• out of stock

Free Diploma of Sustainability @ University of Tasmania Online (100% HECS Scholarship + SSAF Waived)

2200

Similar to previous deals, and all students will receive a UTAS email address.


Course details:
The Diploma of Sustainable Living is completely online and contains 8 units:

2 x Core Units
Introduction to Sustainability Literacy
Local Lives for a sustainable Planet

6 x Elective Units
Units include: Introduction to Sustainable Design for Houses, Science of Gardening, Developing your Creative and Entrepreneurial Potential, Sustainable Design for Houses and Landscapes.


Fee details:

  • HECS Scholarship:
    All units studied as part of the Diploma of Sustainable Living with a census date prior to 31 December 2021 will receive a 100% HECS scholarship. This means the entire cost of the Diploma is covered by a scholarship.

  • Student Services and Amenities Fee:
    The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF), $45.45 per unit in 2020, is waived for units studied under the Diploma of Sustainable Living. Combined with the 100% HECS scholarship, this means that this Diploma is offered at no cost for eligible domestic students.

The Diploma of Sustainable Living units are available to Australian citizens; and for NZ citizens, Permanent Residents and Humanitarian Visa Holders provided all studies are on-shore in Australia.


Edited to add: For Tasmanian residents, there is also a free 4-unit Wellbeing Toolkit online course available, which is "aimed at assisting Tasmanians as we face the challenges of COVID-19. The toolkit, which Tasmanians will be able to study at no cost, will offer a range of modules covering topics including financial planning and budgeting, mental health and resilience, sustainable living, and creativity".

More details are available here

Related Stores

University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania

closed Comments

  • +46

    I'm ignorant but can someone please explain why exactly the taxpayer is funding this course?

    I'm all for frontline services but this is even more vague than an arts degree (no offence to Art students - some of the smartest minds I know)

    • +7

      Yes i would say it should go towards Diploma of Nursing or sth like that.

      • +2

        at least they aren't giving out free ipads or laptops :D

    • +2

      Where did you see that the taxpayer is funding this?

      • +12

        I'm making the inference. If it was free from UTAS, they wouldn't mention HECS Scholarship. And the nature of HECS is a loan or subsidy from the Commonwealth Government and managed by the Department of Education and the ATO. The government in turn is funded by taxpayers and generally people who pay for GST.

        • -1

          As far as I can tell, it's unclear who is funding this course. Maybe someone can shed some light for us.

          • +11

            @kahn: UTAS effectively waives/pays on behalf of the student contribution and pays that portion of HECS students normally accumulate as debt.

            It is a Commonwealth supported place, so they receive significant funding from the Federal government that basically means they end up on top

            Someone I know, not UTAS but a different uni, per semester each unit was 5k upfront for an undergrad course as an international student. A Commonwealth HECS student paid 1.5-2k per unit for the same course as deferred debt, rest paid by Federal Gov as a supported place. Dunno what it is now though, this was before open reform by Rudd/Gillard government

            • @Oreostar: Thanks for clarifying Oreostar! I stand corrected.

              • +3

                @OzCheapo: You aren’t wrong, essentially the taxpayer is paying for this!

                • +5

                  @Oreostar: And.. no
                  .
                  The taxpayer isn't paying for this at all. Just to be technically correct (which I've been informed is the best kind of correct?) the Commonwealth government is partially funding this.

                  You are in fact paying into the government but that logic leap means you're either paying for everything (pencils, submarines, nuclear reactors, petter dutton's security detail) or just for 'the government'.

                  And it isn't an unlimited fund UTAS are tapping into - there's a number of Commonwealth places and if UTAS hasn't filled them, then it could absolutely open it up.. so the Commonwealth may only be paying for a small portion of the entire cohort.

                  Welcome to online delivery of learning.. costs don't scale linearly..

                  • @jason andrade: Protip: if an Australian government - Federal, State or Local - is funding something, that means the taxpayers in the jurisdiction contributing tax to that body, are funding it.

                    In this case it appears anyone who pays a tax to the federal government - GST, among others - is funding it.

                    • @bnwww: Yeppers, 'bnwww' is 100% correct. The BS supplied by 'jason andrade' above should simply be dismissed for the utter baseless rubbish that it is.

              • +1

                @OzCheapo: Mate, you are actually right. Very sensible and straightforward explanation to,begin with.

