College Students Refund Policy that is Fair

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Refund Policy and Procedures

Reviewed Jun 2020, Dec 2020, Updated Jun 2021, Updated Oct 2021, Reviewed Dec 2021, Updated Jun 2022, Reviewed Jul 2023, Dec 2023

Students please note that eligibility to any refund amount is based on the date we receive (and acknowledge) notice of your withdrawal. Delays in advising us of your withdrawal will impact eligibility to any refund.
Students may ask for a deferral / suspension that, where approved, will maintain your right to a refund calculated from the start date of the suspension if you later withdraw.

Refunds Policy Statement

The College through the application of its Refund Policy will:

Treat all students and prospective students seeking a refund fairly
Apply refund rules as required under Government Funded courses
Seek only to retain fees that cover the enrolment costs and fairly reflect the proportion of the course the student has attempted and/or time enrolled
Ensure fee refund requests are considered and actioned promptly
Publish fees and refund entitlement or restrictions in enrolment forms and on the College website, and
Maintain accurate fee payment and refund records.

Students please note that eligibility to any refund amount is based on the date we receive (and acknowledge) the notice of your withdrawal. Delays in advising us of your withdrawal will impact eligibility to any refund. Students may ask for a deferral / suspension that, where approved, will maintain your right to a refund calculated from the start date of the suspension if you later withdraw.

Refund Policy and Procedure Details

Variations to This Refund Policy Limited to Terms and Conditions

a) Any entitlement or restriction to refunds that is different to these will be specified in the Terms and Conditions of each Enrolment Form.
Specific Government Funded Program Refund Rules

a) The refund rules applicable to any government funded courses will be strictly applied.
b) Where discretion exists under those rules as to whether to allow a refund or not, the refund request will generally be assessed in accordance with the standard refund rules in this policy.
Calculation of Fees Payable and any entitlement to a Refund Amount

Fees payable for the course will be based on the proportion of the course commenced or the time expired (whichever is the greater volume), with a minimum Administration Fee in accordance with the clause below.
a) Refunds will apply for any amounts paid in excess of the fees payable and the minimum Administration Fee.
鈥� For example if a student has commenced only 25% of subjects within 10% of time allowed for the course, the fees owing for that course are 25% (based on subjects completed). If they have already fully paid for the course they will be allowed a refund of 75% ie 100% - 25% of the fees. The Administration Fee (below) is deducted from this refund amount.
鈥� Alternatively if a student has commenced only 25% of subjects within 50% of time allowed for the course, the fees owing for that course are 50% (based on time enrolled). If they have already fully paid for the course they will be allowed a refund of 50% ie 100% - 50% of the fees. The Administration Fee (below) is deducted from this refund amount.
鈥� If a student has not fully paid fees, they will only be entitled to a refund of any amount already paid in excess of the fees owing at the time of cancellation.
b) A minimum Administration Fee amount will be retained from fees paid to cover enrolment administration costs. Full refunds are therefore not given after a student has been approved for enrolment. This applies regardless of whether the student cancels their course before downloading or commencing a subject, noting that significant administration effort occurs to establish the enrolment prior to that time.
The only exception is where the student or employer /client was specifically given an offer in writing from a College Director that varied the refund policy or was under a trial period that waived the requirement for an initial fee deposit.
The Administration Fee amount is published in Incidental Fees on the Course Fees page
c) Subject commencement means that the learning and/or assessment materials have been downloaded and/ or online activities commenced, or a workshop has been attended or paper based materials sent (as applicable). Time expired means the number of months or part months past, as a % of the number of months allowed as the normal enrolment term for that qualification.
d) Where a government subsidised program requires different refund rules these will be specified in that programs Additional Terms and Conditions and will override the Refunds Policy to the extent of any inconsistency.
e) Refunds may be made by bank transfer to the specific banking deposit details provided by the student. However, any upfront course payments made by Credit Card will not be refunded directly to a bank account except at the College鈥檚 sole discretion. In the event a refund is required for these Students who will not continue their enrolment, they will be advised to contact their Credit Card company and request a charge back.
Instalment Payments and Fees Payable
Where the course fee / enrolment fee is paid in instalments (ie employers are often invoiced $500 at enrolment and the balance at 6 mos), and the student/trainee/employer cancels the course, the total amount owing upon cancellation will be based on the progress or time enrolled as outlined in the Refund Policy. This also applies to private students.
Where the amount paid up to the point of cancellation does not meet or exceed the calculated Fees Payable, an updated invoice will be provided to meet the minimum Payable Fee.
Instalment Payments and Fees Payable

Instalment Payments and Fees Payable
Where the course fee / enrolment fee is paid in instalments (ie employers are often invoiced $500 at enrolment and the balance at 6 mos), and the student/trainee/employer cancels the course, the total amount owing upon cancellation will be based on the progress or time enrolled as outlined in the Refund Policy. This also applies to private students.
Where the amount paid up to the point of cancellation does not meet or exceed the calculated Fees Payable, an updated invoice will be provided to meet the minimum Payable Fee.
Refund Request based on ACCM's Inability to Provide the Agreed Services

