution Fee AND any potential employer fees.
In most cases, the Employer chooses to pay the Student Contribution Fee on behalf of the Trainee, but not always.
This decision is made between the Employer and the Trainee, and is not part of the RTO’s oversight.
Student Contribution Fee Reductions and Exemptions
Under the User Choice Policy, a Partial Exemption of the Student Contribution Fees applies for certain categories.
Credit Transfers are exempt from the Student Contribution Fee, and will not be charged against that Fee.
Per the QLD User Choice Policy found here:
2.6.2 Partial exemption - tuition fees
The SAS (ACCM College) must charge 40 per cent of the student contribution fee where the participant falls into one or more of the following exemption categories:
(a) The participant was or will be under 17 years of age at the end of February in the year in which the SAS provides training, and the participant is not at school and has not completed year 12.
(b) The participant holds a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card issued under Commonwealth law, or is the partner or a dependant of a person who holds a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, and is named on the card.
(c) The participant issues the SAS with an official form under Commonwealth law confirming that the participant, his or her partner or the person of whom the participant is a dependant, is entitled to concessions under a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.
(d) The participant is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Acceptable evidence is as stated on the Training Contract and AVETMISS VET Enrolment Form.
2.6.3 Full Exemption of Student Contribution Fee
The SAS may apply full exemption from the student contribution fee where the participant falls into one or more of the following exemption categories:
(a) Where payment of the student contribution fee would cause extreme financial hardship, then the SAS may waive these fees
- The fee waiver process should be in place at the time of the participant’s enrolment.
- For 2.6.3 (a) of this Fees and Charges section, the SAS must have a reasonable internal process to manage an appeal about the outcome of an application under financial hardship.
(b) Where the Queensland Government, as represented by the departmental officer responsible for the User Choice budget, advises in writing that fees are optional. On receipt of such advice, the SAS may choose not to collect the student contribution fee. In this circumstance, any decision by the SAS not to collect fees does not create a liability for the department. The SAS may not apply for reimbursement by the department of fee revenue foregone.
Refer to the User Choice Price List, as published on the department’s website, for information on where fee exemptions are applicable. The SAS must apply full exemption from the student contribution fee where the participant falls into one or more of the following exemption categories:
(a) where credit transfer/national recognition has been applied to a unit of competency/module
(b) the participant is a school-based apprentice or trainee
(c) the participant is undertaking a qualification as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work – Work Skills Traineeship program.
ACCM Required Employer Fee
In some cases, where state-subsidies do not fully cover training costs, an additional Employer Fee will apply, these are includes in the quoted cost as shown on the Fee Tracker.
This is allowable under the QLD User Choice Policy found here:
2.6.5 Additional charges
Employer/industry The SAS may seek additional charges from the employer/industry. Any additional charges must be negotiated up-front and disclosed to the employer/industry prior to the participant’s enrolment.
In cases where the Employer does not intend to pay for the Student Contribution Fee, please let ACCM College know and we will provide a detailed breakdown of costs to assist.
Unfunded or non-State Funded Traineeships
For a Traineeship not on the funding list, or not within ACCM's funding allocation, Traineeship fees will be as per the College's published Employer Program price or as agreed with the client on a fee for service basis.
For example, the TLI30321 Certificate III in Supply Chain is a funded Traineeship in Queensland, however it is not on ACCM's approved Traineeship list under User's Choice.
ACCM is still able to deliver this as a Traineeship, however as we will not receive any state-subsidy, the fee will be the same as a private or Employer Program price.
ACCM fully understands the aboveinformation can be difficult to follow. If you have any questions regarding any of this information please reach out to us and we are more than willing to explain the below in detail.
Any necessary fee adjustments or refunds to the Enrolment Fee are calculated at the end of the qualification.
Employers may ask at any time for the breakdown of Student Contribution Fee and Employer Fee.