Reference Guide · Updated 20 May 2026
How private tutors can deliver tutoring under NDIS funding: registered-provider vs unregistered, the Capacity Building line items that map to tutoring, the NDIS Price Guide hourly rates, and how plan-managed vs self-managed funding actually flows to the tutor.
The Opportunity
The NDIS is now one of the largest funders of education-adjacent support in Australia. For tutors with the right setup, it represents a sustainable supplement to a private-pay book at rates that often exceed the open market.
As of 2025, the NDIS supports more than 600,000 participants across Australia. Approximately 30% are under 18 — the core age group for school-age tutoring.
The Capacity Building funding stream supports skill development — including educational and learning supports — and is where most tutoring engagements are funded.
Under the current Price Guide, non-AHPRA therapy support rates commonly sit at $65–$93/hour, with AHPRA-registered therapists higher again — typically above private-market tutoring rates.
Participants with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other specific learning differences, intellectual disability, and vision impairment are increasingly accessing tutoring through their plans.
Step 1 — The Line Items
Tutoring is delivered against a specific support line item code listed in the participant's plan. The codes below are the most common matches for tutoring engagements; codes and rates update with each NDIS Price Guide release, so treat these as illustrative.
| Support | Code (illustrative) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living Skills | 15_038_0117_1_3 | Therapy delivery for skill building. Often the primary line item used for tutoring delivered to support a participant's learning goals (literacy, numeracy, executive-function skills, study habits). |
| Other Therapy | 15_500_0128_1_3 | Broad category for non-AHPRA therapies that build capacity, including educational support not delivered by a registered allied-health professional. Frequently used for tutoring engagements. |
| Skill Development and Training | Various (Capacity Building stream) | Training a participant in new skills relevant to their plan goals — study techniques, literacy strategies, vocational prep tutoring for older participants. |
| Early Childhood supports (under 7s) | Early Childhood Approach line items | Different rate structure and delivery model. Tutoring of preschool-age children under the Early Childhood Approach has its own price caps and key-worker model. |
| Provider travel (claimable) | Travel — Non-Labour Costs | Travel time claimable up to 30 minutes per session in MMM 1–3 (metro), up to 60 minutes in MMM 4–5 (regional), and longer in remote (MMM 6–7). |
| Cancellations (short notice) | Per NDIS Pricing Arrangements | Short-notice cancellation by the participant is claimable up to 90% of the agreed session value, subject to the cancellation rules in the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. |
Line item codes and price caps are set by the NDIA and updated at least annually. Always confirm against the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document before invoicing.
| Rate band | Hourly cap (illustrative) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-AHPRA therapy support (most tutors) | $65 – $93 / hr | Tutoring delivered by a non-AHPRA-registered provider under Capacity Building. The exact cap depends on the line item and the current NDIS Price Guide. Most private tutors operate in this band. |
| AHPRA-registered therapist (psychologist, OT, speech pathologist) | $120 – $200+ / hr | Where the practitioner is AHPRA-registered and delivering therapy under their scope, rates sit materially higher. Pure tutoring is generally not within AHPRA scope, but educational psychologists and OTs sometimes deliver overlapping supports. |
| Travel — labour | Up to provider's hourly rate | Travel-time labour claimable at the same hourly rate as the support, capped by the relevant MMM (Modified Monash Model) travel allowance. |
| Travel — non-labour costs | Per kilometre rate | Vehicle running costs claimable separately under the non-labour travel line item, at the per-km rate set in the current Price Guide. |
Step 2 — Registration Tier
The single biggest structural decision for an NDIS tutor is whether to register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Registration unlocks the NDIA-managed market but brings real cost and audit obligations.