ACCM College takes our obligations and commitments to our learners and employers seriously.
We take great care to ensure that we can fully provide all of the services agreed upon during the enrolment or program development process.
In the unlikely event ACCM College is unable to provide the agreed services, learners and employers are welcome and encouraged to submit a refund request through our normal process.
Please provide specific details and applicable documentation regarding the services you believe were not delivered by ACCM College, so that we can handle your request promptly and fairly in accordance with our policies.
If you would like to discuss your concerns, please contact ACCM College and ask for the Director of RTO Operations
Fee Refund Requests for Extenuating Circumstances

a)听Fee Refund eligibility is calculated based on the date we receive a students withdrawal notice. Therefore the reason for withdrawal is not needed.
b) However if a student is claiming a refund in excess of the normal refund practices, they must provide details of extenuating circumstances.
In general, changes to work commitments are not an extenuating circumstance as College courses are timetabled as part time study to accommodate full time jobs and also busy times.
Also, as fees are only payable based on subjects started or study time already expired, medical and personal circumstances are also not extenuating circumstances for the purposes of this policy. The exception is where the situation reasonably prevented the student from advising the College of their inability to study. For example the student was hospitalised and was only able to advise us of cancellation from their course when they were well enough to go home.
c) The details of the extenuating circumstances should be provided to the College along with evidence that supports the date the student was unable to continue with their course. This can be provided as an attachment to the Refund Form.
d) Refunds for extenuating circumstances may take up to 2 weeks to process and may require further details to be provided.
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How To Request a Refund

Refund eligibility is based on the date of receipt of your advice to the College (by email or post) that you are withdrawing from studies.
Note that withdrawal requests are acknowledged the same business day as they are received. If you do not receive an acknowledgement you must make other efforts to advise us of your withdrawal. Until we receive your withdrawal notice you are still responsible for course fees.
If you have, at the time of notice of withdrawal, paid more than the Fees Payable (as calculated above), you will be eligible for a refund regardless of the reason for withdrawal.听
If you are eligible for a refund provide us with details in writing of where to make payment to: BSB and account number. Ensure these are correct as we are unable to recover amounts paid to incorrectly advised bank account details.
Please note that any upfront course payments made by Credit Card will not be refunded directly to a bank account except at the College鈥檚 sole discretion. 听听In the event a refund is required for Students who will not continue their enrolment, they will be advised to contact their Credit Card company and request a charge back. 听听听
Disagreeing with a Refund Decision

a) Learners and/or employers who disagree with a refund decisions should follow the .
Withholding Qualification Testamurs and Statements of Attainment

a) Where Fees payable are not paid on time ACCM College will withhold formal results and documents such as Qualification Testamurs and Statements of Attainment.
b) Where a student cancels their enrolment and has not paid for the proportion of the course, or time of the course that they have undertaken, they will be liable to continue payments until this proportion is met. Statements of Attainment will not be issued until the payment is made that reflects the proportion of the course undertaken.
Impact of Deferral or Suspension on Fees Payable and Refund Entitlement

a) Where a deferral or suspension has been approved, the obligation for fee payments for the time of the deferral is also deferred.
b) If at the end of the deferral period the student elects to withdraw (and advises ACCM College) their eligibility to a refund will be determined from the date the deferral period started.
c) This allows students an option to put their course "on hold" without a financial impact.

Other Refund Policies and Procedures

Transition to Newer Qualification Fee
Qualifications are regularly updated. The replaced qualification is called a superseded qualification and has a "transition date" by which all enrolled students must be completed, or be enrolled in the newer qualification (if offered by ACCM College).
The following Transition Fee applies to transitions to newer qualifications:
- $500 Certificate II and III
- $600 Certificate IV
- $800 Diploma
This fee also applies where students request to be transitioned before the transition date, when they may (in the College's judgement) otherwise have completed the superseded qualification within the time frame.
ACCM College may waive the Transition Fee at its discretion and will waive the fee for students who were not given at least 6 months notice of the requirement to complete before the transition date.
Trainees are exempt from this fee.
NSW Smart and Skilled enrolments are exempt from this fee where the transition is approved by Smart and Skilled.
Students and trainees past their original course completion date may also be asked to pay the course Extension Fee for each extension period in addition.
Fee Reduction Due to Credit Transfers

a) Where a student under a specific enrolment type and program is entitled to a reduction in fees due to RPL by credit transfer, the fee will be adjusted either at the commencement of course where the fees can be accurately calculated, or upon completion of the course or by adjusting future instalments if a payment plan applies.
The fee will also include any other adjustments that are necessary.
Transfer to Lower Level Qualification or Embedded Qualifications

a) Where a student withdraws from one qualification and the units completed make them eligible for a lower level qualification, ACCM College will issue the lower level Qualification Testamur at no additional cost.
No other refund of fees will otherwise apply.

Employer and Client Refund Policy

Course Fees Not Normally Refundable

a) Except where a Service Agreement or other written agreement authorises a specific refund process, fees payable are not refundable.
b) Where an employee of a client withdraws prior to the completion term of their course the College at its discretion may apply a partial credit of fees towards future student enrolments.
c) Government funded programs are subject to the specific refund rules applicable to that program.

Specific Funded Program Refund Procedures