Fee-for-service enrolment: paying the full fee, and what that changes

Fee for service means you — or your employer — pay the full course fee, with no government subsidy applied. No eligibility test applies, which makes it the simpler route administratively and, for many students, the only route available.

For the subsidised alternative, see funded enrolment. For the enrolment process itself, see course enrolment.

Who fee for service is for

It is not a fallback. For a large share of our students it is the correct and only route.

A note on where you are studying

Our government funding contract is with Victoria, under the Skills First program. We deliver interstate as well — our qualifications carry delivery rights beyond Victoria and we operate from Surry Hills in New South Wales — but a delivery right is not a funding contract.

For New South Wales specifically, subsidised training runs through the Smart and Skilled program, and we were not on the published Smart and Skilled Provider List for the 2026–2027 activity period, which NSW states was accurate as at 14 July 2026 and notes is subject to change. So treat NSW study as fee for service unless we confirm otherwise. The same applies elsewhere: ask us about your state rather than assuming a Victorian subsidy travels.

What has to be in writing before you pay

This is where fee for service deserves the most attention, because you are carrying the full cost and the protections are specific.

We must provide you with documentation prior to your enrolment or before any fees are required to be paid which sets out:

1. the training that we or any third party will provide to you;
2. all fees, costs and charges you will be required to pay; and
3. any obligations or liabilities that we or any third party may impose on you.

Separately, all of the following must be easily accessible to you:

• all fees, costs and charges associated with the training product that you may incur, including payment terms and conditions, any applicable refund policy, and the availability of any relevant government training entitlements and subsidies — yes, including when you are enrolling fee for service, because you are entitled to know whether a subsidy exists even if you are not using it;
• any obligations or liabilities imposed on you, including any requirement to acquire materials, equipment or IT, any costs and processes associated with withdrawing from training, any costs and processes associated with obtaining a Student Identifier, and any requirement to undertake a work placement;
• the training product code and title, duration, modes of delivery, delivery location, commencement dates and scheduling, and any requirements to commence or complete including assessment requirements;
• whether any licensing or occupational licence requirements apply; and
• the training support and wellbeing support services available to you, and how to access them.

The four things to read first

1. The total, not the headline. Tuition plus materials plus any amenities or student services charge.
2. The payment terms. When each instalment falls due, and what happens if one is late.
3. The refund policy. Specifically, what you get back at each stage, and whether any component is non-refundable.
4. The withdrawal process and its cost. This is the term most likely to matter later and the one least likely to be read first.

If we are slow to put any of those in writing, press us. The obligation runs to us, not to you.

What fee for service does not change

Everything that makes the training nationally recognised is identical. A fee-for-service enrolment and a subsidised enrolment produce the same qualification, assessed against the same training product, by the same trainers, under the same standards.

So you keep all of the following:

• a pre-training review before you enrol, including your language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy, and advice from us about whether the course actually suits you;
• the opportunity to seek recognition of prior learning and credit transfer, and to be made aware of our policies for both;
• access to support services, trainers and assessors throughout the course;
• reasonable adjustments if you have a disability, and an explanation where an adjustment is not appropriate or possible;
• wellbeing support identified by reference to your course content;
• the complaints and appeals systems, including the right to request review by an independent party at no or low cost to you if an internal appeal does not resolve matters; and
• your certificate within 30 calendar days of completion of assessment, subject to having completed the course and paid all agreed fees, and to holding a USI.

You still need a Unique Student Identifier. Under section 53 of the Student Identifiers Act 2014 we cannot issue a VET qualification or statement of attainment to anyone who has not been assigned one, and paying full fees does not change that. See USI.

Employer-funded training

If an employer is paying, the enrolment is normally fee for service, and two practical points are worth settling at the start.

Who the student is. The enrolment, the records, the USI, the assessment and the certificate belong to the student, not to the employer. We can usually report progress to a paying employer with the student's agreement, but the certificate is issued to the individual.

What is actually being bought. For a team, this is usually a cohort or workplace delivery arrangement rather than individual enrolments, and there are often specific units or a skill set in view rather than a full qualification. See workplace training for how we structure that, and talk to us about whether an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway would attract funding that a straight fee-for-service purchase would not.

Questions and answers

Is fee for service more expensive?

You pay the full fee rather than a subsidised fee, so yes, the amount you pay is higher than a subsidised place for the same course would be. It does not mean the course costs more to run or is worth less — the training product, the assessment and the certificate are identical.

