Fees Policy

VLIBTC Management and staff provide timely and accurate information on the course related fee requirement to enrolling and enrolled students of VLIBTC.

Fees Procedure

Definition: 1 Semester = 2 terms

The Enrolment officer shall:

1. Ensure that all information contained in marketing and advertising that relates to course fees are accurate and relevant to current fee policy, and that students are provided with 30 days notice prior to any course fee changes.
2. Ensure increases to fees are not and will not be applied to student fees already paid in advance.
3. On receiving an enquiry or written application from a student or advice from the Overseas Student Contact Officer concerning course money refunds, provide the enrolled or enrolling student with information relating to and access to the course fee refunds procedures.
4. On receiving an enquiry or written application from a student or advice from the Overseas Student Contact Officer; advise VLIBTC management of the pending application.

Course Money Refund Policy

VLIBTC will provide a total refund of tuition fees paid in advance or for tuition already received where:

1. The course does not start on the agreed starting day.
2. The course ceases to be provided at any time after it starts but before it is completed;
3. The course is not provided in full to the student because a sanction has been imposed on the registered provider under part 6 (ESOS Act)

Should VLIBTC be unable to deliver its courses to enrolled students, a full refund of course money will be paid to enrolled students within 2 weeks of the default day which will be determined as the day in which the course was scheduled to commence. Alternatively the student may be offered an alternative course(s) at another College offering the same course. The alternative course arrangement will be at VLIBTC’s expense. The student’s written acceptance of the alternative course offer will relieve VLIBTC’s liability to provide a refund to the student.

Should the above arrangement not be suitable to the student VLIBTC will arrange for a full refund of course money.

VLIBTC will only refund prepaid course money directly to the student and will not under any circumstances refund course money to a third party. In the case of a visa refusal, VLIBTC will process and refund the written application for course money refund within four weeks of VLIBTC receiving the student’s written advice of visa refusal.

Courses longer in duration than 10 weeks
Where a written application is received for a Course Money Refund VLIBTC staff will:

• Provide a total refund of course money paid in advance where a Visa has been denied.
• Provide a partial refund of course money paid in advance, where enrolling students provide more than 4 weeks and up to 10 weeks written notice of their intention to withdraw from the course prior to the course commencement. The refund will be 70% of a semester’s fees less the maximum of 10% for administrative expenses. (Current 10% maximum is $245 AUD).
• Provide a partial refund of course money paid in advance, where enrolling students provide less than 4 weeks written notice of their intention to withdraw from the course prior to the course commencement. The refund will be 40% of a semester’s fees, less the maximum of 10% for administrative expenses. (Current 10% maximum is $245 AUD)
• Provide a partial refund to students who withdraw after the commencement of the course up till the first 4 weeks. The refund shall be 30 % of a semester’s fees, less the maximum of 10% for administrative expenses. (Current 10%
  maximum is $245 AUD).
• Provide a partial refund to students who withdraw after the commencement of the course up till the first 4 weeks. The refund shall be 30 % of a semester’s fees, less the maximum of 10% or $1000AUD, whichever is the lesser, for
  administrative expenses.
• Apply no refund where a student has withdrawn from the course after the 4th week of the course
• A student who has paid for more than two semesters in advance and withdraws during semester and more than four weeks before the commencement of the following semester, will receive no refund of fees for the current semester and at least 70% of the following semester’s fees and a full refund of fees paid for any subsequent semester.
• Should VLIBTC Management withdraw its offer or fails to provide the program offered or terminates its course delivery before or after semester/Education Service commences VLIBTC will provide a full refund of course money.
• Should VLIBTC Management withdraw a student from a Course because the student has seriously breached international student visa conditions or a provider’s rules, no refund of the current semester’s fees and 40% of fees applicable to a subsequent semester and a full refund of fees paid for any subsequent semester.

VLIBTC staff shall ensure that students who dispute the refund procedures are provided with the access to the VLIBTC internal / external appeals procedure.  VLIBTC’s refund policy and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws.

Refund Procedures
Where a student believes that they have grounds for a course fee refund, students should:

• Submit a written request for course fee refund to the Overseas Contact Officer
• State valid reasons for their course refund application
• Allow 7 days for the application to be processed by VLIBTC Management
• Recognise that VLIBTC’s Management refund policy and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws

When receiving a written  course fee refund application the Overseas Contact Officer shall:

• Present the application to VLIBTC management
• Provide the student in writing the resulting decision of VLIBTC Management
• Advise the student of their right to appeal the decision of VLIBTC Management