CHAPTER 7 VET FEES

7.1 PURPOSE

7.1.1 This chapter sets out, for the purposes of subclause 27A(c) of Schedule 1A to the Act, the requirements relating to the matters or things for which fees may be charged.

7.2 MATTER OR THINGS FOR WHICH FEES MAY BE CHARGED

7.2.1 A fee for a VET unit of study or a VET course of study is of a kind that is incidental to studies that may be undertaken with a VET provider if it falls into any one or more of the following categories:

a) it is a charge for a good or service that is not essential to the VET course of study;

b) it is a charge for an alternative form of access to an essential good or service of the VET course of study, that is otherwise made readily available at no additional cost by the VET provider;

c) it is a charge for an essential good or service that the student pays directly to the VET provider which the student has the choice of acquiring from a supplier other than the VET provider and is for:

i) equipment or items which become the physical property of the student and are not consumed during the VET course of study; or

ii) food, transport and accommodation costs associated with the provision of field trips that form part of the VET course of study; and

d) it is a fine or a penalty provided it is imposed by the VET provider principally as a disincentive and not in order to raise revenue or cover administrative costs.

7.3 FEES FOR VET COURSES OF STUDY

7.3.1 A VET provider must not charge a person a fee for a VET course of study that exceeds the sum of the person’s VET tuition fees for all of the VET units of study undertaken with the VET provider by the person as part of that VET course of study.

7.4 REPAYMENT OF VET TUITION FEES

7.4.1 A VET provider must repay to a person any upfront VET payment of his or her VET tuition fee for a VET unit of study that the person made on or before the census date for the VET unit of study if the person is no longer enrolled in the VET unit of study at the end of the census date.

7.4.2 The obligation on the VET provider to repay to a person under subclause 7.4.1 arises immediately upon the person ceasing to be enrolled in the VET unit of study, a VET provider must not require a person to apply for the repayment.

7.4.3 Paragraph 7.4.1 does not apply if:

a) the person is no longer enrolled in the VET unit of study at the end of the census date because the VET provider has ceased to provide the VET unit of study as a result of ceasing to provide the VET course of study of which the VET unit of study formed part; and

b) the VET tuition assurance requirements applied to the VET provider at the time the VET provider ceased to provide the VET unit of study; and