Co-Contribution Fees

Career Start - General Training Pathway

Course fees associated with your training are subsidised by the Queensland Government, leaving only a small student co-contribution fee. This fee can be paid by yourself, your employer, a family member, a friend, or another organisation, but Designer Life cannot pay or waive this fee on your behalf (this includes any person or entity connected to Designer Life).

Total Co-contribution Fees:

• Non-Concessional: $50

Concessional: $35

Fees are calculated on a unit of competency level, if you are eligible to receive a Credit Transfer or Gap Training for a unit, you will not be charged a fee for that unit and your total Co-Contribution Fee will be reduced.

Please see below table for unit of competency charge rates:

Additional Fees that may apply when completing Vocational Placement

Please note, for students who are looking to enrol into the following courses:

• CHC22015 Certificate II Community Services
• CHC32015 Certificate III Community Services
• CHC33021 Certificate III Individual Support

Many employers in these industries require workers to obtain a Blue Card, Disability Worker Screening (Previously known as the Yellow Card) and/or a Police Check, you may also be required to hold a current First Aid and CPR certificate.

Queensland has also adopted a “No Card, No Start” policy, this means that students enrolling into these courses will need to source, pay for these items, and successfully obtain them prior to undertaking vocational placement. Blue Cards and Disability Worker Screenings are free for students, however, the prices for Police Checks and First Aid/CPR courses will vary depending on the supplier you choose.

Designer Life will assist you with the application process for a Blue Card and/or Disability Worker Screening.

Eligibility for Concessional Rates

Concessional Participants defined as follows:

• If you hold a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card, or are the partner or dependent of someone with such a card and are named on the card; or
• If you have a Commonwealth form confirming eligibility for concessions under a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card; or
• If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (First Nations people); or
• If you have a disability; or
• Are an adult prisoner.

Full Fee Exemption

Where a student meets the below criteria they are exempt from paying a Co-Contribution Fee.

• Skilling Queenslanders for Work or SQW participants – this training is provided fee-free to Students with any additional costs met through SQW funding;
• Specific fee-free training programs as announced by the Queensland Government;
• Students completing Foundation skills training – this training is fee-free;
• Lower-level vocational Qualifications for concessional Students – this training can be provided fee-free to Students, as determined by Designer Life.

When Fees Will be Charged

You will be charged your contribution fee once you have successfully completed your first unit of competency.

Refund Policy

Please see the Student Handbook for further information.

    Traineeship Training Pathway

All students who enrol into a Traineeship subsidised under Career Start are required to pay a Co- Contribution fee. This fee may be paid on behalf of the student by their employer or by a Third Party.

If you are experiencing serious financial difficulties and can demonstrate this, you may qualify for a full fee exemption, please contact Designer Life for more information.

Co-Contribution Fees are calculated at a rate of $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit of competency that the student completes as a part of their course. 

Where a student meets eligibility criteria for a partial fee exemption, they will be charged 40% of the standard fee.

If you are eligible to receive a Credit Transfer or Gap Training for a unit, you will not be charged a fee for that unit and your total Co-Contribution Fee will be reduced.

* Fees listed are the maximum amount payable if students complete all units in Designer Life's standard unit delivery. Alterations to units delivered (e.g., changing units delivered, receiving credit transfers etc.) may impact the amount payable, exact fee amounts can be supplied for individual students prior to enrolment.

Partial Fee Exemption

Participants who meet the following criteria will be charged 40% of the standard fee:

• If you are under 17 years of age at the end of February in the year training is provided, are not at school and have not completed Year 12; or
• If you hold a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card, or are the partner or dependent of someone with such a card and are named on the card; or
• If you have a Commonwealth form confirming eligibility for concessions under a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card; or
• if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (First Nations people).

Full Fee Exemption

Where a student meets the below criteria they are exempt from paying a Co-Contribution Fee.

• If you are undertaking a Qualification as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work or SQW – Work Skills Traineeship program;
• If you are a School-based trainee (If you convert to a full-time or part-time traineeship, you will need to pay Co-Contribution Fees for any units not yet commenced at the time of converting);
• Specific fee-free training programs as announced by the Queensland Government;
• Students completing Foundation skills training – this training is fee-free;
• If the payment would cause you extreme financial hardship, Designer Life may be able to waive the Co-Contribution fee.

Free Traineeships for Under 25s

If you are under 25 years of age and enrol into a traineeship in a priority qualification you may be eligible to have your traineeship fully subsidised by the Queensland Government. This means that you will not be required to pay a Contribution Fee for your traineeship.

The following qualifications offered by Designer Life are eligible:

• CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
• CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

When Fees Will be Charged

You will be charged your contribution fee once you have successfully completed your first unit of competency.

Refund Policy

Please see the Student Handbook for further information.

    Career Boost

What will it cost me to participate?

Course fees associated with your training are subsidised by the Queensland Government, leaving only a small student co-contribution fee. This fee can be paid by yourself, your employer, a family member, a friend, or another organisation, but Designer Life cannot pay or waive this fee on your behalf (this includes any person or entity connected to Designer Life).

Student Co-contribution Fees for Qualifications:

• Non-Concessional: $75
• Concessional: $50

Student Co-Contribution Fees for Skill Sets:

• Non-Concessional: $15 per unit
• Concessional: $10 per unit

Fees are calculated on a unit of competency level, if you are eligible to receive a Credit Transfer or Gap Training for a unit, you will not be charged a fee for that unit and your total Co-Contribution Fee will be reduced.

Please see below table for unit of competency charge rates for Qualifications:

 Please see below table for unit of competency charge rates for Skill Set:

Eligibility for Concessional Rates

Concessional Participants defined as follows:

• If you hold a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card, or are the partner or dependent of someone with such a card and are named on the card; or
• If you have a Commonwealth form confirming eligibility for concessions under a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card; or
• if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (First Nations people); or
• If you have a disability; or
• Are an adult prisoner.

Full Fee Exemption

Where a student meets the below criteria they are exempt from paying a Co-Contribution Fee.

• Skilling Queenslanders for Work or SQW participants – this training is provided fee-free to Students with any additional costs met through SQW funding;
• Specific fee-free training programs as announced by the Queensland Government;
• Students completing Foundation skills training – this training is fee-free;
• Lower-level vocational Qualifications for concessional Students – this training can be provided fee-free to Students, as determined by Designer Life.

When Fees Will be Charged

You will be charged your contribution fee once you have successfully completed your first unit of competency.

Refund Policy

Please see the Student Handbook for further information.