Considerations Before Enrolling in a Massage Course

Or Nationally Recognised Training means that your training programme will be recognised across Australia. Before you enrol, please ensure that the course you intend to study is Nationally Accredited. All nationally recognised courses are listed on the Government’s training.gov.au website. Q Academy’s HLT42021 Certificate IV in Massage Therapy, HLT52021 Diploma of Remedial Massage and 22316VIC Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy courses are all Nationally Accredited Qualifications.   

Associations are the primary regulators the Massage Industry and set the code of conduct and professional recommendations for their members. They consult with Government organisations and other professional organisations on behalf of Massage Therapists to increase recognition of massage as a complementary and allied service. Associations also offer support and guidance to therapists, to keep them up-to-date with industry changes and regulations, assist with employment advice, limited legal advice, and can offer therapists discounts on obtaining insurance. Please ensure that the qualification you intend to study will allow you to join your preferred Association. Q Academy recommends ANTA, AMT and MMA, with whom you will be eligible to become a member if you have one of our qualifications.

Association membership is also a requirement in order to obtain Private Provider Numbers, which are needed to offer rebates to clients with private health insurance. If being able to offer rebates for private health insurance is important to you and your career goals, please ensure your course meets the minimum eligibility requirements. Q Academy’s HLT52021 Diploma of Remedial Massage qualification with 200 hours of on-site clinical practice will give you full eligibility for your Private Provider Numbers.

Enrolling in a new course is a big investment of both your time and your money, which is why you should have all the information available to make sure it is the best decision for you and your circumstances. Transparency and honesty are crucial to building trust and respect, which is why we don’t shy away from publishing our course fees. We happily share our fees across our website, our emails, our course guides – everywhere. Please note that reputable training organisations such as TAFE, make it easy to discover their course fees and associated costs. If a training organisation does not publish their fees then contacting them is definitely worth re-considering.

The VET Student Loan (VSL) is a loan from the Australian Government to help students cover fees for vocational education and training (VET) courses. Please note that not all Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are approved to offer the VET Student Loan. You can search for all the courses and training organisations that are eligible for VSL on the myskills.gov.au website. Q Academy’s  HLT52021 Diploma of Remedial Massage course is eligible for the VET Student Loan. Please note that if you are eligible for the loan, a once-off 20% loan interest fee is applied. This is paid off as a percentage of your income, once you earn over the minimum repayment threshold.

A Queensland Government Higher Level Skills (HLS) Subsidy is available to eligible students studying the HLT42021 Certificate IV in Massage Therapy with Q Academy. This is a subsidy, not a loan from the Queensland Government. The principal aim is to help individuals gain the higher-level skills required to secure employment or career advancement in a priority industry or transition to university to continue their studies. While eligible courses may be funded by the Queensland Government, individuals will need to contribute to the cost of training through the listed co-contribution fee. Q Academy’s co-contribution fees range from $208-$442 depending on concessional status.

Q  Academy self-finance options are offered with 0% interest. If you are not eligible, or do not wish to use the Government’s VET Student Loan scheme, please ensure you carefully review any private loan service or direct payment plan recommended to you by an RTO. Make sure you understand how much you will be expected to pay, over what time period, how much interest is applied and if there will be any restrictions on the qualification being issued based on finance. If you have any doubts or concerns, please seek independent financial advice. If the repayment options or terms seem too good to be true, they probably are!

There may be additional out-of-pocket expenses that RTOs may request from you. These can sometimes be hidden or disguised, so please ensure you are direct and ask for all the fees and associated costs that may not be covered within the course tuition fee. This may be for things such as textbooks, uniforms, or other learning materials. With Q Academy, we have an inclusive once-off $100 material fee that is payable at the time of enrolment, which covers your student shirt, oil bottle, holster and all of your learning resources. You will never have any other additional expenses or fees.