General Eligibility – VSL

To be eligible, a student must either:

• be an Australian citizen, or
• hold an eligible permanent humanitarian visa and usually reside in Australia, or
• be a New Zealand citizen on Special Category Visa who meets the long term residency requirements.

The residency requirements for New Zealand citizens on a Special Category Visa are:

• The student first began living in Australia at least 10 years before applying for a loan, and at that time, was a child under 18 years of age and did not have a spouse or de-facto partner; and
• The student has been in Australia for at least 8 of the 10 years immediately prior to applying and at least 18 months of the last two years.

To demonstrate citizenship and residency requirements, Vose Seminary will request that students provide evidence, which may take the form of:

• Original copies of birth certificates
• Original copies of citizenship certificates
• Original copies of Australian passports

A student must also:

• have a tax file number (TFN) or be applying for one.
• have a Unique Student Identifier (USI)
• meet the academic suitability requirements of the VET Student Loans – Student Entry procedure (that is, assessed as academically suitable to undertake the applicable vocational qualification )
• have a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN)
• not have exceeded your lifetime Commonwealth student loan limit, which is set each year by the Commonwealth
• Have provided any requested documentation to Vose Seminary and submitted the Commonwealth loan online application form (eCAF) by the dates stipulated on the Vose Seminary timetable
• Comply with ongoing Commonwealth email requests to log in and complete an online student engagement form to confirm the student is a genuine student, continuing to study and progress in the course. Students will receive these requests two or three times a year, depending on how long the course is.

 

Academic Eligibility – VSL

Vose Seminary is only approved to offer VSL for the following course:

• BSB51918 Diploma of Leadership and Management

In order to demonstrate academic eligibility to undertake this course using a VET Student Loan, students are required to provide 1 of the following:

• A valid, certified copy of an Australian Year 12 Certificate, OR
• Evidence of successful completion of a qualification delivered in English and:
  • was at a level 4 or above in the Australian Qualifications Framework (i.e. Certificate IV or higher qualification), or at a level in a framework that preceded the AOF that is equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF
  • has been assessed by a Federal, State or Territory government agency which assesses overseas qualifications (or an organisation contracted by such an agency to undertake such assessments) as equivalent or comparable to: a qualification at level 4 or above in the Australian Qualifications Framework, or a qualification at a level in a framework that preceded the AQF that is equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF, OR
  • displaying competence at or above Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy through an approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy test (and the provider reasonably believes the student displays that competence). Vose Seminary will use the Core Skills Profile for Adults (CSPA) for entry test if no senior secondary certificate at AQF qualification level 4 and above can be produced).

All Vocational Education and Training (VET) students who commence training with Vose Seminary from 1 January 2015 will be asked to obtain a Unique Student Identifier. This can be completed by refer to the USI website hosted by the Australian Government Department of Industry. Students who feel that they require assistance in applying for a USI may request this assistance from the RTO. Vose Seminary will require students to provide their consent prior to assisting them obtain a USI.

Every USI presented to the RTO by a student will be checked for validity.

Vose Seminary will not be able to issue any certificates or Statements of Attainment until a student obtains a valid USI (unless an exemption applies under the Student Identifiers Act 2014, in which instance, students will be informed of the exemption and any conditions which apply).

At all times, staff of the RTO must abide by legislation and guidelines which host and support the implementation of the USI within the VET sector.

Please refer to the below link for further information: https://www.usi.gov.au/

A CHESSN is a unique, personal identification number that was allocated to you as part of your first application/enrolment is a course using Commonwealth Assistance (FEE-HELP). Your CHESSN helps you, the training provider, and the Australian Government, to keep up to date with the amount of Commonwealth assistance, like a HELP loan or a VSL loan, you have used for your studies.

You should only have one CHESSN for the duration of your studies – even if you change providers, or decide to start a new course a few years after completing another one, or change your name. You should always use the same CHESSN for all of your studies.

