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Diploma · national qualification
Diploma of Financial Counselling
You train to help people who are overwhelmed by debt, and to do it as a counsellor rather than an adviser selling a product.
- How long it takes
- 6 to 18 months
- full time at TAFE NSW
- How you can study
- On campus
- Includes a work placement
- Main job
- Financial Counsellor
- $56,900 (estimate) median pay
- Taught by
- 3 providers
- NSW, WA, SA
Is this course right for you?
What the Diploma of Financial Counselling asks of you, and what you might want to check first.
It helps to have
- a genuine interest in helping people with money problems
- good listening and interview skills
- an understanding of social justice and client empowerment
- patience and respect for people from diverse backgrounds
Before you start
There are no entry requirements for this qualification.
Where this course can take you
Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.
Jobs you can do with it
Financial Counsellor
Financial counsellors help people in financial hardship work out exactly what they owe, negotiate with creditors and rebuild a workable budget.
What else you need
The course includes 220 hours of placement in a financial counselling agency. Other finance qualifications cannot replace it. Check the provider is approved.
Median pay$56,900 (estimate)
If you study further
Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling
A step towards work as a, median pay $114,600.
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.
Where you can study this course
There are 3 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.
- Course page for TAFE NSW (opens in a new tab)
TAFE NSW
2 campuses, NSW
4.0from 2,410 Google reviews
- How you study
- On campus
- How long
- 6 to 18 months
What students like
- Teachers are supportive and ready to help
- Staff are helpful and friendly
- Course content is practical and industry relevant
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Some find front desk staff less helpful
- Website for TAFE SA (opens in a new tab)
TAFE SA
26 campuses, SA
4.4from 1,339 Google reviews
What students like
- Lecturers are nice and helpful
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Course information can be unclear
- Course page for South Metropolitan TAFE (opens in a new tab)
South Metropolitan TAFE
2 campuses, WA
3.9from 617 Google reviews
- How you study
- On campus
What students like
- Lecturers are friendly and genuinely care about students
- Courses help students learn new skills
What to weigh up
- Phone calls and enquiries can go unanswered
What you’ll learn
17 units: 13 that everyone takes and 4 you choose.
- Counselling interview skills
- Client rights and advocacy
- Responding to crisis situations
- Consumer credit and debt law
- Small business finances
- Working with diverse clients
See all 13 core units
Core units
Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Questions to ask before you enrol
Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.
- When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
- What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
- Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
- Who arranges the work placement, and how many hours does it involve?
- Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?
Questions people ask
Who is this qualification for?
It prepares you to work as a financial counsellor, helping people overwhelmed by debt. You learn to counsel rather than sell products, covering listening, budgeting, options, consumer credit, debt recovery and bankruptcy, and advocating with creditors and government agencies.
Do I need experience or other qualifications first?
There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Each provider can set its own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.