Vocational education and training (VET) is study built around practical, workplace skills, delivered through TAFE institutes and other registered training organisations. A VET qualification can lead straight into work, and it can also be a stepping stone towards a degree.
Universities can use VET in two main ways. It can help you get into a course, and in some cases it can count towards the degree once you’re enrolled.
How VET and university qualifications fit together
All VET and university qualifications sit on one national scale called the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). It has 10 levels, and each level is more complex than the one below it.
The levels most relevant to moving from VET to university are:
- Level 3: Certificate III
- Level 4: Certificate IV
- Level 5: Diploma
- Level 6: Advanced Diploma & Associate Degree
- Level 7: Bachelor Degree
VET diplomas and higher education diplomas
A Diploma at AQF level 5 can be accredited as either a VET qualification or a higher education qualification. Both types sit at the same level, but they’re delivered and regulated by different systems:
- VET Diplomas are delivered by registered training organisations, including TAFEs, & are listed on training.gov.au, the national training register
- Higher education Diplomas are delivered by universities & other higher education providers registered with TEQSA, the national higher education regulator
Either type can be a pathway into a related degree. The connection depends on the arrangements between the provider and the university, and those arrangements can differ from one Diploma to the next.
Starting VET while you’re at school
VET delivered to secondary students is held to the same quality standards as VET delivered anywhere else. When you complete it as part of senior school, it can count towards both a VET qualification and your senior secondary certificate.
Whether VET can also contribute to an ATAR, and how much, differs between states and territories. Your school’s senior subject handbook or your Careers Advisor can tell you which rules apply to you.
You could also start a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, which combines school subjects, paid work and training towards a nationally recognised qualification at Certificate or Diploma level. School-based apprentices generally start at the end of Year 10 or the beginning of Year 11.
Starting VET after school
After Year 12, you can enrol in a VET course at a TAFE or another registered training organisation, or start an apprenticeship or traineeship.
Free TAFE is a permanent part of the VET system, with at least 100,000 places funded each year from 2027. Places are prioritised for groups including young people aged 17 to 24, and they’re offered in fields where skills are in high demand. Free TAFE is delivered with state and territory governments, so the courses on offer depend on your location.
Using a VET qualification to get into university
Many universities accept a completed VET qualification as a basis for entry into a degree. They usually convert it into a selection rank, a number used to compare applicants, so it can be assessed alongside ranks based on an ATAR.
Several things can affect the rank you’re given:
- The level of the qualification, with higher levels generally receiving a higher rank
- Whether it was graded, or competency-based (assessed against a set standard instead of given a grade)
- Your results, if the qualification was graded
If you have more than one possible rank, such as one from Year 12 and one from a VET qualification, universities generally consider you on the highest. In some states, a VET qualification completed at school can also receive its own selection rank, separate from your ATAR.
The lowest qualification level a university accepts, and the rank it gives each qualification, vary between universities and between states. Some courses only accept graded qualifications, and course prerequisites still apply.
Getting credit towards a degree
Credit means some of your VET study counts towards your degree, so you may not need to complete certain units. The national AQF Qualifications Pathways Policy sets starting points for credit agreements when a VET qualification is in the same or a related field as the degree:
- Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree: 50% of a 3-year Bachelor Degree, or 37.5% of a 4-year degree
- Diploma: 33% of a 3-year Bachelor Degree, or 25% of a 4-year degree
These figures are a basis for negotiation, so the credit you receive depends on the course, the provider and any agreement in place. The policy is also being updated to give clearer guidance on credit and recognition of prior learning. Our guide to how credit transfer works for TAFE and university study covers how credit is assessed and applied.
Pathways between TAFEs and universities
Some universities have set up pathways that shorten a degree for students who already hold a related TAFE qualification. Examples include:
- University of Canberra: 1 year off a degree for students with a relevant TAFE qualification in 7 areas, including nursing & graphic design
- Western Sydney University: shorter degrees for students with a relevant qualification in areas including nursing, construction & IT
- Southern Cross University: up to a full year off 8 degrees in areas including nursing, education, business & IT
According to the Minister for Education, students who complete a Free TAFE course before moving into one of these pathways could have the first year of their degree effectively free. Other universities have their own arrangements with TAFEs and training providers.
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission, the national body established in 2026 to oversee higher education, is developing a national credit recognition framework to help more universities offer this kind of credit. It can also allocate more student places to universities that do.
Paying for VET and university study
VET and university study are funded differently, and each has its own government loan options:
- VET Student Loans can help eligible students pay tuition for approved VET courses at Diploma level & above
- HECS-HELP can cover your student contribution in a Commonwealth supported place at a university or higher education provider, where the government pays part of the cost
- FEE-HELP can cover tuition in a full fee-paying place
You start repaying these loans through the tax system once your income reaches a set amount, and they all count towards one HELP loan limit.
Checking a course or provider
Only registered training organisations can deliver nationally recognised VET. You can check a provider’s registration, and the qualifications it’s approved to deliver, on training.gov.au.
For higher education, TEQSA’s National Register lists every registered provider, so you can confirm a university or college is registered.
If you’re choosing a VET course with university in mind, check with the university before you enrol whether it accepts that qualification for entry and whether any credit applies.
If you’re weighing up how VET could fit into your plans, you can find more on entry pathways and applying in our university resources.
Note: information is accurate as of September 2026 – but universities, TAFEs and governments regularly change these processes so check directly if you want the specifics.
