VET Tuition Fee Refund Policy

Policy Number: POL-D.021
Responsible Officer: Pine Pienaar (Director/CEO)
Date of Approval: July 2014
Scheduled review: 12 monthly

Cross References: Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA); VSL Provider Guidelines; VET FEE HELP Guidelines; VET Administration Guidelines; VET Provider Handbook, WorkReady Contract

Full time students are expected to pay 50% of the non WorkReady subsidised portion of the course fee prior to commencement of the course, with the remaining 50% at the half way point of the appropriate module. If a student withdraws from their course of study, FTA will proceed with a course closeout exercise at the end of which the student maybe liable for additional payment or eligible for a refund. The student will be notified in writing of the result of the closeout exercise and said notification will include backing documentation.

Part time students will pay an hourly rate for all flights prior to the start of each flight. If a student withdraws from their course of study, FTA will proceed with a course closeout exercise at the end of which the student maybe liable for additional payment or eligible for a refund. The student will be notified in writing of the result of the closeout exercise and said notification will include backing documentation.

When FTA receives funding from WorkReady on behalf of the student for a WorkReady funded competency achieved, FTA will refund the student the exact amount received by WorkReady. FTA will provide the student evidence of the full amount received by WorkReady on the student’s behalf.

Students who withdraw from their unit of study or course of study on or before the census date will not incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for that unit of study or course of study.

Students who withdraw from a unit of study or course of study after the census date will incur the VET FEE-HELP debt for that unit of study. Students may apply, in writing, to FTA to have their FEE-HELP balance re-credited as described below.

FTA will repay to a person who is, or would be entitled, to VET FEE-HELP assistance under clause 43 of Schedule 1A of the Act, any payment of his or her VET tuition fee for a VET unit of study that meets the course requirements under subclause 45(1) of Schedule 1A of the Act that the person made on or before the census date for the unit if the person is no longer enrolled in the unit at the end of the census date.

A student incurs a VET FEE-HELP debt for the amount of VET FEE-HELP assistance loaned to them by the Commonwealth to pay for part or all of their tuition fees for each unit at the end of the census date. The Commonwealth pays this amount directly to FTA on the student’s behalf.

Re-Crediting

Students may apply, in writing, to FTA for re-crediting of the VET FEE-HELP balance. An application for a re-credit must be made within 12 months of the withdrawal date. If FTA has allowed a student to defer their studies, the 12 month period applies from the end of the extended period. Students must be advised that the 12 month period may be waived if FTA considers the request to be a reasonable one in accordance with Section 46(2)(e)(ii) of the Act.

FTA will repay to the Commonwealth any amounts of VET assistance it received from the Commonwealth on the student’s behalf (HESA Schedule 1A cl56).

FTA will, on the Secretary’s behalf, re-credit a person’s VET balance with an amount equal to the amounts of VET FEE-HELP assistance that the person received for a VET unit of study if they have satisfied the following elements of the threshold criteria:

a. The person has been enrolled in the unit with FTA;

b. The person has not completed the requirements for the unit during the period during which the person undertook, or was to undertake the unit; and

c. FTA is satisfied that special circumstances apply to the person.

Special Circumstances

FTA will apply re-credit for the following substantiated special circumstances:

a. Beyond the student’s control. These could be considered as situations occurring that a reasonable person would consider is not due to the person’s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the person is not responsible. This situation would generally be expected to be unusual, uncommon or abnormal;

b. Do not make their full impact on the person until on or after census date. Circumstances could be considered if the person’s circumstances occur, before the census date, but worsen after that day; before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude does not become apparent until after that day; or on or after the census date; and

c. Impracticable for the person to complete the unit of study requirements which may include medical circumstances, family/personal circumstances, course related circumstances.

Students will include any independent supporting documentation, for example, a letter from the person’s doctor or counsellor, to support their claims.

Students will note that special circumstances do not include the following:

a. Lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements for VET FEE-HELP assistance; or

b. A person’s incapacity to repay a HELP debt.

For special circumstances to apply, students are to note that the circumstances must have made it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements. It is not a requirement that the circumstances are the sole reason for not being able to complete the unit, but they must be a reason.

FTA will consider the student’s application as soon as practicable. FTA will notify the person, in writing, of its decision and the reasons for making the decision. Students and staff should note that these decisions are reviewable and fall under the ‘Student Review’ procedure in this manual. Students must familiarise themselves with this procedure and follow it for all reviewable decision matters.

In assessing the application, FTA will consider if the threshold criteria above has been met and if these special circumstances apply. This will be a relatively simple factual analysis of the student’s application and records.

It is important to note that applications can still be assessed if a student completes all the requirements of the course, but does so unsuccessfully, e.g. sat all exams, completed flying assessments but failed the unit. The student might still be eligible to have the unit(s) re-credited if the circumstances fit within ‘special circumstances’.

If the student does not satisfy any elements of the threshold criteria, FTA must refuse the student’s application in writing and provide a statement of reasons.

Bank charges may be incurred by the recipient of the payment. These charges are imposed by the banking institutions are deducted from the payment made by FTA. FTA has no control over such charges and therefore does not bear any responsibility for amounts deducted.