Fees, Payments and Tuition Assurance Policy

Fact box

Policy owner: Vice President Operations
Policy category: Management: Finance
Policy status: Approved
Approval body: Executive
Endorsement body: Executive
Related policies:
- Refund Policy
Last amended: 20th Dec. 2022
Relevant HESF:

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline Alphacrucis University College's (AC) procedures to regulate the payment of all student fees and charges, as well as protection of students in the event that AC ceases to provide a course of study.

Scope

All HE and VET students

Policy

All fees are reviewed annually. All fees and charges are stated in and are to be paid in Australian dollars (unless delivery is through an offshore campus or partner). Tuition fees are payable per semester, in advance. Students must review the Student Agreement or International Student Agreement for visa holders, before the commencement of the course of study. This agreement includes payment dates and options. No student may commence studies unless tuition fees are paid or, for those students who are eligible, a FEE-HELP, VET Student Loan Assistance form has been lodged.

AC provides a tuition assurance arrangement for persons who are enrolled in courses of study AC offers. The exception to this is overseas students, who are covered under the Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS).

Statement of HE Tuition Assurance

Under the provisions of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) and the associated Higher Education Provider Guidelines, in the event that AC ceases to provide a course of study in which a student is enrolled, the student is entitled to a choice of:

a) Course Assurance Option: an offer of a place in a similar course of study with a second provider without any requirement to pay the second provider any student contribution or tuition fee for any replacement subjects;

b) Student Contribution/ Tuition Fee Replacement Offer: a refund of his or her up-front payments for any subject in a course of study that the student commences but does not complete because AC ceases to provide the course of study of which the subject forms part.

AC ensures that tuition assurance requirements of the HESA are met and publish this information to students and prospective students.

Statement of VET Tuition Assurance

AC ensures that it complies with the VET Tuition Assurance requirements covered in the VET Guidelines 2013 (the VET Guidelines). In the event AC ceases to provide a VET course of study in which a student is enrolled, the student is entitled to a choice of:

a) Course Assurance Option: 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 units;

b) Tuition Fee Repayment Option: a refund of the student’s up-front tuition fee payments and/or a re-crediting of any VET Student Loan balance for any unit of study in which the student is enrolled or commences but does not complete.

Responsible for implementation

Vice President Operations

Key stakeholders

All students

Procedures

Fees payments and tuition assurance policy

Fees are charged on the basis of a student being ‘domestic’ or ‘international’.

A domestic student is defined as any student who is an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident or holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.
An international student is any student who requires a student visa, is a temporary resident (visa status) of Australia or who is NOT an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident or holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa. This category includes both international onshore and international offshore students.

If, after the census date of the semester, a student’s tuition fees are not paid or the student has not undertaken the appropriate steps to defer the payment of tuition fees through the FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans Assistance form lodgement, or the student has not made alternate arrangements, then the student’s enrolment in the subject or unit may be automatically cancelled. The student may receive a fail grade for the unpaid subject or unit and may be removed from class.

In the case of international students, a letter will be sent to notify that AC will be cancelling the student’s enrolment, in which they will have 20 working days to access the complaints and appeals process. Students who are unable to pay tuition fees may choose to contact the Student Progressions team and withdraw from their course, subject or unit of study before the census date to avoid this fail grade.

Students with outstanding fees will not be issued any academic transcripts and will not be permitted to graduate. Students will also be refused the following services:

access to assessment results;
access to buildings and computer labs;
access to e-learning course material;
course enrolment;
access to library facilities.

If a student’s enrolment was cancelled due to outstanding fees, they may request to be re-enrolled; the late enrolment fee will be applied. A student whose enrolment was cancelled will carry the debt and will not be permitted to enrol until the outstanding amount has been paid in full or an agreement has been made between the student and AC.

Continuing students who fail to enrol by the enrolment date will be charged a late enrolment fee. This fee must be paid before enrolment will be processed. The enrolment date will be published on the AC website. Students who have difficulty making payments must make an appointment with the AC accounts department as soon as practicable.