Fees for the Provision of Course- and Subject-related Goods and Services (Incidental Fees) Policy

Intent

To ensure the University complies with the terms of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) and Chapter 12 “Fees for Goods and Services Incidental to Studies” of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines established under HESA – s19-105(3)(f).

Scope

Fees levied by Schools and Faculties for goods and services related to the provision of a course or subject.

Key Objectives

All fees levied by Schools and Faculties meet the criteria specified in Chapter 12 “Fees for Goods and Services Incidental to Studies” of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines established under HESA – s19-105(3)(f).

Definitions

Course or subject charges: Fees levied by Schools or Faculties for goods or services related to the provision of a course or subject.

Policy and Procedures

Policy provisions

Under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 Commonwealth supported students and domestic tuition fee-paying students generally must be able to complete the requirements of their course of study without the imposition of fees that are additional to student contribution amounts or tuition fees. That is, a charge payable to the University which covers compulsory components of a course (i.e. the non payment of such a fee by the student would prevent the student from being able to fulfill a requirement of a course) is contrary to the Act.

The Act allows universities to charge certain fees that are additional to student contributions or tuition fees, specifically fees that are:

1. 1.

   payable in respect of an organization of students, or of students and other persons; or

2. 2.

   payable in respect of the provision to students of amenities or services that are not of an academic nature; or

3. 3.

   payable in respect of residential accommodation; or

4. 4.

   imposed in accordance with Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines for the imposition of fees in respect of overseas students; or

5. 5.

   payable in respect of studies (other than an enabling course) that are not permitted to be undertaken for the purpose of obtaining a higher education award; or

6. 6.

   determined, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Minister, to be a fee of a kind that:

1. I.

   is incidental to studies that may be undertaken with a higher education provider; and

2. II.

   meets the criteria specified in the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines.

This policy is concerned with fee type (f) above – fees incidental to studies. The criteria for determining whether a fee can be charged for a good or service incidental to studies are set out in Chapter 12 “Fees for Goods and Services Incidental to Studies”of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines. Chapter 12 states that a university may charge students for a good or service related to the provision of their course if one of the following criteria apply:

1. a)

   The charge is for a good or service that is not essential to a course of study.

2. b)

   The charge is for an alternative form or alternative forms of, access to a good or service that is an essential component of a course but is otherwise made readily available at no additional charge by the higher education provider.

3. c)

   The charge is for an essential good or service that the student has the choice of acquiring from a supplier other than the higher education provider and is for:

1. I.

   equipment or items which become the physical property of the student and are not consumed during the course of study; or

2. II.

   food, transport and accommodation costs associated with the provision of field trips.

4. d)

   The charge is a fine or penalty, provided that the charge is levied principally as a disincentive and not in order to raise revenue or cover administrative costs.

This policy establishes University procedures for the approval and publishing of fees levied by Schools and Faculties for goods and services related to the provision of a course or subject (hereafter called Course or Subject Charges) and makes provision for the development and maintenance of guidelines for Schools and Faculties in determining whether or not a proposed fee meets the criteria specified in Chapter 12 of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines.

Supporting Procedures

1. Determining whether a proposed course or subject charge meets the criteria specified in Chapter 12 of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guideline

1.1 The Director, Student and Academic Services will maintain and publish Guidelines for Fees Incidental to Studies to provide guidance in determining whether a proposed charge meets the incidental fee criteria specified in Chapter 12 of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines. The Guidelines for Fees Incidental to Studies will be reviewed and approved annually by the Student Finance Advisory Committee.

1.2 Staff should refer to the Guidelines for Fees Incidental to Studies when determining whether a proposed Course or Subject Charge meets the criteria specified in Chapter 12 of Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines.

1.3 In all cases, the following principles are to be applied:

• if there is any doubt as to whether a proposed Course or Subject Charge meets the criteria specified in Chapter 12 of Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines, a charge should not be made.

• a subject outline must be provided in hard copy or made available electronically (preferably through LearnJCU) to all students enrolled in the subject:

• on or before the day of the first lecture for the subject, if the subject is an internal mode subject; or

• on or before the published start date of the Study Period, if the subject is not an internal mode subject.

A charge cannot be levied for a subject outline, other than where a subject outline is included for sale with other reading materials for a subject and the subject outline is provided free of charge in separate hard copy form or electronically to the students enrolled in the subject.

2. Approval process

2.1 All Course and Subject Charges to be levied by a School or Faculty in the following year, other than fees relating to food, transport and accommodation for field trips, must be approved by the relevant Head of School or Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor and be submitted to the Student Finance Advisory Committee for consideration and recommendation to Finance Committee, to allow for publication by 1 November each year.

2.2 At the end of each year, Heads of School must submit to the Student Finance Advisory Committee a report on all student charges levied during that year for food, transport and accommodation for field trips.

3. Publication of fees

3.1 The Director, Student and Academic Services shall arrange for all approved Course and Subject Charges levied by Schools and Faculties for the following year to be published on the JCU web page by 1 November each year.

3.2 The Head of School must ensure that details of all approved Course and Subject Charges are included in the subject outline for the subject.

3.3 Students must be provided:

• with an estimate of charges relating to food, transport and accommodation for field trips, in the subject outline:

• with a maximum cost for each of food, transport and accommodation for field trips by the census date for the subject.

4. Grievance Procedure

In accordance with JCU’s Grievance Procedure students who consider that they have been charged a Course or Subject Charge contrary to University policy or the Higher Education Support Act should, in the first instance, discuss the matter with the relevant Head of School. If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved at that level, a student may provide documentary evidence to the relevant Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellorfor resolution. An appeal against the decision of the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellormay be made to the Chair, Student Finance Advisory Committee.

Related documents, legislation or JCU Statutes

Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA)

Chapter 12 of the Commonwealth Support Scheme Guidelines

Guidelines for Course and Subject Charges

Approval Details

Modification History