Source: Tertiary Education Commission
If a learner enrols in a TTAF course after 1 July 2020 are they eligible for Fees Free?
Qualifications and programmes included in the TTAF target areas are excluded from Fees Free. In other words, where both could apply, the learner’s fees are funded by the TTAF, and not through Fees Free funding.
Learners undertaking TTAF programmes:
will not use up their Fees Free entitlements; and
will not have this learning count as prior study for the limits under Fees Free.
This means that if a learner is enrolled in a TTAF course it will not count towards the use of their Fees Free entitlement.
If a learner has completed a TTAF course and goes on to further study, are they eligible for Fees Free?
A Fees Free eligible learner who completed a TTAF course, will still be entitled to the full Fees Free entitlement (the lower of $12,000, or 1 EFT of tertiary education, or two years of industry training) for any additional study they undertake. If the learner has used some of their entitlement prior to TTAF, then they will be able to access their remaining entitlement after TTAF.
While we do not anticipate any changes to the Fees Free policy for 2021, the availability and eligibility rules for Fees Free from 2021 is subject to policy decisions, and, we cannot guarantee that learners will be able to access Fees Free funding following the end of TTAF.
What are the rules for SAC funded TTAF courses that started before 1 July 2020?
If a learner who is eligible for Fees Free enrolled in a TTAF course that began before 1 July 2020, this is how their course will be pro-rated between Fees Free and TTAF.
Course Start Date
Percentage of course post 1 July
Included in TTAF
Included in Fees Free
1 January – 30 April 2020
50% to less than 75%
50%
50%
1 January – 30 April 2020
75% or more
100%
0%
1 May – 30 June 2020
33% or more
100%
0%
Learners will not need to apply to the Tertiary Education Commission for these changes to be reflected in their Fees Free entitlements. However, it will take time for the Tertiary Education Commission to process these changes so that they are reflected in an individual’s Fees Free entitlement information.
SAC funded learners transitioning from TTAF to Fees Free at the end of 2022
What happens when TTAF ends in December 2022?
Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund covers fees for training and assessment that occurs up to 31 December 2022. We are unable to pay the full fees for programmes of study that will continue beyond this date. The TEC will apportion fees based on the portion of the course that occurs before 31/12/22 based on the total number of days in the course. The remaining portion is payable by the learner. However, TTAF will pay the full fees where:
The course ends on or before 31/1/23; or
The amount payable by the learner is calculated to be a $10 or less
The TEC will pay 100% of any CSSF associated with courses that start in 2022 (i.e. we will not apportion the CSSF).
How will TEC determine the amount?
The TEC will determine the TTAF and learner portions based on course start and end dates as recorded in the SDR, and course fees as recorded in STEO. These amounts will be updated and reflected in your Qlik app shortly. For the time being Qlik will apportion all fees to 31/12/22 (i.e., will not apply a and b above).
What about learners that may be covered by Fees Free?
It is not possible to confirm the Fees Free eligibility for specific learners to TEOs until funding delegations from the Minister are signed (expected in Q3 of 2022). If a TEOs learner straddles the TTAF end date then they may be entitled to both TTAF and Fees Free, but it is not possible for the TEC to provide this information until the funding delegation is signed. Even then, learners can have their Fees Free funding reduced or rejected due to entitlement limits or prior study. TEOs will be able to use the usual methods to enquire about a learners Fees Free status, either by request learner status using their NSN via Customer Service, or via the Eligible Learner list in Workspace2.
How can a TEO know if they should charge their learner for 2023 training if they can’t know their Fees Free status?
It is recommended TEOs don’t charge learners for fees relating to 2023 until they begin that study in 2023, or until they know they will not be eligible for Fees Free later in 2022. If this is not possible, TEOs may need to charge the learner upfront for 2023 and refund the learner if they discover they are entitled to Fees Free in 2023.
Industry Training learners transitioning from TTAF to Fees Free at the end of 2022
What happens when TTAF ends in December 2022?
Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund covers fees for training and assessment that occurs up to 31 December 2022. We are unable to pay the full fees for programmes of study that will continue beyond this date. TEOs are expected to charge fees via the TTAF Fees Actuals submission only for training until 31/12/2022. For fees that cover periods beyond this date (for example one off programme enrolment fees or annual fees) these will be apportioned based on the percentage of days or months that occur before 31 December 2022. From 1/1/2023 funding for Industry Training will return to it’s pre-TTAF state, i.e. any fees relating to training are covered by the learner and/or their employer.
What about learners that may be covered by Fees Free?
It is not possible to confirm the Fees Free eligibility for specific learners to TEOs until funding delegations from the Minister are signed (expected in Q3 of 2022). Similar to pre-TTAF, Fees Free funding is paid each month based on actual fee data submitted by TEOs and not bulk funded. If a TEOs learner straddles the TTAF end date then they may be entitled to both TTAF and Fees Free, but it is not possible for the TEC to provide this information until the funding delegation is signed. Even then, learners can have their Fees Free funding reduced or rejected due to entitlement limits or prior study.
How can a TEO know if they should charge their learner for 2023 training if they can’t know their Fees Free status?
It is recommended TEOs don’t charge learners for fees relating to 2023 until they begin that study in 2023, or until they know they will not be eligible for Fees Free later in 2022. If this is not possible, TEOs may need to charge the learner upfront for 2023 and refund the learner if they discover they are entitled to Fees Free in 2023.
