Commonwealth Assisted Students - Policy

Policy and Procedures

1. Definitions

In this Policy the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them:

“Act” is the Higher Education Support Act 2003;

“Student” means a person who is enrolled in a course of study with a higher education provider as defined by the Act;

“Commonwealth supported student” has the meaning given by the Act;

“Commonwealth assisted student” has the meaning given by the Act;

“Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer” includes any staff member so designated by the Director, Student and Academic Services;

“Review Officer” includes any staff member so designated by the Director, Student and Academic Services;

“student contribution amount” has the meaning given by the Act;

“enrolment” includes re-enrolment;

“HELP” means Higher Education Loan Program and has the meaning given by the Act.

2. Enrolment

a) The enrolment of Commonwealth assisted students shall be administered in accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

b) In accordance with the requirements of the Act, (Section 36- 10) a student cannot enrol in a subject as a Commonwealth supported student after the census date for the subject. The relevant Head of School and Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor may permit the student to enrol in the subject as a miscellaneous student.

3. Refund of student contribution amounts, remission of HELP debt and recrediting of Student Learning Entitlement

3.1 Application

A student who withdraws from a subject or subjects after the census date or who has not completed the requirements for the subject can apply to have his/her:

  • Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) recredited, HECS- HELP debt remitted and/or upfront payment of student contribution amount refunded;

  • FEE-HELP debt remitted.

A student is not eligible for a recredit, remission or refund if he or she has completed the requirements for the subject.

An application for recredit, remission or refund must be lodged in writing with the Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer, within 12 months of the date of withdrawal from the subject, or if the student has not withdrawn, within 12 months of the end of the study period in which the student was enrolled in the subject. The application must be accompanied by relevant supporting documentation.

The University shall recredit, remit or refund if satisfied that special circumstances apply to the student that are:

  • beyond the student’s control;

  • do not make their full impact on the student until on, or after, the census date; and

  • make it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements for the subject during the study period in which the student was enrolled in the subject.

Special circumstances are as defined in Student Learning Entitlement Guidelines established under the Act.

The Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer will consider the application and within eight weeks of receipt of the application shall notify the applicant in writing:

  • of the decision and the reasons for it; and

  • the applicant’s rights for a review of the decision if the applicant is unsatisfied with the outcome.

3.2Application for Review

An application for a review of the decision of the Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer must be lodged, in writing, with the Review Officer within 42 days of the date of notification of the decision.The application for review must include a statement of reasons for the request for review and relevant supporting documentation.

The Review Officer must not be the same officer as the Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer, must occupy a position that is senior to that occupied by the Remission, Recredit and Refund Officer and must not have participated in the original decision.

The Review Officer shall notify the applicant in writing of receipt of the application for a review, within 14 days of receipt of the request.

The Review Officer shall consider the application for a review and determine whether to:

  • uphold the original decision;

  • vary the original decision; or

  • set the decision aside and substitute a new decision.

The Review Officer shall notify the applicant in writing, within 45 days of receiving the application, of:

  • the decision and the reasons therefore; and

  • the applicant’s right of appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and of the contact details and address of the nearest AAT registry.

If the applicant is not so notified within 45 days, the Review Officer will be taken to have confirmed the original decision.

4. Special Cases

The Director, Student & Academic Services shall have power to determine, in accordance with the provision of the Act, any matter necessary to be determined in order to permit the application of this Policy to a particular case not clearly covered by this Policy.

Approval Details

Policy sponsor:

Director, Student & Academic Services

Approval authority:

Vice-Chancellor

Version no.:

07-1

Date for next review:

19/07/2012

Modification History

Version no.

Approval date

Implementation date

Details

07-1

19/07/2007

20/07/2007

06-1

14/09/2006

15/09/2006

Stella Coppola last updated this page on 15 May 2013.