Fee Refund Policy

PURPOSE

This policy details when, how, and in what amount Leaders Institute (LI) will refund tuition and other fees specified in the LI Schedule of Fees. LI adheres to Commonwealth and State legislation, including refund of tuition fees and re-crediting of FEE-HELP debt. Please note: LI is not currently approved for FEE-HELP.

POLICY

LI is committed to ensuring that fair and equitable practices regarding refunding monies by ensuring students understand when, how, and in what amount fees will be refunded. Students who were enrolled in FEE-HELP enabled courses will be able to request to have their HELP balance re-credited if they are no longer enrolled. This policy applies where a student withdraws from a unit after census date or where a student has not completed the requirements for a unit.

DEFINITIONS

• Census date is the date when a student’s enrolment is finalised. If a student withdraws after census date they must pay fees, or if the student has a FEE-HELP loan, will incur a debt.
• Domestic student means a student who is one of the following:

o   Australian citizen (including Australian citizens with dual citizenship) or

o   New Zealand citizen or

o   permanent humanitarian visa holder or

o   holder of a permanent visa other than a permanent humanitarian visa.

• Enrolment period means a semester or session where appropriate.
• FEE-HELP is a loan scheme offered by the Australian Government only to domestic students to help eligible fee-paying students to pay all or part of their tuition fees.
• Fees includes all fees, fines, and charges payable as specified in fee schedules.
• Prospective student is generally a person who is thinking about lodging an application to study a particular course.
• Student Offer Letter is the offer of a place in a course to a successful applicant.
• Tuition Fee is the fee for enrolment in a course determined by LI, and advised in the Letter of Offer, as being the tuition fees for the course (per semester).
• Unit is a discrete unit of study, where a combination of units makes up a course of study.
• Withdrawal is a formal procedure where a student decides to discontinue a course without the intention of returning or discontinues a unit with the intention of enrolling in it at a later date.

 

RE–CREDITING FEE-HELP DEBT

Once approved for FEE-HELP, LI will comply with the Higher Education Provider Guidelines 2012 and the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act). LI will re-credit a student’s HELP balance with an amount equal to the amounts of FEE-HELP assistance that the student received for a unit if the person has been enrolled in the unit with LI. Students that were enrolled in FEE-HELP enabled course can also request to have their HELP balance re-credited if they are no longer enrolled. This policy applies where a student withdraws from a unit after census date or where the student has not completed the requirements for a unit.

LI ensures:

• fair and equitable processes regarding payment of any monies to the Institute;
• that students understand that if they elect to use FEE-HELP, they will incur a FEE-HELP debt if they remain enrolled at the end of the census date as per section 104-1(1)(g) of the Act;
• that students understand that they may apply to have their FEE-HELP debt re-credited if the student:

o  withdraws from a unit after the census date, OR

o  has been unable to successfully complete a unit, OR

o  believes this was due to special circumstances.

 

LI students under FEE-HELP are responsible for:

• liaising with LI staff regarding any change of circumstances that may affect their ability to complete a unit;
• withdrawing from a unit on or before the census date, as required by section 169-15(3) of the Act;
• applying for consideration of ‘special circumstances’ as soon as the ‘special circumstances’ are known.

 

The Director of Administration, Marking and Recruitment (or delegated representative) is responsible for:

• accepting and providing acknowledgement of receipt of the application to re-credit  FEE-HELP balance;
• advising the student of the outcome of the application within 28 days stating the reasons for the decision;
• advising the student of their rights for a review of the decision if they are not satisfied with its outcome.

 

The President (or delegated representative) is responsible for:

• accepting and acknowledging of receipt of an application for review of the original decision related to a -re-credit of FEE-HELP balance in writing;
• seeking all relevant information from the Director of Administration, Marking and Recruitment (or delegated representative) who made the original decision;
• reviewing the case within three weeks of advising the student of the decision in writing, giving the reasons for the reviewer’s decision.

 

 NON-REFUNDABLE FEES AND CHARGES

This table lists those administrative and miscellaneous fees and charges that are non-refundable. These are charged separately to tuition fees. Amounts payable are available on LI’s website.

