The Victorian Government has introduced legislation aimed at securing the future of Free TAFE in Victoria, framing the move as a way to protect access to training and reduce cost pressures for students over the long term.
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney announced the Bill, which would amend the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 to include a Free TAFE Guarantee. If passed, the change would embed the program in legislation rather than leaving it as a policy setting that can be altered by future governments.
Free TAFE was introduced in 2019 and, according to government figures, more than 225,300 students have taken part since its launch. The state estimates students have saved more than $727 million in tuition fees, averaging just over $3,000 per person.
The government argues the program supports Victoria’s economy by addressing workforce gaps in areas such as construction, early childhood education, care services and clean energy. It also points to participation data showing broader access to training, with more than 67,200 learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and over 57,000 regional students enrolled since the scheme began. Women account for 59 per cent of Free TAFE students.
Alongside the guarantee for Free TAFE courses, the Bill would set a funding floor for public training providers. Under the proposal, 70 per cent of all government vocational education and training funding would be allocated to TAFEs. Labor took this commitment to the last state election, and the government says the legislation delivers on that promise.
Since 2014, the state has invested $16 billion in Skills and TAFE funding, covering both new initiatives and base funding. The government continues to contrast this with past Coalition policies, citing job losses, campus closures and funding cuts under the previous Liberal administration.
Minister Tierney said the legislation was about certainty for students and the training system. “Only Labor governments fully support TAFE, and Free TAFE started in Victoria, and we will always protect it,” she said. She added that the Bill would help future students manage cost-of-living pressures while preparing for skilled work.
Critics of Free TAFE have previously raised questions about long-term funding sustainability and whether free courses alone are enough to address skills shortages without broader reform across the training sector. Others argue private training providers risk being sidelined if funding settings tilt too heavily towards public institutions.
For now, the government is positioning the Bill as a safeguard against future policy shifts. Whether it delivers lasting stability for the sector will depend on how it is implemented and funded in the years ahead, as demand for skills training continues to change.
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