Do I get a different certificate?

No. The same AQF certification documentation, against the same training product, with the same nationally recognised training logo. Nothing on the certificate records how the training was funded.

Do I still need a USI?

Yes. We cannot issue a VET qualification or a VET statement of attainment unless you have been assigned a student identifier, regardless of who paid. It is free — see USI.

Do I still get a pre-training review?

Yes. We are required to review your skills and competencies before enrolment — including language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy — and advise you whether the training product is suitable for you. That obligation does not depend on funding.

Can I claim RPL or credit transfer on a fee-paying enrolment?

Yes, and you should ask before you enrol. Recognition of prior learning assesses your existing skills and experience; credit transfer recognises units you already hold, evidenced by AQF certification documentation or an authenticated VET transcript. Either can reduce study time and fees, which matters more when you are paying the full fee.

What must I be told about fees before I pay?

All fees, costs and charges you will be required to pay, including payment terms and conditions, any applicable refund policy, and the availability of any relevant government entitlements and subsidies. Also any obligations such as materials, equipment or IT you must acquire, the costs and process for withdrawing, USI costs, and any work placement requirement. It must come to you before enrolment or before any fee is payable.

Are materials included in the fee?

Ask, because it varies by course and because non-tuition charges are separate from tuition. Any requirement for you to acquire materials, equipment or IT is an obligation we must disclose to you before enrolment.

What happens if I withdraw?

That is governed by our refund policy and by the withdrawal terms we gave you before enrolment. Read both before you pay the first instalment. One thing to know: if you complete some units and then withdraw, you are still entitled to a statement of attainment for the units you completed, within the 30-day issue rule.

Can I pay by instalments?

Payment terms and conditions are part of what must be disclosed to you before you pay. Ask for the schedule in writing, including what happens if an instalment is late.

I am on a student visa. Is this my route?

For subsidy purposes, yes — temporary visa holders including student visa holders are not eligible for a Victorian subsidised place. Note separately that only three of our qualifications are CRICOS registered, so most of our scope is not available to study on a student visa at all. Check the CRICOS position for the specific course under provider code 04242E before you plan.

I am in NSW. Why can I not get a subsidy?

NSW subsidised training runs through the Smart and Skilled program and requires the provider to hold a Smart and Skilled contract. We were not on the published provider list for the 2026–2027 activity period as at its 14 July 2026 snapshot. Ask us anyway, because absence from that list does not rule out other NSW arrangements such as apprentice and trainee funding.

My employer is paying. Whose enrolment is it?

Yours. The records, the USI, the assessment and the certificate attach to you as the student. We can usually report progress to a paying employer with your agreement, but the qualification is issued to the individual.

We want to train a whole team. Is this the right page?

Probably not — see workplace training. Cohort and workplace delivery is structured differently from individual enrolments, and an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway may attract funding that a straight fee-for-service purchase does not.

Can I switch to a funded place later?

Possibly, for a later course, if you become eligible. It is not usually retrospective for a course already commenced. If you think you may be eligible, raise it before you enrol — see funded enrolment.

What support do I get while studying?

The same as any other student: access to support services, trainers and assessors throughout the course; reasonable adjustments if you have a disability; wellbeing support identified by reference to your course content; and a safe, inclusive and culturally safe learning environment. See student support sessions.

What if I have a complaint?

The complaints and appeals systems apply identically. You can complain about us, a third party, or anyone we employ or contract; our policy sets the timeframes; and an adverse decision can be appealed, with review by an independent party available at no or low cost if the internal appeal does not resolve it. See policies.

Related pages

Course enrolment · Funded enrolment · Workplace training · All courses · USI · Policies · Policies and student toolkit · Course enquiry · FAQ · Contact

Complete Hospitality Training (Vic) Pty Ltd, RTO 3722, CRICOS provider code 04242E, ABN 27 006 947 262. Level 3, 28 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000. Contact melbourne@cht.edu.au or +61 3 9654 1554.

Fee disclosure, pre-enrolment, support, complaints, appeals, recognition and certification requirements on this page are drawn from the Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations (F2025L00354), the Compliance Requirements for NVR Registered Training Organisations (F2025L00355) and the Student Identifiers Act 2014; the NSW subsidy position from the published Smart and Skilled Provider List for the 2026–2027 activity period, which is point-in-time. Our own fee schedules, payment terms and refund policy are provider documents and the current version controls. Ask us for a written statement of fees for your own enrolment before you pay.