            • -2

              @Oreostar: woah I didn't even think about this! Unis could make loads of money from students simply signing up and doing nothing. What a loophole. It's only when you go to uni you realise what a facade these places are. They claim to be so morally right but they're nothing but a business. The fact that they charge 5k a unit to sometimes hundred of students is an absolute rip off. They profit so much considering a math unit is pretty much a professor or two, some tutors and a few classroom. Or worse, arts and education, normally 25-30k for writing 2 essays a unit.

              I was thinking of signing up and taking the unit out of interest, but not for 2-3k from tax payer money. This honestly seems like some sort of scam. At this rate, degrees will be free

              • +8

                @[Deactivated]: What exactly does "claiming to be morally right" even mean? And how do they claim it? It's not something I've heard them say before. I guess they would think it's morally right to educate people, but you don't agree?

                Well, they're a non-profit business so no, they don't "profit so much" - even though they're run like a business.

                Utter rubbish. It's not just "writing two essays a unit" - it's staff, buildings, libraries and a myriad of other facilities, adminstration etc etc. I don't doubt that some units generate more income than it costs to run, but that is offset by others generating less than they cost to run.

              • +10

                @[Deactivated]: The taxpayer is paying for this no more than if someone signed up for an equivalent course and actually paid the student contribution, alongside what the Commonwealth always pays. The university has just kept its marginal cost of delivery within the Commonwealth funding component, and so can write off the student fee component.

                In truth, many, many online courses delivered by Australian unis are as affordable to deliver—it’s just that the student fees are used to subsidise other parts of the university.

                • @idalla: You are simply wrong about this idalla. You seem to be ignoring the fact (or are unaware of it?) that the people who undertake this course 'for free' are required to apply for a 'HECS scholarship' of a few thousand dollars, which is ultimately supplied by/paid for by—you guessed it—Australian tax-payers.

                  It's weird that you attracted so many 'upvotes' for your utterly erroneous misrepresentation of the facts. Peeps just 'upvote' whatever 'makes them feel good to read' I guess, with little regard for the actual facts. I suppose I will attract an approximately equal number of 'negs' from these same people in response to actually supplying the facts; for the converse reason.

                  Meh … 'neg on', simpletons …

                  • @GnarlyKnuckles: What? The HECS scholarship is just a fee waiver. It’s the university choosing to not collect the revenue it would ordinarily get from students, from the fees students ordinarily defer on HECS. This would be obvious if you understood how universities are funded.

              • +5

                @[Deactivated]: Yes loads. If the Commonwealth had a couple of hundred places it would fund and noting that it never contributes more than 50% on average anyway, at $3K per place, UTAS stands to make loads of money.. maybe even $500K in revenue. Whoop de do in the context of the UTAS budget, the Department of Education budget and the Government budget.

                This is perhaps 0.0002% of current stimulus spending.

                And if a bunch of people learn something and apply it (even if just one person did) and saved their region/state/council area $1m (which isn't hard to believe is possible) the return on investment is pretty bloody good..

                • @jason andrade: OK, now THIS is actually a sensible/logical/well-reasoned comment. I tried to 'upvote' it but could not, because it is more than 30 days old.

    • +2

      LOL shots fired

    • +8

      UTAS is in significant financial straits as they geared heavily to overseas and distance education. Culling 75% of courses now with some having no students enrolled.

      I’ve done part of one of their courses before as a masters student. Didn’t find the support great and dropped out first semester. Things may have changed, that was 3 years ago and as of now they are significantly restructuring.

      This “HECS” scholarship nets them a lot of money as a lot of students as not paying any fees, don’t formally withdraw so they claim the HECS regardless if students participate or fail.

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-11/coronavirus-the-spark…

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-10/university-of-tasmani…

      • +3

        Oh how I find the irony given the offer.

        "Tasmania's university was "not making enough progress to be the right size to be sustainable even in the short term", the vice chancellor told staff in an email"

        I hope they do a better job in the course than executing this.

    • -8

      People are being paid $1500 with tax payers money to not work. Lol

      • +13

        If that makes you laugh, then what would happen if you discover the concept of a Universal Basic Income?

        • +4

          ubi needs to be offset by much, much higher tax rates for high income earners

          • -5

            @belongsinforums: Possibly not as many community service sectors currently subsidised by the government would no longer require a subsidy or would require a much smaller subsidy.

            In effect many jobs would become voluntary or have a token payment associated with them. Instead of paying $30 for a haircut, you may only pay $5.

            • +4

              @mathew42: Huh? You're claiming that if universal income became a thing then hairdressers would continue to work for free on a voluntary basis just for the love of cutting hair?