Vose Seminary will use your CHESSN to report any loan amounts you have used for your studies to the Department of Education.

For further information, please see the below link: https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans/your-chessn

Vose Seminary is currently only approved to offer VET Student Loans for the BSB51918 Diploma of Management and Leadership.

Administration staff of the RTO will assist the student in determining their eligibility and in completing all the required paperwork to submit with their application.

Students will be provided be a VET Student Loan Information Booklet. It is strongly recommended that students become familiar with the contents of this booklet, and with the overall loan scheme.

The booklet can be found at the below link:
https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/vet-student-loans-information-booklet-2017

For students who have already accessed any sort of FEE-HELP, including a VET Student Loan in the past, Vose Seminary will request that the student provide their Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) number to the administration staff for enrolment purposes. Where a student is accessing Commonwealth Assistance for the first time, Vose Seminary will undertake the authorised procedure to create a CHESSN on behalf of the student.

For students who meet the eligibility criteria and have also met all entry requirements for the course, Vose Seminary will proceed to enter their enrolment details into the Australian Government portal for online VET Student Loan applications. Part of this process will be to determine if a student is likely to exceed their FEE-HELP limit (the lifetime limit applicable to each student for obtaining Commonwealth Assistance for higher education). Where students have completed part of the BSB51918 Diploma of Management and Leadership through a different provider using the VET Student loan facility, Vose will request that a student provide copies of the applicable Commonwealth Assistance Notices (CANs) from the provider in question.

Important: where a student has exhausted their Fee-Help limit, but still wishes to proceed with the course, the student will be required to pay all “uncovered” or “gap” fees directly to Vose Seminary.

Where all of the above has been satisfied, the student will be sent an invitation via e-mail to complete an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form – eCAF.

Students will also be provided with an electronic eCAF factsheet by Vose Seminary.

Important: A loan fee of 20 per cent applies to VET Student Loans for all courses other than State or Territory subsidised courses. The amount of the VET Student Loans debt is the amount of the VET Student Loans provided for a part of a course or unit, plus the VET Student Loan fee. The VET Student Loan fee is not included in a person’s FEE HELP balance but is included in a person’s VET Student Loans debt.

The total cost for the BSB51918 is $4,980 + 20% = $5,976 will be maximum loan debt.

Students seeking to undertake their studies using Commonwealth Assistance must be advised that the Department will contact the student to verify the student’s enrolment in the course.

Approved VET Student Loan students will receive a “Commonwealth Assistance Notice” (CAN) within 28 days of the earliest Census Date indicated in the CAN. A CAN outlines all the necessary and applicable information pertaining to a student’s application for VET Student Loan. This includes a student’s Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN).The CAN should be kept by the student for the duration of their training.

Important: Enrolled students must notify Vose Seminary of any change of contact details.

 

Demonstrating Genuine Commitment 

VSL approved students must be aware that they may be required during the course to communicate their agreement that the Secretary of the Department of Education continue to use the VET Student Loan to pay tuition fees for the course.

VSL approved students are required to complete a Progression Form issued by Vose Seminary in the eCAF system.

There are three fixed progression points through the year, at four-month intervals, with delivery dates in February, June and October. Students have two weeks to submit the Progression Form.

What happens if I fail a unit?

If a student who is accessing a VET Student Loan fails a unit and is required to re-sit the unit, the student may access a VET Student Loan in a subsequent attempt at that unit. However, the course cap and remaining FEE-HELP lifetime limit continue to apply.

Cancellations or Postponements

Please refer to the Statement of VET Tuition Assurance, available on the Vose Seminary website, for further information. This document outlines the rights of a students should Vose Seminary not be in a position to deliver the courses it had initially advertised.

Should unforeseen circumstances occur that impact on the successful commencement delivery of the course in question, then Vose Seminary will advise all clients/participants at least 3 working days prior to the course commencement date.

