Fees and Refunds Policy

Contents

Purpose. 

Definitions.

Policy.

1. Information about fees and charges.
2. Course fee inclusions.
3. Payments.
4. Refunds for fee-for-service students.
5. Recording and payment of refunds.
6. Publication.

Procedures.

1. Student fees.
2. Refunds.

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to outline Employ Me Training & Education approach to managing fees and refunds and to demonstrate how fees paid in advance are protected by Employ Me Training & Education.

This complies with Clauses 5.3, 7.3 and Schedule 6 of the Standards.

Definitions

ASQA means Australian Skills Quality Authority, the national VET regulator and the RTO’s registering body

Fee Payer means the nominated payer of a students course fees, usually either the student or the employer paying on behalf of the student

SRTOs means the Standards for RTOs 2015 – refer definition of ‘Standards’

Standards means the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 of the VET Quality Framework which can be accessed from www.asqa.gov.au

Policy

1. Information about fees and charges

• Employ Me Training & Education protects the fees that are paid in advance by students by not requiring a student to ever pay more than $1,500 in advance for services not yet provided, either prior to course commencement or at any stage during their course.
• Fees will be paid off during the course in instalments according to a set payment plan which meets these requirements
• Fee information relevant to a course is outlined in detailed in the Student Agreement and summarised on the Course Outline as well as the RTO’s website. In compliance with Clause 5.3 of the Standards, detailed fee information is provided prior to enrolment or commencement of training, whichever is first.
• Fee information includes:
• All costs for the course including any materials fees
• Any other costs payable to the RTO including costs for recognition of prior learning if applicable
• Payment terms and conditions including deposits, refunds and payment plans if applicable
• The Student Agreement and the Student Handbook which are provided prior to enrolment, includes this Fees and Refunds Policy and Procedure and informs the student of their consumer rights. Students are asked to sign the Student Agreement in acknowledgement of the terms and conditions of the enrolment and this policy.
• Where an employer is paying for a student’s course, an Employer Agreement will be provided at the time of enrolment outlining the total fees, payment terms and schedule of payments applicable.
• No cooling-off period applies as Employ Me Training & Education does not use unsolicited consumer agreements (such as tele-marketing, door-to-door selling or direct approach marketing in a public places).

2. Course fee inclusions

• Course fees as applicable to each course are detailed on the Student Agreement and include:
  • All of the training and assessment as well as educational support services required for students to achieve the qualification or course in which they are enrolling within the attempts allowed.
  • Where a student fails to achieve a satisfactory outcome after three attempts at an assessment task, the student will need to re-enrol into the unit or units in question and will be charged a pro-rata course fee based on the number of units required to be undertaken.
  • One copy of the required text books and learning materials for each student unless otherwise stated on the Course Outline.
  • Issuance of one set of certification documents including the testamur (certificate) and record of results and/or a Statement of Attainment (in the case of withdrawal or partial completion).
• Course fees do not include:
  • Any optional textbooks and materials that may be recommended but not required to complete a course.
  • Replacement textbooks if original copies are lost or misplaced. Costs for replacement textbooks are outlined on the Student Agreement.
  • Stationery such as paper and pens or other personal use items such as computers or internet access that may be required to complete homework tasks.
  • Printing costs (if required)
  • Re-issuance of AQF certification documents. Re-issuance or additional copies of these documents will attract a fee of $50 per document plus the cost of postage if required.
• Employ Me Training & Education cannot guarantee that students will successfully complete the course in which they enrol regardless of whether all fees due have been paid.

3. Payments

• Payments can be accepted by electronic transfer, cheque, money order or in person at our head office.
• Students who are experiencing difficulty in paying their fees are invited to call our office to make alternative arrangements for payment during their period of difficulty.
• Debts will be referred to a debt collection agency where fees are more than 40 days past due.
• Employ Me Training & Education reserves the right to suspend the provision of training and/or other services until fees are brought up to date. Students with long term outstanding accounts may be withdrawn from their course if payments have not been received and no alternative arrangements for payment have been made.

