Fee-Free TAFE is a vital initiative reducing inequities in employment, income, and wellbeing, providing accessible education that supports health, social outcomes, and opportunities for rural, remote, and First Nations learners.

While Fee-Free TAFE is a positive step, its full potential can only be realised when paired with additional measures that support student wellbeing and success. ARACY’s The Nest Wellbeing Framework highlights the need for a holistic approach that ensures students feel valued, have access to material basics, are physically and mentally healthy, can participate fully, and have a strong sense of identity and culture.

To enhance accessibility and completion rates, policies must be developed in collaboration with students, particularly those with lived experience.

Key supports include:

  • Adequate financial assistance to allow students to fully engage in their studies.
  • Culturally safe and inclusive learning environments for First Nations students.
  • Investment in Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) delivering training.
  • Alternative pathways to qualifications and workforce retention strategies, particularly in child and family services.

By addressing these broader systemic barriers, Fee-Free TAFE can become a truly transformative measure, ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can access and complete their education successfully.

ARACY would like to extend our thanks to SNAICC—National Voice for our Children—
for their valuable contributions to this submission.