Smart and Skilled
(NSW Government Funding)

You may be eligible for NSW Government funding, significantly reducing your course fees — with some students paying nothing at all, depending on eligibility.

Start building a creative career with nationally recognised training.

FAQs

Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for Smart and Skilled funding if you:

  • Are 15 years or older

  • Are no longer at school

  • Live or work in NSW

  • Are one of the following:

    • Australian citizen

    • Australian permanent resident

    • Humanitarian visa holder

    • New Zealand citizen

If you meet the above criteria, you may be eligible for government-subsidised training.

Courses available under Smart and Skilled

At Orana, funding is available for:

  • SIR50217 Diploma of Visual Merchandising (Funding available now)

  • 11426NAT Diploma of Social Media Marketing with Artificial Intelligence
    (Funding available from July 2026)

What does this mean for you?

Subsidised training
If eligible, you will pay a student contribution fee, with the remaining course cost subsidised by the NSW Government.

Fee-exempt training
Eligible students may qualify for a fee exemption, meaning no student contribution fee is payable.

Fee exemptions are available for specific groups, including:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

  • Students with a disability

Eligibility must be assessed here and confirmed prior to enrolment.

What could your course fee be?

Your course fee will depend on your eligibility under Smart and Skilled.

  • Fee-exempt students: $0 (no student contribution fee)

  • Subsidised students: starting from $2,530

Your exact fee will be confirmed after completing the eligibility check here.

What other entry requirements are there?

Before enrolment, you will need a Unique Student Identifier (USI).

  • If you don’t have a USI, you can create one online — it’s free and only takes a few minutes

  • If you’ve forgotten your USI, you can retrieve it online here

Important information

  • Smart and Skilled is funded by the NSW Government

  • Eligibility must be assessed prior to enrolment — you can check this quickly via our eligibility form here

  • Student contribution fees are set by the NSW Government and vary based on your individual circumstances

  • Funding places are limited and subject to availability

  • Eligibility for subsidised or fee-exempt training is determined based on your circumstances and available funding

Check your eligibility

To find out if you qualify, submit your details here.

Our team will:

  • Assess your eligibility for Smart and Skilled funding

  • Confirm whether you qualify for subsidised or fee-exempt training

  • Provide your exact student contribution fee (if applicable)

  • Guide you through the next steps, including enrolment