              I don't see any reason why they'd charge less than they charge now. If anything they'd charge more because they'd be less reliant on the income and so may be happy to only work limited hours.

              • +1

                @callum9999:

                I don't see any reason why they'd charge less than they charge now

                Universal Basic Income (UBI) means that people have the opportunity to work in jobs they enjoy. I would assume that most hairdressers enjoy the work they do. UBI would provide their basic needs and cutting hair would fund non-essentials.

                The issue we have is that as we've seen in the last couple of months many jobs are non-essential. Many jobs are at risk from automation, particularly those that are low-paid. meaning it is unlikely that full employment is achievable. UBI is an alternative to the current system which seeks to treat those out of work as miscreants.

                • @mathew42: It does indeed, so if you were currently in a job earning $100k then you could switch to one earning $50k that you'd enjoy more.

                  It doesn't mean that hairdressers will all suddenly decide that they don't want money any more and cut their salaries. The only way that would make sense is if there was a huge number of wannabe hairdressers in high paying jobs who would flood the market with new salons. That seems incredibly unlikely to me.

                  You don't need to convince me about UBI (my attitudes on economic equality are strongly despised on here!), I just don't accept your description of how it would operate.

                • @mathew42: Erm, callum9999, surely you jest?

                  1. Re 'Universal Basic Income (UBI) means that people have the opportunity to work in jobs they enjoy.'; that is the current system here in Australia. It's called a 'free market'.

                  2. Re 'I would assume that most hairdressers enjoy the work they do', that is a naive/simplistic assumption in the extreme. They don't call it 'work' because it's fun. Only about 10% of peeps genuinely 'enjoy' the jobs they do every day that provide them with a full-time income. Hair-dressers and other jobs that are largely akin to manual labour (think 'parking inspector', 'taxi driver', 'cleaner', etc.) with little to no prospects of promotion and no 'work-place learning'/ongoing education/perks are defo' not high on that list. Even high-end academics, doctors/surgeons, pilots etc. will typically tell you that they 'love their job', but if you probe a little deeper, they will readily admit that they would MUCH RATHER be chilling on the couch with their kids, or going out for pizza with a few mates than actually doing it.

                  3. I can't understand this statement that you make above:

                  'UBI is an alternative to the current system which seeks to treat those out of work as miscreants.'

                  Can you please post a corrected version here/a version that makes grammatical sense, so that we can contemplate it?

        • -6

          Just to give you more incentive to do drugs and party instead of learning hard at school?

          People who are struggling today 100% deserve it, they choose not to sacrifice their entertainment life to be less educated.

          • +2

            @superdarkhumour: No one deserves to struggle.

            The greatest thing about living in a civilized society is the rejection of survival of the fittest. Something you also agree with when it's convenient to you of course, so I assume your attitude is based on greed and selfishness?

            • @callum9999: Callum9999:

              Now, what we have in 'civilised society' (i.e. so-called 'developed countries'; but also most 3rd-worl countries) is undoubtedly 'survival of the richest'. Do you think this is ethically/ideologically preferable to the former Darwinian prevelance of the survival of the fittest?

              If so, why?

      • -4

        Mostly people with an Arts "degree" LOL, or with no qualifications, which are the same things anyway.

    • Yes you are.

    • +1

      Agree. It's not based on science, construction or architecture - the three things that need to come together to make sustainable construction meaninful. The lack of science leaves the rest of the subjects in a useless middle ground too. The cause is worthy but I dunno if this is going to actually help much. And someone pays

    • +5

      You could ask the same question of the Australian Institute of Sport. I don't think anyone pays HECs if you get in there.
      This seems like a more worthy course IMHO.

  • +5

    I got a similar deal like this one a few years ago, they even sent me a student card which i used to get discounts for museums and zoos. It's pretty good.

  • +4

    The Diploma’s curriculum is structured around four specialisations:

    Environment, ecology and planet
    Resource use and design for living
    Food, well-being and health
    Social justice, equity and diversity
    
    • +3

      Universities and 'social justice' tend to have a bit of a stigma attached.

      • +1

        "Equity and diversity" is a fun phrase too. That's code for white people are bad so we have to exclude them. If you happen to also be male and heterosexual, well, you're pretty much the Devil.

        • oh dear, someone doesn't like a level playing field.

          • +2

            @doobes: Who is that? People trying to make the playing field uneven by artificially creating in more and more "special" groups?

            • -3

              @Loki556:

              Who is that? People trying to make the playing field uneven by artificially creating in more and more "special" groups?

