VET Fee HELP Student Handbook VET Fee HELP is available to assist eligible students studying higher level vocational education and training (VET) qualifications to pay their tuition fees. Higher level VET qualifications are at the diploma level and above. VET Fee HELP can be used to pay all or part of an eligible student s tuition fees, but cannot be used for additional study costs such as accommodation or text books. VET Fee HELP has certain eligibility requirements which can be found at the following website: http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helpfulresources/pages/publications Eligible students can borrow up to the FEE-HELP limit to pay their tuition fees. The FEE-HELP limit is the total amount available to eligible students under both the VET FEE-HELP and FEE-HELP loan schemes. This means that any amount you borrow under either VET FEE-HELP or FEE-HELP will reduce your FEE-HELP balance (the amount of FEE-HELP you have left to use) until you have reached the FEE-HELP limit. For more information go to: http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/vet-fee-help/pages/vet-fee-help VET Tuition Assurance ATEL Training Solutions must comply with the VET Tuition Assurance requirements. This is to protect students in the event we cease to provide a VET course of study in which a student is enrolled. These requirements are covered under Schedule 1A to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act) and chapter 3 of the VET Guidelines 2013 (the VET Guidelines). The meaning of ceasing to provide a VET course of study is set out in the VET Guidelines which are available from: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/series/f2013l01509. In the event ATEL Training Solutions cease to provide a VET course of study in which a student is enrolled, the student is entitled to a choice of: OR an offer of a place in a similar VET course of study with a second provider without any requirement to pay the second provider any tuition fee for any replacement VET units (this is known as the VET Course Assurance Option ) a refund of the student s up-front VET tuition fee payments and/or a re-crediting of any FEE- HELP balance for any VET unit of study in which the student is enrolled or commences but does not complete because we cease to provide the VET course of study of which the unit forms part (this is known as the VET Tuition Fee Repayment Option ). ATEL Training Solutions have met the VET tuition assurance requirements, as specified in the VET Guidelines, through current membership of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) Australian Student Tuition Assurance Scheme (the Scheme). Page 1
If ATEL Training Solutions cease to provide a VET course of study, ATEL Training Solutions will send a student enrolled in the VET course of study a written VET Tuition Assurance Offer (the Offer) advising the student of the options available under the VET tuition assurance requirements. The Offer will include directions that the student must follow in order to notify ATEL Training Solutions of the choice they have made for each affected VET unit. ATEL Training Solutions will provide this Offer within twenty business days after it knows, or should know by reasonable enquiries that we have ceased to provide the VET course of study. For the purposes of VET Fee HELP, all courses offered by ATEL Training Solutions, in accordance with the course requirements of clause 45 of Schedule 1A to the Act, are covered by the Scheme as part of our membership of the Scheme. A student may choose either: the VET Course Assurance Option the VET Tuition Fee Repayment Option The VET Course Assurance Option Under the VET course assurance option, a student will be offered a place in a similar VET course of study by ATEL Training Solutions. If the student accepts this option, ATEL Training Solutions will make all necessary arrangements to ensure the student is able to enroll with the second provider in a similar VET course of study. This offered VET course will lead to the same or a comparable qualification without any requirement on the part of the student to pay the second provider any tuition fee for any replacement VET units (that is, units that the student had commenced but not completed because the VET course ceased to be offered). A student will receive full credit from the second provider for any VET units of study successfully completed with the first provider. The second provider nominated by ATEL Training Solutions may have different tuition fees to the fees the student would have paid for VET units of study that were part of the VET course of study we ceased to provide but which the student had not yet started studying. A student is not obliged to enroll in a VET course of study with a second provider offered by ATEL Training Solutions under the VET Course Assurance Option. However, if the student enrolls with any other VET provider there is no obligation on that VET provider to offer full credit transfer for the VET units of study completed with the first provider or to offer replacement VET unit/s free of charge. Page 2
The VET Tuition Fee Repayment Option Under the VET Tuition Fee Repayment Option, ATEL Training Solutions undertakes to pay the student the total of any up-front payments already paid by the student for any VET units of study the student has commenced but not completed because the VET course ceased to be offered. Students selecting this option will also have their FEE-HELP balance re-credited for the uncompleted VET units. For more information on VET Fee HELP go to our website at: www.atel.com.au Incurring a VET FEE-HELP Eligible students can borrow up to the FEE HELP limit to pay their tuition fees. The FEE HELP limit is the total amount available to eligible students under both the VET FEE HELP and FEE HELP loan schemes. This means that any amount you borrow under either VET FEE HELP or FEE HELP will reduce your FEE HELP balance. Withdrawal from VET FEE-HELP units or course A Student who is, or would be, eligible for VET FEE-HELP and has requested VET FEE-HELP Assistance, gives notice that they wish to withdraw too the VET provider on or before the census date from a VET units of study or cancel his or her enrolment in the VET unit of study or VET course of study or cancel their request for Commonwealth assistance, the VET provider, ATEL Training Solutions will ensure the student is not enrolled in that VET units of study or VET course from the time of notification. ATEL Training Solutions withdrawal form must be completed by the student in order to withdraw from a VET unit of study or a VET course of study and is located on our website www.atel.com.au ATEL training solutions will ensure that a student that withdraws from a VET unit of study will not be enrolled in subsequent unit/s of study without written instructions from the student. Students can inform ATEL Training Solutions that they wish to continue via email to RTOadmin@atel.com.au or by letter to ATEL Training Solutions PO Box 603, Wodonga VIC 3690 Students who have requested VET FEE-HELP Assistance who remain enrolled after the published census date will incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for the Units in which they are enrolled. A Student who withdraws from a Unit after the published census date for that Unit will incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for that Unit. Re-crediting a Fee-HELP Balance Students who withdraw from a Unit after the published census date, or fail to complete a Unit, may apply to have their FEE-HELP balance re-credited with respect to the Unit if they believe special circumstances apply in accordance with the following procedures. Special Circumstances If a Student withdraws from a Unit after the published census date for that Unit, or has been unable to successfully complete a Unit, and believes this was due to special circumstances, the Student may apply to have their FEE-HELP balance re-credited for the affected Unit/s. Page 3