 

Non-refundable fees and charges
Domestic student enrolment (including articulation)
International/overseas application
RPL assessment per unit (when no application for admission has been received)
Credit transfer per unit
Credit transfer per unit after census date
RPL assessment per unit after census date
Late payment
Student ID card or replacement
Printing charges
Interim unofficial transcript
Official transcript replacement
Testamur replacement
Reinstatement of enrolment
Late withdrawal
Graduation gown hire

Scope

All current and prospective students

Key Stakeholder

All staff, students and prospective student

Procedures

Students must pay any prescribed fees by the due date. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of enrolment.

Students or prospective students who wish to withdraw from a unit or course must do so in writing using the ‘Course Withdrawal and Refund Form’ which is available from LI staff or the LI website. LI has a non-refundable fee component which is reflected on its registration form at the time of enrolment and is clearly defined and identified in the student written agreement.

 

Where LI deems a student is in default LI will issue a written notice of intention to cancel the student’s enrolment. The notice will include reasons and will inform the student of their right to appeal.

 

PAYMENT OF REFUNDS BY LI 

In the event of a student withdrawing from a unit, any fees paid by the student for that unit, will be refunded by LI within 28 days of a written claim being received.

 

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

A refund may be granted to a student who makes changes to, or withdraws from a unit, after the census date provided evidence is supplied that the student had ceased attendance by the census date and was unable to notify LI for reasons beyond his or her control.

 

An application for a refund after census date will only be considered where LI is satisfied that the circumstances were:

 

• beyond the student’s control; and
• did not make their full impact on the student until on or after the census date; and
• such that it made it impracticable for the student to complete the units(s) of study requirements.

 

LI will be satisfied that a student’s circumstances are beyond the student’s control if a situation occurs that a reasonable person would consider is not due to the person’s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the student is not responsible. The situation must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal.

 

Each application is examined and determined on its merits by considering a student’s claim together with independent supporting documentation substantiating the claim.

 

RE-CREDITING FEE-HELP ASSISTANCE

In the case of re-crediting FEE-HELP assistance, the Institute will:

 

• set a census date for each unit that is no earlier than 20% of the way through the unit;
• ensure that all students are informed of the census date for each unit in the manner and by the date prescribed in the Administration Guidelines 2012;
• ensure that all students are informed of the procedures for the re-crediting of a FEE-HELP debt;
• confirm a student’s withdrawal from a unit when the appropriate form has been received,  by giving notice to the student in writing stating the date at which the withdrawal has taken effect;
• advise that a student has failed to meet the requirements of a unit, by giving notice to the student in writing of the final result for that unit, after the results for the unit have been properly approved.

 

If a student withdraws from a unit on or before the published census date for that unit, the student will not incur a FEE-HELP debt for that unit.

 

If a student withdraws from a unit after the published census date for that unit, the student will incur a FEE-HELP debt for that unit.

 

A student who has incurred a FEE-HELP debt for a unit may apply to have their FEE-HELP debt re-credited for the affected unit(s) if they believe that special circumstances apply.

If a student withdraws from a unit after census date for that unit, or has been unable to successfully complete a unit and believes this was due to special circumstances, then the student may apply to have their FEE-HELP debt re-credited for the affected unit(s).

 

Application Process

1. The student must apply in writing to the Director of Administration, Marking and Recruitment, using the Re-Credit of FEE-HELP Debt Application Form, within 12 months from the date specified in the notice as the day of withdrawal, or if the student has not withdrawn, the date of receiving their final results for the unit. LI may exercise its discretion to waive this requirement if in its opinion it was not possible for the application to be made before the end of the 12 month period.
2. The Director of Administration, Marking and Recruitment will consider the application on its merits and by examining the supporting evidence.
3. The Director of Administration, Marking and Recruitment shall advise the student of the outcome of the application within 28 days stating the reasons for the decision and advise the student of their rights for a review of the decision if they are not satisfied with its outcome.
4. If the application is successful, LI will notify the Department of Education and will re-credit the student’s FEE-HELP debt with an amount equal to the amounts of FEE-HELP assistance that the student has received for the affected units of study, and the student’s FEE-HELP debt for those units will be removed.