4. Refunds for fee-for-service students

• All course fees for fee-for-service students include an Enrolment Fee (or non-refundable deposit) which will only be refunded where Employ Me Training & Education is required to cancel a course before it commences due to insufficient numbers or for other unforeseen circumstances.
• A student not achieving the qualification or unit/s in which they enrolled due to exhausting their attempts at assessment, does not entitle the student to a refund.
• RPL application fees are non-refundable.
• Students who withdraw from a course may seek a refund or a reduction in fees owing by making an application for a refund in writing using the Application for Refund Form. The application must include the details and reason for the request. Students who have not completed a Withdrawal Form are not eligible for consideration of a refund or reduction in fees.
• In the unlikely event that Employ Me Training & Education or any third parties responsible for delivering training and assessment on its behalf, is unable to deliver the course or any portion of the course as promised, the student will be issued with a refund for the course or portion of course that was not provided.  This includes the following situations:
• Where Employ Me Training & Education or any third parties delivering training and assessment on its behalf ceases to operate.
• Employ Me Training & Education ceases to deliver the course in which a student is enrolled and the agreement is terminated.
• Employ Me Training & Education needs to make a change to the terms of the student agreement (such as the way the course is delivered or conditions of enrolment) and a new agreement cannot be reached with the student to account for changes.

In any of the above situations, Employ Me Training & Education will automatically conduct a refund assessment of all affected students and issue the refunds due to the Fee Payer accordingly.  In these cases there is no need for a student to make an individual application for a refund.  Refunds will be issued within 28 business days.

• The refund assessment will be based on reviewing the services and/or materials provided to the student and the costs incurred by Employ Me Training & Education in the provision such as:
  • Text books or other materials provided
  • Training provided received (e.g. number of meetings/classes/visits etc.)
  • Individual support provided by the trainer/assessor
  • Assessments marked or feedback provided (including RPL)
• The outcome of the refund assessment will be provided in writing to the student’s registered address within 28 business days, outlining the decision and reasons for the decision along with any applicable refund or adjustment note. Refund decisions can be appealed following our Complaints and Appeals Policy & Procedure.

5. Recording and payment of refunds

• Refunds will be paid to the person or organisation that made the original payment.
• Refund assessments can be appealed following our Complaints and Appeals Policy & Procedure.
• Records of refund assessments and issuance of refunds will be stored securely on the student’s file and in our accounts keeping system.

6. Publication

• Employ Me Training & Education will publish in a prominent place on its website the following:
  • Costs for fee for service programs.
  • This Fees and Refunds Policy.

Procedures

1. Student fees

Refer

• SRTOs: Clauses 5.3, 7.3

Procedure	Responsibility
A.     Deposit invoices ·        All fee-payers should pay their deposit/enrolment fee upon enrolment, preferably prior to course commencement. Raise an invoice for the amount in line with the payment schedule for the relevant course. ·        Fee-payers have 14 days to pay an invoice. ·        Keep a copy of the invoice on the student’s file.	Administration Officer/ Bookkeeper
B.     Fee instalment invoices – fee-for-service students ·        Charge fee instalments in line with the relevant payment schedule for the course, outlined on the Student or Employer Agreement. ·        Fee-payers have 14 days to pay an invoice. ·        Keep a copy of the invoice on the student’s file.	Administration Officer/ Bookkeeper
C.     Receiving payments ·        Payments may be made by cash, direct bank transfer, cheque or money order. ·        Record payments against the relevant invoice on the financial management system. ·        Provide the student with a receipt.	Administration Officer/ Bookkeeper
D.     Managing overdue fees ·        Send out statements monthly to students to show outstanding fees. ·        Call students where payments are more than 14 days overdue. ·        Any student with an invoice over 40 days past due should be referred to the debt collection agency. ·        Refer to the  about suspending training until fees are brought up to date. If training is suspended send a letter to the student advising of suspension until payment is made. Advise Trainer/Assessor. ·        Where fees continue to be unpaid, refer to  to consider withdrawal.	Administration Officer/ Bookkeeper

2. Refunds

Refer

• SRTOs: Clauses 5.3, 7.3

Procedure

Responsibility

A.     Processing refunds – fee-for-service students ·        If a course is cancelled by Employ Me Training & Education: –        Students who have enrolled and paid their deposit/enrolment fee should be automatically issued a refund. –        Notify them in writing and issue refund. –        Record on file. ·        Students who withdraw from their course will be automatically assessed for their eligibility for a refund. ·        To make an assessment of a refund due, consider the services the student has received. Consider the following: –       Deposit/enrolment fee is non-refundable – this covers administration time for enrolment and induction process (including LLN) –       Text books or other materials provided –       Training provided received (e.g. number of meetings/classes/visits etc.) –       Individual support provided by the trainer/assessor –       Assessments marked or feedback provided (including RPL) ·        Consider the costs incurred by Employ Me Training & Education as per above, plus the fees paid by the student to calculate a suitable refund. Refund assessments are to be approved by CEO. ·        Notify the fee payer in writing of the outcome of the refund assessment and make payment of refund where applicable. ·        Keep a copy of the refund assessment on the student’s file.

Administration Officer/ Bookkeeper