Where Vose Seminary is forced to halt a course or program midway, the company will endeavour to refund any fees collected for phases of study not yet completed and also assist students in every way possible to find a suitable alternative provider. Students studying with the assistance of VET Student Loans may choose to request a re-credit of Fee-Help balances through compassionate grounds.

Where other changes occur that may impact the services received by students, such as change of ownership or the implementation of a new third-party arrangement, students will be informed of the changes as soon as practicable and be provided with an opportunity to confirm their understanding and agreement to the changes. Where a student does not agree with the applicable changes, they may choose to follow a number of avenues, including applying from Withdrawal of Studies, Refunds or submitting a Compliant/Grievance.

Providing Quality Training and Assessment Services

As a Registered Training Organisation, Vose Seminary has agreed to operate within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015.

As part of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015, RTOs must be compliant with Commonwealth and State legislation and all of its regulatory requirements. Vose Seminary will observe laws governing:

• vocational education and training
• occupational health and safety
• workplace harassment, victimisation and bullying
• equal opportunity
• privacy

Other Important Legislation which affects Vose Seminary includes:

Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Commonwealth)

Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Commonwealth)

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth)

Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Commonwealth)

Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)

Fair Work Act 2009 (Commonwealth)

Vose Seminary is committed to maintaining a high level of accuracy and integrity with regard to the issuing of nationally recognised qualifications. It endeavours only to issue certificates to those candidates who have successfully completed assessment activities that have been assigned to them and who have been deemed Competent in particular units or entire qualifications.

Vose Seminary has implemented stringent guidelines and procedures for issuing certificates, which can be seen below:

• The RTO will issue AQF qualifications, Statements of Attainment and Academic Records within 30 calendar days of course completion;
• The RTO will only issue qualifications and Statements of Attainment to those who have a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI);
• All qualifications and Statements of Attainment issued by the RTO will comply with standards outlined in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Issuance Policy;
• Qualifications will only display the logos of entities such as the AQF and NRT as outlined by the Logo Use Guideline issued by the particular authority. These guidelines are kept on Vose Seminary system for reference by the appropriate staff;
• The RTO will only issue AQF qualifications and Statements of Attainment within its scope of registration;
• All qualifications and Statements of Attainment will also have a unique Corporate Identifier that cannot be easily copied so as to ensure against fraudulent issuance.

 

Procedure

1. Upon completion of the training, Vose Seminary Assessor will review the student’s work and assessments and make an overall decision on competency.
2. This decision will be recorded on the Student Assessment Record and will be signed by the Assessor.
3. Completed Competency Assessment Records will be handed over to the RTO Administration Department for input into the nominated Learner Management System.
4. RTO Administration to confirm accuracy of the Summary of Assessment sheet by confirming all assessments and outcomes thereof are present in the student’s file. This will also include completing a Qualification Issuance Checklist and confirming the student has a valid USI.
5. Certificates and Statements of Attainment are to be signed off by the Chief Executive Officer.
6. Where a student has completed all requirements to obtain the qualification, the RTO Administration Department will supply a Certificate and Academic Record to the student. Where a student has only completed a number of units, a Statement of Attainment will be issued.
7. Certificates and Statements of Attainment are to be handed to students personally.
8. Students are required to sign an Acknowledgement of Receipt for the certificate in question.
9. Copies of Certificates, Academic Records and Statements of Attainment are to be kept in students’ hard copy and electronic files, and according to the Vose Seminary Record Keeping policy and procedure.

Where possible, the RTO will make use of a shared calendar system, or tools supplied with its Learner Management System, to ensure the timeframe of 30 calendar days is being met.

Vose Seminary reserves the right to withhold certificates and Statements of Attainment until all outstanding fees for its services have been paid in full.

Vose Seminary abides by all requirements under state and national Consumer Protection Law and students are protected by these same laws.