ATEL Training Solutions (ATEL) will re-credit the Student s FEE-HELP Balance if it is satisfied that special circumstances apply where: these circumstances were beyond the Student s control; and these circumstances did not make their full impact on the Student until on, or after the census date; and these circumstances were such that it was impracticable for the Student to complete the requirements for the Unit in the period during which the Student undertook or was to undertake the Unit. For circumstances to be beyond a Student s control, the situation should be that which a reasonable person would consider is not due to the Student s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the Student is not responsible. The situation must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal to be considered special circumstances. Special circumstances do not include: lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements for VET FEE-HELP assistance; or a Student s incapacity to repay a VET FEE-HELP debt (repayments are income contingent and the Student can apply to the Australian Taxation Office for a deferral of a compulsory repayment in certain circumstances). Re-credit of a Student s FEE-HELP Balance - The Process Each application for re-credit of a Student s FEE-HELP balance will be considered on its merits together with all supporting documentation substantiating the special circumstances claim. ATEL Training Solutions RTO General Manager is the designated officer responsible for the assessment of a Student s request for a re-credit of their FEE-HELP balance due to special circumstances and for the initial decision regarding the request. A Student must apply in writing to the RTO General Manager at ATEL Training Solutions, PO Box 603, Wodonga, VIC 3690 within 12 months of the withdrawal date, or if the Student has not withdrawn, within 12 months of the specified completion date of the Unit. ATEL Training Solutions has the discretion to waive this requirement if it is satisfied that it was not possible for the application to be made within the 12 month period. Relevant supporting documentation will be required to substantiate the claim. The application for re-crediting a FEE-HELP balance must include details of the: Unit(s) for which a Student is seeking to have a FEE-HELP balance re-credited and special circumstances as referred to above, including supporting documentation. ATEL Training Solutions will consider each application within 28 days of receipt of the application. It will consider each request to re-credit a FEE-HELP balance in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 1A of the Act. Applicants will be notified in writing of the decision within 28 days. Page 4
Review of Decision Where ATEL Training Solutions makes a decision NOT to re-credit a Student s FEE-HELP balance that decision may be subject to review. If a Student is not satisfied with the decision made by ATEL, the Student may apply, within 28 days of the receipt of the original decision, for a review of the decision. The application for review must: be made within 28 days of receipt of the original decision; include the date of the original decision; state fully the reasons for applying for the review; include any additional relevant evidence. Applications should be made in writing to the RTO General Manager at ATEL Training Solutions, PO Box 603, Wodonga, VIC 3690 as the designated Review Officer of any decisions relating to a request for re-crediting of a FEE-HELP balance. The Review Officer is senior to the designated officer responsible for the original decision and was not involved in making the original decision to be reviewed. The Review Officer will: acknowledge receipt of the application for review of a decision in writing within 10 working days; and inform the Student that if the Review Officer has not advised them of a decision within 45 days of receipt of the application for review, it is taken that the Review Officer has confirmed the original decision. The Review Officer will then: review the information from the original decision and then assess any new evidence provided by the Student; provide written notice to the Student of the decision, setting out the reasons for the decision; inform the Student of their right to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal if they disagree with the Review Decision, and timelines involved (see below). Reconsideration by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal At the time of the original decision, and at the time of the subsequent review decision, the Student will be notified of their review rights and responsibilities. The relevant officer will inform a Student in writing of their right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) if they are not satisfied with the outcome and the contact details of the closest AAT office and the approximate costs of lodging an appeal. The application must be lodged at the AAT within 28 days of receiving written notice of the review decision. This time limitation can be extended in limited circumstances by order of the AAT. Full details of the application process and fees payable are available on the AAT s website: www.aat.gov.au. An application fee may have to be paid in the amount of $816 (from 1 July 2012) and is subject to change. Applications cannot proceed until the fee has been paid or waived. Applications for fee waiver must be made to the AAT. Refer to the AAT website for more details. Page 5
Details of closest AAT office: For Wodonga, Wangaratta and Melbourne Administrative Appeals Tribunal Level 16, HWT Tower, Southgate 40 City Road Southbank VIC 3006 Telephone (03) 9282 8444 For Sydney and Wagga Wagga Administrative Appeals Tribunal Level 7, City Centre Tower 55 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone (02) 9391 2400 The Secretary of The Department, or the Secretary s delegate, will be the respondent for cases that are brought before the AAT. Upon The Department s receipt of a notification from the AAT, The Department will notify ATEL Training Solutions that an appeal has been lodged. Upon receipt of this notification from The Department, the Review Officer will provide The Department with copies of all the documents that are relevant to the appeal within ten business days. Publication These procedures are published on ATEL Training Solutions website: www.atel.com.au to ensure Students have up to date and accurate information publicly available to them. Page 6