This policy has been developed to ensure compliance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, and to support consistent and lawful decision-making in relation to tuition fee refunds. Eastern College Australia is committed to administering student fees and refunds in a manner that is fair, transparent, and compliant. The College recognises that students may need to withdraw from study for a range of legitimate reasons and seeks to ensure that refund arrangements do not unfairly disadvantage students while maintaining regulatory and financial integrity.
The purpose of this policy is to set out the circumstances under which tuition fees may be refunded when a student withdraws from a course or unit of study, and to ensure that refund arrangements are reasonable, equitable, and compliant with legislative and regulatory requirements.
This policy applies to all Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses delivered by Eastern College Australia and applies to both domestic and overseas students, unless otherwise stated.
Census Date
The date published by the College by which a student must finalise their enrolment for a unit. The census date is the final date for withdrawal from a unit without academic or financial penalty for Higher Education students.
Domestic Student
A student who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen. An overseas person not requiring a student visa to study an Australian accredited course, is considered equivalent to a domestic student, for tuition fees consideration.
Overseas Student
A student who holds a student visa under the ESOS framework.
Special Circumstances
Circumstances that:
- Are beyond the student’s control;
- Did not make their full impact until on or after the census date; and
- Made it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements of the unit of study.
Provider Default
A situation in which Eastern College Australia is unable to deliver a course or unit of study for which a student has paid tuition fees.
1. General Provisions
- Students enrolled with FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP are responsible for familiarising themselves with the refund provisions outlined on the StudyAssist website.
- The refund process is activated by withdrawal from a unit, which has been notified to the College on a submitted Unit Withdrawal Form or Course Withdrawal or Course Deferral Form.
- Students may not withdraw from a unit after the final day of delivery of the unit.
2. Refund Cut-Off Dates
- For Higher Education courses, each unit has a census date published on the College timetable and in the Unit Guide.
- For VET courses, the refund cut-off date is the first day of delivery of the unit. For overseas students enrolled in VET courses, no refund is available once the unit has commenced.
3. Withdrawal Before Commencement
(Domestic and Overseas Students)
- A student who withdraws prior to commencing a unit is entitled to a full refund of tuition fees paid.
- The student may be charged an applicable administrative or penalty fee as published on the College website.
- Where an overseas student’s student visa application is unsuccessful, refunds will be made in accordance with the ESOS Act 2000.
4. Withdrawal After Commencement and On or Before the Census Date
(Domestic Students)
- Where a domestic student withdraws from a unit on or before the published census date:
- All tuition fees paid in advance will be refunded; and
- No FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP debt will be incurred.
- No penalty fee will apply.
5. Withdrawal After the Census Date
(Domestic Students)
- Where a student withdraws after the census date and special circumstances do not apply:
- No refund of tuition fees will be provided; and
- Any FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP debt incurred will remain.
- Where special circumstances apply, the student may apply for:
- Re-crediting of their FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP balance; and
- A refund of tuition fees paid in advance, subject to the College’s review and appeals processes.
6. Withdrawal After Commencement
(Overseas Students)
- No refund is available for units that have commenced.
- Tuition fees paid for units that have not yet commenced may be considered for refund.
- Where an overseas student’s visa is refused, cancelled, or study rights are otherwise withdrawn, any unspent tuition fees will be refunded in accordance with ESOS requirements.
- Where Eastern College Australia is unable to deliver a course or unit for which fees have been paid, the College will refund all fees paid for the undelivered portion.
- Refunds under provider default arrangements will be processed within 10 business days of when formal notice was given to the student for the cessation of the course and/or unit.
- Fees paid for cancelled courses or units (for example, due to insufficient enrolments) will be fully refunded.
- For overseas students, the provider discharges its obligations to students if:
(a) the provider arranges for students to be offered a place in a course in accordance with subsection 46D(4) of the ESOS Act and the student accepts the offer in writing; or
(b) the provider provides a refund in accordance with subsection 46D(6) of the ESOS Act. The refund must be of the amount worked out in accordance with the legislative instrument made under subsection 46D(7) of the ESOS Act.
- For overseas students, the College will comply with section 46F of the ESOS Act, if a provider defaults in relation to one or more overseas students or intending overseas students, the provider must give a notice to its ESOS agency and the TPS Director within 7 days after the end of the provider obligation period.
Refund Policy for Audit Study
There is no refund available for audit study once classes have commenced.