For further information, please refer to the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website:
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection

Disputes arise when a client is not satisfied with an aspect of the RTO’s services and requests action to be taken to resolve the matter. Students and other members of the public may wish to lodge a complaint in some of the following areas (amongst others):

• The conduct of the RTO, its trainers, assessors or other staff;
• An RTO Subcontractor, its trainers, assessors or other staff;
• A Learner of the RTO.

When implementing this policy and procedure, Vose Seminary endeavours to follow the principles of Fairness and Justice. Vose Seminary  will do all that is in its power to prevent victimisation of any individual wishing to lay a complaint against its services and will not discriminate against any individual wanting to pursue the lodgement of a complaint.

All Vose Seminary staff are made aware of the Complaints and Grievance processes through the staff induction and through the Staff Handbook.

Please be advised that this policy and procedure covers services provided across Vose Seminary locations and across all modes of study. It is made available in the Student Handbook, which is provided in hard copy to the student upon application and is also available on the Vose Seminary website:
https://www.vose.edu.au/

This policy may be accessed by the following individuals:

• Already enrolled students
• Potential students who are seeking to enrol
• Members of the wider public

All complainants have the right to be accompanied and assisted by a third party in all relevant meetings and consultations. No costs are associated with lodging a Complaint that is resolved internally by Vose Seminary staff. However, where a Complaint is forwarded on to an external body for review, Vose Seminary reserves the right to charge the Complainant for any transport costs associated with the resolution process.

All formal complaints will be attended to within 10 working days of being received. Complaint and Grievances forms are available in all student handbooks and on Vose Seminary website.

The RTO will ensure that the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness are adopted at every stage of the complaint process. Please see the steps for the Complaints and Grievances process below.

Procedure

• The client should first discuss their concerns with their Trainer/Assessor, or other staff member they feel comfortable with. If the matter is satisfactorily resolved during initial discussions, no further action is required.
• Where the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may wish to submit their complaint in writing via a completed Complaints and Grievances Form. This form needs to be submitted to the RTO Administration Department. The student may be accompanied by a representative to any meetings it holds with the RTO staff.
• Allow for 10 working days for the matter to be processed. During the review, the nominated and responsible staff member may implement some of the following steps:
• Interviewing persons involved in the matter;
• Reviewing all documentation associated with the matter.
• The outcomes will be communicated to the student in writing.
• If the student remains dissatisfied with the outcome, the matter will be forwarded to the RTO Chief Executive for review.
• The RTO Chief Executive will assess the situation and put forward a resolution within 7 working days of being notified.
• Should the student remain dissatisfied with the results, they will be provided with the option of having their case heard by a suitable, independent body (independent to both the student and the RTO) who will review the case. This body, where possible, will be asked to formally declare its independence to both parties and both parties will be asked to agree to it acting in the nominated capacity of case manager.
• Principles outlined in Vose Seminary’s Privacy and Confidentiality Policy will be applicable at all times.
• The student is to be informed regularly of the progress of their application. Should it appear likely that the application will take more than 10 days to process, the student will informed in writing stating the reasons for the delay.
• Records of all Complaints/Grievances processes and outcomes will be recorded by the RTO on the Complaints Register and saved according to the RTO’s Record Keeping Policy.
• All Complaints/Grievances applications and processes will be carefully reviewed by senior management following finalisation to identify any areas of improvement that the RTO can act upon.

The complainant may withdraw a grievance at any stage in the process. If the grievance is withdrawn, the matter will be deemed to be closed.

If all avenues for dispute resolution have been exhausted, they can contact the VET Student Loans Ombudsman.

Further information on the VET Student Loans Ombudsman is available at:
https://vet.ombudsman.gov.au/.

Appeals arise when a client is not satisfied with a decision that has been made in relation to their assessment of competency. Vose Seminary endeavours to treat all appeals requests with equal weighting and due consideration. Vose Seminary will ensure that the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness are adopted at every stage of the appeals process.

Please find a copy of our latest policy and procedure for Academic Appeals here.