| Dimension | Registered | Unregistered |
|---|---|---|
| Audit requirement | Verification or certification audit by an approved NDIS auditor. Verification is the lower tier (lower-risk supports), certification is the full audit (higher-risk supports). | No audit. No application process with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. |
| Annual cost | $1,500 – $5,000+ for verification; $8,000 – $30,000+ for certification, plus ongoing internal compliance time. | No annual NDIS registration cost. |
| Participants you can serve | NDIA-managed, plan-managed, and self-managed — the full pool, including the ~45% who are NDIA-managed. | Plan-managed and self-managed participants — combined ~55% of the participant base. |
| Worker screening | Mandatory NDIS Worker Screening Check for all workers in risk-assessed roles. Aligned with state-based screening units. | NDIS Worker Screening Check still required under most state laws for any worker delivering NDIS-funded supports; Working with Children Check still required where minors are involved. |
| NDIS-specific training | Workforce required to align with the NDIS Workforce Capability Framework. Onboarding, supervision, and refresher training documented for audit. | No mandated NDIS-specific training, though the Code of Conduct still applies and orientation modules are strongly recommended. |
| Best fit | Larger tutoring providers, multi-tutor businesses targeting NDIA-managed referrals, or anyone planning to scale headcount under one ABN. | Solo tutors and small studios. The pragmatic path to start delivering NDIS tutoring with the lowest compliance overhead. |
Step 3 — How Money Flows
Every NDIS participant's plan is managed in one of three ways. Which one applies determines who you invoice, how quickly you get paid, and whether you need to be registered.
Step 4 — Worker Screening
The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a separate, national clearance that applies in addition to the state Working with Children Check (WWCC). It is required for workers in risk-assessed roles, regardless of whether the provider is registered.
Any worker delivering NDIS-funded supports in a risk-assessed role, whether you operate as a sole trader, contractor, or through a registered provider. Applies to both registered and unregistered settings.
Through your state's NDIS Worker Screening Unit: NSW NDIS Worker Screening Unit, VIC Department of Government Services, QLD Blue Card Services, and equivalents in each other jurisdiction.
Free in most states for paid workers. Volunteers and self- employed applicants may face a small fee depending on the jurisdiction.
Valid for five years. The clearance is portable across NDIS roles and jurisdictions. Different from the WWCC — but state units often process them concurrently.
Step 5 — A Worked Scenario
A representative end-to-end flow for an unregistered tutor engaged by a plan-managed family. This is the most common configuration for solo tutors entering the NDIS market.
Family approaches the tutor explaining their child is plan-managed, with around $5,000 of Capacity Building funding available in the current plan year. They want weekly tutoring for their Year 8 child, who has dyslexia, focused on maths.
Tutor confirms they are unregistered and that this is fine for plan-managed funding. Tutor confirms they hold a current WWCC and NDIS Worker Screening clearance.
The Service Agreement documents: scope (Year 8 maths tutoring), hourly rate ($90), session frequency (weekly, 60-min sessions), cancellation terms aligned with the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements (up to 90% recovery for short-notice), invoice cadence, and dispute pathway.
The family provides: participant's NDIS number, plan manager name and email for invoices, and a copy of the participant's plan funding statement showing Capacity Building budget is available.
Tutor delivers weekly sessions and logs each session separately from private clients — date, duration, attendance, brief outcome note.
Each invoice (typically fortnightly or monthly) is addressed to the plan manager and includes: participant NDIS number, participant name, line item code, session date(s), hours, rate, total, and a clear "GST-Free — NDIS Supply" line. The participant's family does not pay directly.
Plan manager processes the invoice within 7–14 days and pays the tutor by bank transfer. The tutor reconciles against the Service Agreement and tracks the participant's remaining Capacity Building budget so the engagement does not exceed plan funding mid-year.
The tutor records the income as GST-free in their accounting software. Under s38-38 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, eligible NDIS supplies delivered to a participant with an NDIS plan are GST-free. Private-tutoring revenue is tracked separately for GST and BAS purposes.
Common Pitfalls
The patterns below show up repeatedly in NDIS Commission compliance work and plan-manager invoice rejections.
NDIS supports trigger additional consumer protections (the NDIS Code of Conduct, complaints pathways via the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and obligations under the participant's plan). A standard private-tutoring contract is not enough.
Service Agreements are required practice for plan-managed and self-managed bookings. Without one, you have no documented scope, rate, or cancellation policy — and the plan manager may reject invoices.
