Student Fees
Purpose
This policy is designed to ensure Australian Training Company (ATC) collects fees from participants and actions refunds appropriately and that students and staff are fully aware of the way in which participant fees and refunds are to be handled.
Smart and Skilled Students (NSW)
The NSW Government sets the qualification prices and student fees for government-subsidised training under Smart and Skilled. There are different categories of student fees, based on the program, the qualification and the characteristics of the student. The schedule of fees for each qualification can be found in ATC’s Consumer Protection Policy.
Smart & Skilled Fees are calculates through the State Government online Notification of Enrolment process. You will be notified of this fee prior to your enrolment.
This first instalment of this fee will be collected prior to you being provided course equipment, access to learning materials and/or online content. The balance of the student fee will be collected after commencement of the program.
The balance of the payment will depend on the duration of the training program, with the expectation that all program fees are paid in full at least 8 weeks prior to the scheduled program completion.
Payments for fees can be made by direct debit, EFT or Credit Card facility. Note; credit card payments will incur a processing fee of 1.5% of the individual payment amount.
An administration charge of $20 will be levied against a student's account where a direct debit instalment is returned unpaid from the payer’s bank. Individual financial institutions may also charge for each failed direct debit.
Access to learning support, assessment and applicable learning management platforms may be suspended where a student fall into arrears of more than 2 payments.
There is currently no enrolment fee for new entrant Australian Apprentices and Trainees in NSW.
Fee for Service Students
All students participating in training with ATC through fee for service arrangements will have negotiated qualification costs. An individual payment/service agreement will be drafted for each student prior to commencing the program. Fee for Service students will be issued course resources progressively at payment stages.
Collection of Fees
ATC will not collect more than $1500.00 from individual students prior to the commencement of a training course. No exemptions or discounts apply under a fee for service arrangement.
Fees for Certificate and Statement issue
An original certificate issue at completion of a program will incur no cost to a student.
In the event that a student requires their qualification re-issued because the original copy was either lost or damaged, a replacement qualification is $35.00 per record. Proof of identification will be required when requesting replacement qualifications.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Where a learner submits documentation upon enrolment to support RPL, ATC may charge a fee to process this application.
Refunds
Refunds of fees will only be made in the following circumstances:
- Where a student has overpaid fees the whole overpayment will be refunded;
- ATC cancels the training and cannot make arrangements to conduct the course at a later date, a full refund shall apply upon return of all learning resources and equipment;
- If a student withdraws prior to the program induction, providing at least fourteen (14) days’ notice from the proposed commencement date, there will be no penalty and a full refund will apply if the student returns all issued material;
- In circumstances beyond the students control, such as corroborated injury, ill health, bereavement or other appropriate reasons subject to the acceptance of the CEO. The initial enrolment component of the course will be held by ATC and the refund portion will apply to the remainder of payments made. Pro-rata refunds will be provided [Total Agreed Payments multiplied by the percentage of units completed];
- In the case of a fee for service participant where all course fees have been paid and they wish to terminate their program after commencement. The initial enrolment component of the course will be held by ATC and the refund portion will apply to the remainder of payments made. Pro-rata refunds will be provided [Total Agreed Payments multiplied by the percentage of units completed];
- The CEO is of the opinion that the student would be unreasonably disadvantaged if a refund was not granted, for example if a student met with a serious misadventure and was unable to continue with the enrolment.
Where refunds have been approved for reimbursement, a cheque is raised by the ATC Finance Manager and issued to the student or employer within 21 days of the refund request.
Fees for Resubmission and Reassessment of Assignments
Where a student submits assessment and is assessed as Not Yet Competent, ATC will allow for resubmission. The deadline for resubmission will not exceed two weeks.
If the resubmitted assessment is again assessed as Not Yet Competent, a fee of $85.00 will be charged for this second and third resubmission. The resubmissions will not be assessed until proof of payment of the fee is presented.
If the fourth resubmission is still assessed as Not Yet Competent the student will be deemed Not Yet Competent for the unit of competency and no further attempt permitted and an alternative study unit offered.
Where a student believes an assessment has been assessed inaccurately or unfairly, the assessor and student will go through the reasons for the assessment.
Aggrieved students may raise a complaint at any time by following the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedures.
Deferral/Suspension/ Cancellations
Deferral
Students may defer prior to commencement of a course in the following limited circumstances:
- On the grounds of compassionate or compelling circumstances (at the discretion of the RTO Coordinator);
- Students must request a deferral of the commencement of their course prior to the course commencing. The request must be made in writing to the RTO Coordinator;
- The length of time a student may have their enrolment deferred is at the discretion of the RTO Coordinator but may not exceed 3 months. Deferral does not entitle the student to a refund.