Students who wish to withdraw from their studies at Vose Seminary are required to inform the RTO in writing. This can be done by completing a Withdrawal Form. This ensures that Vose Seminary can appropriately close off the student’s enrolment and maintain accurate and up-to-date records.

Upon successful withdrawal, Vose Seminary will provide the student with a statement which outlines as a minimum:

• confirmation to the student of their withdrawal, including the date and time of the student’s withdrawal, the unit of study, part of a course or whole course from which the student withdrew and the relevant census day
• confirmation as to whether the student has incurred a debt for the unit, part of the course or whole course (noting that no debt may be incurred if the student withdraws prior to the census day)
• advice to the student regarding the special circumstances requirements if applicable to the student’s circumstances.
• information about the refund of upfront payments, as applicable.
• advice that a student’s withdrawal from a course does not preclude them from re-enrolling in the course/unit again. A re-enrolment may result in revised tuition fees being charged, and in some circumstances, a new VSL loan debt being incurred. All revised fees and charges put to a student will be in accordance with VET Student Loans Rules 2016.

Cancelation of Enrolment – after Census Date

Vose Seminary may choose to cancel a student’s enrolment under the following circumstances:

1. Academic Misconduct – defined as attempts by students to cheat, plagiarise or otherwise act dishonestly in undertaking an assessment task, or assisting other students to do so. Students are considered guilty of cheating if they seek to gain advantage by unfair means such as copying another students‟ work, or in any way mislead a trainer/assessor about their knowledge, ability, or the amount of original work they have done.
2. The student fails to pay the required fees, or abide by any other conditions, as stipulated in their agreement with Vose Seminary;
3. The student is the subject of an investigation by the Australian Police Force;
4. The student steals or causes significant damage (more than $500) to the property of Vose Seminary or is involved in inciting others to do so.

Student’s involved in the stealing or damage to Vose Seminary property will be charged accordingly.

Where Vose Seminary has chosen to suspend or cancel a student’s enrolment, the student will be informed in writing. Where a student has passed the Census Date and incurred a VET Student Loan debt, the student will have 28 days to initiate grievance procedures before the cancellation takes final effect.

The cancellation to take final effect only after any grievance procedures initiated by the student have been completed.

Where grievances processes and appeals do not result in an overturn of the original decision to cancel a student’s enrolment, no refund of fees will be applicable.

If all avenues for dispute resolution have been exhausted, a student can contact the VET Student Loans Ombudsman.

Further information on the VET Student Loans Ombudsman is available at:
https://vet.ombudsman.gov.au/.

Re-crediting a VET Student Loan Balance

Students who withdraw from a unit after the published census date, or fail to complete a unit, may apply to have their VET Student Loans balance re-credited with respect to the unit if they believe special circumstances apply in accordance with the following procedures.

Special Circumstances

If a student withdraws from a unit after the published census date for that unit, or has been unable to successfully complete a unit and believes this was due to special circumstances, the student may apply to have their VET Student Loans balance re-credited for the affected unit/s.

Vose Seminary will re-credit the student’s VET Student Loans Balance if it is satisfied that special circumstances apply where:

1. The student’s withdrawal or failure to complete are beyond their control, and
2. These circumstances did not make their full impact on the student until on, or after the census date; and
3. These circumstances were such that it was impractical for the student to complete the requirements for the unit.

For circumstances to be beyond a student’s control, the situation should be that which a reasonable person would consider is not due to the student’s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the student is not responsible.  The situation must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal to be considered special circumstances.

Special circumstances do not include:

1. Lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements for VET Student Loan assistance; or
2. A student’s incapacity to repay a VET Student Loan debt (repayments are income contingent and the student can apply to the Australian Taxation Office for a deferral of a compulsory repayment in certain circumstances).

 

Re-credit of a Student’s VET Student Loan balance: the process

Each application for re-credit of a student’s VET Student Loan balance will be considered on its merits together with all supporting documentation substantiating the special circumstances claim.