Plan managers will reject invoices priced above the current Price Guide caps. Self-managed participants may pay but cannot reclaim the excess from NDIA. Always check the rate against the current quarter's Pricing Arrangements.
Working with NDIS participants in a risk-assessed role without a current Worker Screening Check exposes you to immediate contract termination and possible reporting to the Commission.
Tutoring supplies funded under a participant's NDIS plan are GST-free under s38-38 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 where the conditions are met. Charging GST is non-compliant and the plan manager will reject the invoice.
Short-notice cancellation recovery is capped (commonly up to 90% of the session value) and must be in line with the cancellation clauses of the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Your Service Agreement must say so explicitly to be enforceable.
Unregistered tutors may not represent themselves as NDIS-registered, approved, or accredited. Doing so is misleading under the Australian Consumer Law and may trigger Commission action.
Plan-managed bookings are the lowest-overhead entry point. You don't need to register, the plan manager handles claims against the NDIA, and payment terms are predictable (typically 7–14 days). Most tutors should build a base of plan-managed clients before considering registration.
Align your Service Agreement with NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission guidance. It should cover scope, rate, cancellation policy mirroring the current Price Guide, complaints pathway, and consent for sharing reports with parents/plan managers. Re-issue at the start of each NDIS plan cycle.
NDIS sessions have unique billing requirements: line item codes, NDIS numbers, GST-free treatment, plan-manager invoice cadence. Tag NDIS clients separately in your scheduling software so invoices, GST coding, and end-of-month reporting do not get mixed with private engagements.
In your accounting software, set up an NDIS revenue account coded as GST-free. Charging GST on a GST-free NDIS supply is non-compliant and will trigger invoice rejection. Most plan managers will quietly bounce a GST-inclusive invoice rather than negotiate it down.
No — not if you are only working with plan-managed and self-managed participants. Roughly 55% of the participant base can engage unregistered tutors. You only need to be a registered NDIS provider (audited and approved by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) if you want to serve NDIA-managed participants, who make up the remaining ~45%.
Under the 2025–26 NDIS Price Guide, non-AHPRA-registered providers delivering Capacity Building therapy supports (the line items most commonly used for tutoring) sit in the $65–$93/hour range, depending on the specific item and time of day. AHPRA-registered therapists deliver overlapping supports at $120–$200+/hour. These caps change with each Price Guide release — always check the current Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document before quoting a rate.
Generally, yes. Supplies funded by a participant's NDIS plan, delivered to that participant under a written agreement, are GST-free under section 38-38 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999. The supply must be listed in the NDIS Rules (or a determined supply) and reasonably necessary for the participant. Mark NDIS invoices as GST-free in your accounting software, and keep private-tutoring revenue (which is taxable above the GST threshold) clearly separated.
With plan-managed funding, a third-party plan manager handles invoices and pays the tutor directly on the participant's behalf — the tutor invoices the plan manager. With self-managed funding, the participant (or their family/nominee) pays the tutor directly and then claims reimbursement from the NDIA themselves — the tutor invoices the family. Both options are open to unregistered tutors. Plan-managed is generally smoother for tutors because the plan manager understands NDIS billing; self-managed is closest to a private engagement.
Yes, within the limits of the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. The standard rule allows the provider to claim up to 90% of the agreed session value for short-notice cancellations, where the cancellation falls within the defined notice window and the cancellation policy is set out in a Service Agreement signed by the participant. Make sure the clause in your Service Agreement mirrors the current NDIS rules — they update periodically.
Generally, yes — they are different checks. A Working with Children Check (WWCC) covers child-related work under state law. The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a separate national check required for workers in risk-assessed roles in NDIS-funded supports, regardless of the participant's age. Most states run them concurrently and the NDIS Worker Screening Check is free for paid workers in most jurisdictions. The check is valid for five years.
OneBookPlus is the AU-built workspace for Australian tutors. Bookings, Service Agreements, session logs, GST-free invoicing for plan managers, and a clear split between NDIS and private clients.
Last reviewed and updated: by Bishal Shrestha