 

A student who withdraws after the census date for a unit may apply for special consideration following the special consideration procedures.

 

REFUNDS – STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEE-HELP ASSISTANCE

This section is applicable to students who are permanent residents (who are not permanent humanitarian visa holders who reside in Australia for the duration of the unit of study) and New Zealand citizens enrolled in a FEE-HELP approved course offered by LI.

 

In the event of a student withdrawing from a unit of study on or before the census date for that unit of study, tuition fees paid by the student for that unit will be refunded to the student less the non-refundable component and enrolment fee of those tuition fees.

 

In the event of a student withdrawing from a unit of study after census date for that unit of study, no refund is applicable.

 

REFUNDS – INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

For international students, the non-refundable tuition fee component and application fee are non-refundable. An international student will receive a refund of tuition fees in full where:

 

• the student’s visa application is refused; or
• the student is unable to commence their course because of a serious and prolonged illness, disability or death of an immediate family member; or
• the offer of a place is withdrawn by LI; or
• the course which was applied for ceases to be offered by LI.

 

An international student who defaults is not eligible to a refund of tuition or other fees. A student defaults when the student has:

 

• supplied fraudulent, forged or deliberately misleading information and/or documentation to LI; or
• had their enrolment cancelled due to either academic or behavioural misconduct during the semester in which the misconduct occurred; or
• failed to notify their request for refund within 90 days of the end of the semester in which the tuition fee was applicable; or
• had their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) cancelled due to non-commencement of studies, lack of academic progress, failure to attend the required classes or other reasons within the student’s control; or
• submitted the request for withdrawal from unit(s) after the census date.

 

When a student is enrolled in a package course and has not yet commenced their principal course, a refund will not be available on any deposit or advance payment of tuition fees for their principal course.

 

Refund Schedule

If the international student is eligible for a refund and withdraws prior to the commencement of a course, the following refund schedule applies if the request for withdrawal is received:

 

• 28 days or more before the commencement of the course, 90% of pre-paid tuition fees will be refunded;
• less than 28 days before the commencement of the course, 75% of pre-paid tuition fees will be refunded.

 

An international student is eligible for a refund and withdraws after the commencement of a course, the following refund schedule applies if the request for withdrawal is received:

 

• prior to the census date of the course, 50% of pre-paid tuition fees will be refunded;
• after the census date of the course, 0% of pre-paid tuition fees will be refunded.

 

Package Courses

For a package course, the initial course may be offered by the business partner but the principal course must be with LI. International students taking package courses are required to pay the first semester’s fees for both the initial course and the principal course of their package.

 

For package courses the refund of fees for the principal course (which must be with LI) will be governed by this refund policy.

 

REFUND OF OVERSEAS STUDENT HEALTH COVER (OSHC)

A student may apply for a refund of the paid but unexpired portion of their OSHC premium where the student:

 

• paid their OSHC premium but did not come to Australia;
• could not/did not extend their student visa;
• returned to their home country before the end of their approved stay for reasons beyond their control;
• has completed their studies at the LI and are returning home; or
• has been granted Permanent Resident status in Australia.

 

Where monies for OSHC are held by LI, the refund will be processed by LI.

 

APPEALS PROCESS

Student complaints in relation to refunds are processed according to the Student Grievance and Appeals Policy. There are no charges for this process. LI’s appeals processes do not circumscribe the student’s right to pursue other legal options. Students may take further action under Australia’s Consumer Protection Law.

 

If a decision was made to not refund tuition fees or re-credit a student’s FEE-HELP balance for special circumstances, the student may ask for the decision to be reviewed within 28 days of being notified following submission of a LI Student Grievance Form. The reviewer must provide written notice of decision and statement of reasons for making the decision, as well as notifying them of their right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) if they are unsatisfied with the reviewer’s decision.