1.   Purpose

This policy outlines the conditions in which the Institution will refund tuition fees paid by, or on behalf of, domestic students in accordance with relevant legislation.

2.   Scope

This policy applies to all domestic students.

3.   Definitions

Domestic students mean Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, or holders of an Australian permanent visa (holders of all categories of permanent resident visas including humanitarian visas). 

FEE-HELP is a loan to help eligible fee paying students to pay their tuition fees under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

Withdrawal date is the date that appears on the student declaration of the Request for Withdrawal form.

4.   Policy statements

4.1  Students who choose to withdraw from a subject or a course will be eligible for a refund of their tuition fees or a re-credit of their FEE HELP amount for the relevant study period in the following circumstances only:

Notwithstanding the prescribed refund amount, students remain liable for any other outstanding debts owed to the Institution.

Any payments made for a future study period(s) will be refunded to the students.

4.2  Special circumstances

A refund or re-credit of FEE-HELP amount may be granted in special circumstances beyond the control of the student, making it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements of a unit or a course of study, the full impact of which occurs on or after the census date for the unit of study. Special circumstances include those described under Higher Education Support Act 2003 Administration Guidelines, for example (but not limited to):

• serious health issues;
• death of the student or a close family member (parent, sibling, spouse or child); or
• major political, civil or natural disaster causing prolonged absence.

For further information, please refer to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 -  Administration Guidelines 2012 refer to the link below:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2013C00782

Application for refund or re-credit of FEE-HELP amount under special circumstances will be considered within 14 days of receiving the application with valid supporting documents. The student will be notified in writing within 14 days of the decision.

For FEE-HELP students, if a student is dissatisfied with the initial decision, the student may request a review in writing within 28 days of the receipt of the initial decision.  The Chair of Appeals (as delegated FEE-HELP review officer) will review the written request within 14 days and notify the student in writing the review outcome setting out the reasons for the decision. The student will also be informed of his or her right to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal if the student remains dissatisfied with the subsequent review decision.

For full fee-paying students, if a student is dissatisfied with the initial refund decision for special circumstances, the student may lodge a complaint in accordance with the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Complaints and Appeals Procedures.

4.3  Refund and re-credit of FEE HELP process

Requests for refunds must be lodged using the e-form. Requests for refunds and re-credit for FEE-HELP will only be considered once the completed e-form has been approved by Student Services. Refunds and re-credit for FEE-HELP may take up to 28 days to be processed from the time the completed forms are received by Student Services. For FEE-HELP, the re-credit amount may take up to six months to appear in the student’s FEE-HELP balance limit in CHESSN.

4.4  No refunds or re-credit of Fee-Help amount incurred

Students who are suspended or had their enrolment cancelled after the census date due to misconduct or not meeting academic progression or in breach of the institution's policies, will not be eligible for a refund on tuition fees or a re-credit of their FEE HELP amount incurred for the study period. However, students with an ongoing allegation of misconduct from the relevant study period will be eligible for a full refund of fees paid for future study period(s) if the outcome of the investigation is proven after the commencement of the consecutive study period.

4.4  Deferral

A domestic student may request to defer their admission for a period of up to 12 months. The student must complete a Deferral Request form. The request for deferral must be lodged prior to the census date of the study period. Students seeking to defer must do so in accordance with the Admissions Policy and Deferral Procedures.
 

4.5  Unavailable courses

In the unlikely event that the Institution is unable to provide the course for which a domestic student is enrolled and has not withdrawn, students may refer to the below link on the Institution's website regarding the Statement of Tuition Assurance for more information:

https://www.icms.edu.au/future-Students/application-Information/statement-of-Tuition-Assurance/

5.   Complaints and appeals
If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of a decision, they may lodge a complaint in accordance with the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Complaints and Appeals Procedures. 

6.   Roles and responsibilities

The Responsible Officer is the Vice-President Finance.

Executive Management Group (EMG) has overall responsibility for implementation of the policy in liaison with the policy owner.

Approved by the Board of Directors on 4 June 2018.