The Director of Student Services is the designated Vet Student Loan officer for Vose Seminary.  The above officer is responsible for the assessment of a student’s request for a re-credit of their VET Student Loan balance due to special circumstances and for the initial decision regarding the request.

1. A student must apply in writing to the Director of Student Services within 12 months of the withdrawal date, or if the student has not withdrawn, within 12 months of the specified completion date of the unit. Vose Seminary has the discretion to waive this requirement if it is satisfied that it was not possible for the application to be made within the 6 week period specified. Relevant supporting documentation will be required to substantiate the claim.
2. The application for re-crediting a VET Student Loan balance must include details of the:

• Unit(s) for which a student is seeking to have VET Student Loan balance re-credited and
• Special circumstances as referred to above, including supporting documentation.3. Vose Seminary will consider each application within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of the application.  It will consider each request to re-credit a VET Student Loan balance in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 1A of the Act.  Applicants will be notified in writing of the decision within five (5) working days of the decision being made.

Review of Decision

• Where Vose Seminary makes a decision not to re-credit a student’s VET Student Loan balance, that decision may be subject to review.
• If a student is not satisfied with the decision made by Vose Seminary, the student may apply, within 28 days of the receipt of the original decision, for a review of the decision. The application for review must:
• Be made within 28 days of receipt of the original decision
• Include the date of the original decision
• State fully the reasons for applying for the review
• Include any additional relevant evidence
• Applications should be made in writing to the Chief Executive Officer as the designated Review Officer of any decisions relating to a request for re‑crediting of a VET Student Loan balance.

Note:  The Review Officer is senior to the designated Vet Student Loan officer responsible for the original decision and was not involved in making the original decision to be reviewed.

• The Review Officer will:
• Acknowledge receipt of the application for review of a decision in writing within 10 working days; and
• Inform the Student that if the Review Officer has not advised them of a decision within 45 days of receipt of the application for review, it is taken that the Review Officer has confirmed the original decision.
• The Review Officer will then:
• Review the information from the original decision and then assess any new evidence provided by the student
• Provide written notice to the student of the decision, setting out the reasons for the decision
• Inform the student of their right to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal if they disagree with the review decision, and timelines involved (see below).

Reconsideration by the Administration Appeals Tribunal

At the time of the original decision, and at the time of the subsequent review decision, the student will be notified of their review rights and responsibilities.  The relevant officer will inform a student in writing of their right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) if they are not satisfied with the outcome and the contact details of the closest AAT office and the approximate costs of lodging an appeal.  The application must be lodged at the AAT within 28 days of receiving written notice of the review decision.  This time limitation can be extended in limited circumstances by order of the AAT.

Full details of the application process and fees payable are available on the AAT’s website: www.aat.gov.au

The Secretary of the Department, or the Secretary’s delegate, will be the respondent for cases that are brought before the AAT. Upon the Department’s receipt of a notification from the AAT, the Department will notify Vose Seminary that an appeal has been lodged. Upon receipt of this notification from the Department, the Review Officer will provide the Department with copies of all the documents that are relevant to the appeal within ten (10) business days.

Re-credit of a Student’s VET Student Loan balance: Provider Misconduct

A student may apply to the Secretary for the student’s VET Student Loan balance to be re‑credited under section 71 of the Act because:

                              (i)  the provider, or a person acting on the provider’s behalf, engaged in unacceptable conduct in relation to the student’s application for the VET student loan; or

                             (ii)  the provider has failed to comply with the Act or an instrument under the Act and the failure has adversely affected the student;

The application must be made within 5 years after the census day for the course, or the part of the course, concerned, or within that period as extended by the Secretary.

Please find a copy of Vose Seminary’s Personal Information (Privacy) policy here.

Students must keep Vose Seminary updated with any changes to their contact details, or circumstances which may impact upon their studies. Students will have the opportunity to correct any incorrect information that Vose holds on file for them.