              You are defending thatguyfromthatplace by claiming special groups are being created:

              That's code for white people are bad so we have to exclude them. If you happen to also be male and heterosexual, well, you're pretty much the Devil.

              I wouldn't say black people are a specially created group compared to white people, or females are a specially created group compared to males, or homosexuals are a specially created group compared to heterosexuals.

              What you are saying is ridiculous.

              • +1

                @brotherfranciz: Have a go at defining one of these groups. Start with "black" for example - what does that mean? How are you going to decide who is in and who is out?

              • +1

                @brotherfranciz: I don't need defending. It is, however, immensely gratifying to see that there are other people out there who understand just how retrograde "social justice" is.

        • This turned into a shitfight quickly

          • @1101011100010101: No shitfight here at all. thatguyfromthatplace (refreshingly/commendably) had the stones to state candidly, clearly and concisely what any white heterosexual male who has been employed in any vaguely 'academic' field for the last 30 years will tell you. We have been actively discriminated against for decades in Australia, when it comes to employment/promotion into higher-paying/upper-level positions, in favour of so-called 'minority groups'. Often—completely erroneously—even simply being a woman qualifies as being a member of a 'minority group'; even though there are more women in Australia than there are men!

            There are numerous examples of this now long-institutionalised practice, which is officially dubbed 'positive discrimination', actually written into enforceable employment policy in Australia in many diverse contexts. There is simply no argument about whether it goes on in Australia … quite the opposite, active discrimination against NON-minority groups (i.e., white heterosexual males; any deviation from that 'trifecta' generally qualifies any individual as a member of a 'minority group') is actually mandated in numerous employment contexts. Some of the obvious ones are universities and numerous government work-places, but there are many more.

            It's bizarre to me, and many other white heterosexual males that the answer to perceived historical discrimination against 'minority groups' (including 'all women', utterly erroneously) has been deemed to be, for the last few decades, to 'swing the pendulum back the other way and severely, actively, and officially institutionalise/sanction (and in many cases, worse; actually mandate) discrimination against white heterosexual males.

  • +17

    Great for the next Samsung education store deal

    • +5

      You mean to get the .edu email? lol

      • +1

        Isn't that why everyone does this?

        • -1

          This course is just for students, technicality they already have this email.

          • +2

            @Dienk: That is simply completely incorrect Dinkers, and your assertion indicates that you have missed the entire point of this thread. This course is available for free for any Australian citizen.

  • Thanks.

  • +5

    Should grant access to Office 365 for a few years too.

    • +4

      And gives you a free windows 10 education license from OnTheHub.

    • +1

      They revoked my access ~4 years after completing my degrees.

      • oh no! lol

        • +5

          Though I think graduating certain types of degrees will give you long life access. I attended prior to 2015 so that's not the case for me. One day my O365 deactivated and my account no longer existed.

      • You might laugh but I still have all my technet keys hoarded and they still work!

        • That's not a bad thing. I still have Enterprise keys with 300 activations of Office and other programs from over 10 years ago!

    • Hi alvian, have been accepted to this course. Is this only access to the web version of Office 365? May current students receive an access key for downloaded and installed version? Thanks in advance

      • +2

        It should be the full version of O365. Access the UTas O365 installation portal with your UTas student e-mail. Please ask UTas for help as I am not enrolled with UTas at this moment and I have no access to their IT systems.

        • +1

          You need to download Office 365, and use your UTas student e-mail to sign in in order to use the desktop version without paying. That’s how it works for the uni I work for

          • @kerfuffle: Thank you both alvian and kerfuffle.
            Have downloaded via uni student email login. Seems registered or at least, doesn't seem to be an area with empty key to fill. Shall call uni IT if that does pop up.

            • +1

              @barenesscessities: There should be an account section where you can log in with your student e-mail and password

  • Any visa conditions for this one?

    • +3

      The Diploma of Sustainable Living units are available to Australian citizens; and for NZ citizens, Permanent Residents and Humanitarian Visa Holders provided all studies are on-shore in Australia.

    • You need to be CSP to qualify for HECS

    • Yes, only available to Humanitarian vias holders.

  • What sort of job / career can one expect from this?

    • +61

      McDonald's drive through attendant…

      • +6

        And only applicable to drive through lane for bicycles.

        As your usual drive through won't be sustainable.

    • +1

      As a graduate of the Diploma of Sustainable Living you will possess new skills, outlooks on living, and a deeper understanding of sustainability in an ever changing world which will complement your existing career direction.

