Refund and Fees Procedure
1.0 PURPOSE
This procedure sets out the circumstances under which participants may claim a refund and the associated procedures for handling refunds.
2.0 FEE INFORMATION
Where individual students are required to pay fees, Carey Training will provide fee information prior to enrolment or commencement of training/assessment (whichever is earliest) about:
- all fees payable to Carey Training, clearly describing all costs involved with the course
- how and when fees must be paid
- how to request a refund
- the conditions under which a refund would be provided.
If Carey Training enrol a student under any loan or delayed payment arrangement (including a VET Student Loans arrangement), Carey Training will clearly state the terms of the arrangement, including:
- any debt that may be incurred
- when repayment is required and under what conditions
- any associated fees, indexation or interest.
If students may be accessing any government funding entitlement that may reduce their ability to access such funding in the future (such as arrangements that limit funding to one qualification for a person), Carey Training will provide this information prior to enrolment.
3.0 GROUNDS FOR REFUNDS
Participants will receive a full refund of fees paid in the following circumstances:
- the course is cancelled
- the course is rescheduled to a time and location that is unsuitable for the student
- a student is not given a place due to the class being full
If Carey Training cancels a course, wherever possible the client will be notified at least one week prior to commencement. A full refund of all fees paid will be processed within 14 days of cancellation.
If a course is postponed, the client may request that their fees are returned or held until the course commences.
A full refund will apply if participants withdraw before the course commences. However, participants are strongly advised to consider their work and/or personal commitments before enrolling to avoid this situation occurring.
A full refund applies if participants withdraw for personal reasons beyond their control, before the any face to face session is attended.
Acceptable reasons may include:
- sickness (verified by a medical certificate)
- change of employment hours or location (verified by employer)
- other reasons deemed valid at Carey Training’s discretion
No refund is payable to participants who leave before finalising the course / competency unit / qualification, unless they can provide a medical certificate or show extreme personal hardship. In these cases, fees may be refunded on a pro-rata basis, for example if 50% of the program has been delivered, 50% of the fee paid will be refunded. However, should participants wish to finalise incomplete modules in a future course, the original fee payment can be used as credit towards that course within 12 months of initial payment.
4.0 PAYMENT OF REFUNDS
Carey Training will pay the refund to the same person or body from whom the payment was received on behalf of the student. This includes credit cards so where credit cards are used for payment, Carey Training will refund that credit card.
5.0 LODGING A CLAIM FOR REFUNDS
Please contact the Carey Training Accounts Department for a copy of the Refund Request Form at accounts@careytraining.com.au or via telephone at 08 8351 8812.
6.0 COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS
In the event that the student is unhappy with the outcome of their application for a refund, the student may lodge a complaint under the Complaint and Appeals Procedure. The existence of this procedure and complaints and appeals processes does not stop participants taking action under Australia’s consumer protection laws. Students may also contact the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector, by going to http://asqa.gov.au/complaints/making-a-complaint.html and downloading the appropriate form.
7.0 PAYMENT OF FEES
The RTO addresses learner fee protection by implementing the following arrangements:
1. The RTO holds an unconditional financial guarantee from a bank operating in Australia where:
a) the guarantee is for an amount no less than the total amount of prepaid fees held by the RTO in excess of the threshold prepaid fee amount for each learner for services to be provided by the RTO to those learners;
and b) all establishment and ongoing maintenance costs for the bank guarantee are met by the RTO.
An invoice will be generated at the commencement of all training with payment terms at 14 days from invoice date. However, certificates/statements of attainment will not be issued until all course requirements have been met and the associated fee payments have been completed.
Where Carey Training receives government funding, the student is allowed three separate attempts per unit of competency without incurring an additional fee. Over three attempts will incur the standard fee per unit of competency. Where the training is Fee for Service (FFS) the standard fee per unit of competency for each attempt will be charged.
A $60.00 fee is payable if a participant requests a replacement certificate, statement of attainment or ticket such as Work Zone Traffic Management, White Card, or any ticket associated with any item of plant/machinery.
Carey Training guarantees to complete the training and/or assessment once the student has commenced study in the course.