ATC Initiated Suspension/Cancellation
Suspensions
ATC can suspend a student’s enrolment in the following instances:
- Student misbehaviour as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct;
- As part of an intervention strategy for unsatisfactory course progress;
- In compassionate and compelling circumstances
The length of time a student can have their enrolment suspended at the initiation of ATC is at the discretion of the CEO. A student’s enrolment cannot be suspended for more than one term (10 weeks) without re-assessing the circumstances that led to the suspension to determine if they are still applicable.
Cancellations
ATC may cancel a student’s enrolment in the following instances:
- Student demonstrates serious misconduct as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct;
- Erratic course progress, for example, consistent unsatisfactory course progress or continuous absence from scheduled course hours;
- Failure to show ongoing monthly engagement in units of study;
- Non-payment of outstanding fees
- Failure to return to study after the end of an approved suspension period.
Photo Release
I, grant permission to the Australian Training Company (ATC) to use, reproduce and communicate any photographs taken of me from this date for the purposes of publications e.g. the Annual Reports, the ATC web site and social media, marketing material including presentations for the promotion of Training, Traineeships and Apprenticeships and other Australian Training Company programs.
I also grant permission to the Australian Training Company to use, reproduce and communicate the photographs taken of me from this date for educational purposes.
USI
It is a requirement that all students participating in Vocational Education and Training have a Unique Student Identifier. Information on the USI can be found on our website or at www.usi.gov.au .
Alternatively, ATC can apply for your USI on your behalf. You will need to confirm that you give us permission and provide your identification documentation. Ask your Education Team representative for the documentation to complete.
Students must provide ATC with their USI within 30 days of commencing training. Failure to provide the USI to ATC will mean you will not receive your qualification.
ATC ensures the security of Student Identifiers and all related documentation under its control, including information stores in our student management system
Privacy Notice
Under the Data Provision Requirements 2012, Australian Training Company is required to collect personal information about you and to disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER). Below is a summary of how we use this information.
Why we collect your personal information
As a registered training organisation (RTO), we collect your personal information so we can process and manage your enrolment in a vocational education and training (VET) course with us.
How we disclose your personal information
We are required by law (under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth) (NVETR Act)) to disclose the personal information we collect about you to the National VET Data Collection kept by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER). The NCVER is responsible for collecting, managing, analysing and communicating research and statistics about the Australian VET sector.
We are also authorised by law (under the NVETR Act) to disclose your personal information to the relevant state or territory training authority.
How the NCVER and other bodies handle your personal information
The NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the NVETR Act. Your personal information may be used and disclosed by NCVER for purposes that include populating authenticated VET transcripts; administration of VET; facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage; and understanding the VET market.
The NCVER is authorised to disclose information to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), Commonwealth authorities, State and Territory authorities (other than registered training organisations) that deal with matters relating to VET and VET regulators for the purposes of those bodies, including to enable:
- administration of VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation
- facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage
- understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information
The NCVER may also disclose personal information to persons engaged by NCVER to conduct research on NCVER’s behalf.
The NCVER does not intend to disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients.
For more information about how the NCVER will handle your personal information please refer to the NCVER’s Privacy Policy at www.ncver.edu.au/privacy .
If you would like to seek access to or correct your information, in the first instance, please contact ATC using the contact details listed below.
DESE is authorised by law, including the Privacy Act and the NVETR Act, to collect, use and disclose your personal information to fulfil specified functions and activities. For more information about how the DESE will handle your personal information, please refer to the DESE VET Privacy Notice at https://www.dese.gov.au/national-vet-data/vet-privacy-notice
Surveys
You may receive student surveys which may be run by a government department or an NCVER employee, agent, third-party contractor or another authorised agency. Please note you may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.
Contact information
At any time, you may contact Australia Training Company to:
request access to your personal information
correct your personal information
make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled
ask a question about this Privacy Notice
Acknowledgement
ATC is required to provide Government Authorities with student and training activity data which may include information provided in this enrolment form. Information is required to be provided in accordance with VET Student Statistical Collection Requirements. For these and other lawful purposes, this information may also be disclosed to its consultants, advisers, other government agencies, professional bodies and/or other organisations.
ATC Contact information
P: 02 9704 1500
E: training@austrg.com.au
W: www.austrg.com.au