      • +2

        In other words, it will give you sweet fa but a BS piece of paper saying you attended an "online Uni".
        You couldn't even use it as a point of reference in a job interview stacking shelves @ Coles…

        • No but you could use it if you wanted to get a job in a sustainablity role in a large corporate. Not sure why you'd want to work in a role like that, not my cup of jam.

      • -1

        In other words, outreach advocacy meant to indoctrinate you into groupthink. I wonder of you could choose to write your assignment on the new Michael Moore film 'Planet of the Humans' which unravels the con job we're all being played by the sustainability industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE&list=WL&index=5&…

    • -2

      A job? From a diploma? No such thing.

      • +3

        My mate has a diploma in project management, first job paid 85k and 12 months later 110k!

        He has a background in steel, boiler maker and he landed jobs for steel companies.

        • +13

          Well yeah, but do you think it's the diploma or the background that got him the job?

          No one with just a diploma is getting any half decent job.

          • +1

            @[Deactivated]: I did a software dev diploma and got a 50k job straight out into a Telco back in 2005

            • @serpserpserp: Sure but that's not gonna work in 2020.

        • +1

          Boiler maker? so big money anyway

    • +2

      No career, just like a degree

    • -4

      Gov job

    • +1

      Yoga teacher to teach how breathing changed your life LMFAO

    • professional rent-a-crowd protestor!

  • Hopefully, they can have some engineering online course available.

  • +1

    Wondering if there are other courses with such scholarship? Like nursing or something

    • Wonder on google…https://www.utas.edu.au/scholarships.

      Did notice a redundancy sholarship awhile back, not sure if it's still offered. May be helpful for anybody who has been let go due to Covid and looking in to futher study.

  • +5

    there's also Diploma of Dementia Care available
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/498093

  • So, do we need to fill in all information related to post secondary/qualification/employment to apply? Or can I just select no?
    I did the course technology for healthy living 3 years ago and I don't recall they were asking that much information?

    • +1

      The applications process has changed since those days (hey, fellow alumni! haha)

      I partially filled in an application last year and i got a call from them asking why i didn't follow through. Passed on this feedback.

  • +1

    Do we have to fill the Personal Competency Statement in the application?

    • i do. im stuck there. i'm going to give up.

      • +1

        A personal competency statement allows you to meet the University's General Entry Requirements and to demonstrate that you have, through life experiences, the skills and abilities to be successful in a tertiary course. You will be assessed according to how well your written statement addresses all categories and associated indicators.

        Your statement of support needs to address:

        what you have done to prepare for tertiary study
        the reasons for choosing your preferred program of study
        your capacity for independent study
        the skills, knowledge and abilities you believe will help you succeed
        your communication skills
        sources of support you have or can put in place to enhance your success at university.
        Each of these criteria should be addressed individually. Be sure to provide specific examples of how you meet the criteria.

        Independent Learning Strategies
        Relates to your capacity for self-directed study.

        Demonstrated ability to prioritise tasks, manage time and meet deadlines.
        Demonstrated ability to work independently.
        Evidence of self-motivation.
        Evidence of development of personally effective study techniques.
        Evidence of awareness of the workload and time commitments inherent in tertiary study, the impact of tertiary study on personal lifestyle and of the financial resources required to complete the course.
        Interpersonal and Communication Skills
        Relates to your ability to communicate clearly, particularly when using written and oral means, and the ability to interact effectively with others.

        Demonstrated ability to write clearly, correctly and concisely.
        Evidence of capacity to express thoughts logically.
        Evidence of ability to interact effectively with others, including ability to work effectively as part of a team.
        Achievement and experience
        Relates to your experience, expertise and achievements which are indicative of your likely success in tertiary study. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate your readiness to participate in the life of a tertiary institution and preparedness for a lifetime of learning.

        Any personal achievement that demonstrates ability, motivation or commitment.
        Attainment in formal and/or non-formal studies.
        Evidence of steps taken to gain study skills or improve skill levels.
        Completion of a formal tertiary preparation program.
        Completion of other studies, eg formal and informal training and short courses.
        Demonstrated ability to adjust or adapt to new situations.
        Demonstrated ability to consider new ideas and viewpoints.
        Skills and knowledge
        Relates to the skills and knowledge required to be successful in tertiary study.

        Demonstrated ability to collect, analyse and interpret information.
        Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
        Evidence of computer skills.

        And I'm out!!!

  • do we also get a student card?

  • +3

    Thinking of doing this so I get a Uni email for bargains

Login or Join to leave a comment