Fee Administration and Refund Policy

Fee Administration and Refund Policy

 

RELEVANT STANDARD(S): Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 Standard 5.3, 7.3

 

PURPOSE

Sydney Rescue Consultants adheres to the relevant compliance and legislative frameworks such as the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (SRTOs 2015).  As such, Sydney Rescue Consultants will provide transparency in the application and administration of fees and charges including refund and will put in place a fair and reasonable refund process.

The purpose of this policy is to provide for the appropriate application and administration of fees and handling of client refunds.  

 

POLICY PRINCIPLES

Sydney Rescue Consultants implements fair and reasonable refund practices and transparent and process for fee application and administration. Sydney Rescue Consultants will ensure that:

1. prospective students are aware of its fee policies in order to make informed decisions about enrolment in a course;
2. its fee and refund policy is prominent and accessible to its staff, prospective students, and existing students;
3. it implements and maintains a process for fair and reasonable refund and fees paid; and
4. it provides refunds for feeds and charges paid by clients, where training and assessment activities have not been delivered

 

Fee Administration Policy Principles

 

Fee Information

1. Sydney Rescue Consultants will inform its prospective students and employers (if applicable) of the full and accurate course fees associated with the training and the refund policy before enrolment.
2. Sydney Rescue Consultants will ensure that the fee and refund policy is accessible to its staff, prospective students and existing students. The fee information will include but will not be limited to the following information:
   1. Breakdown of the course fee (if any)
   2. Fee and Refund policy
   3. Incidental fees
   4. Compulsory fees
   5. Additional charges or co-contributions
   6. Methods of fee collection
   7. Process for recovery of outstanding student fees
3. For any incidental fees that may be applicable, Sydney Rescue Consultants will inform the prospective student before enrolling that such fees are a charge for an essential good or service and that the student has a choice of acquiring this from a supplier other than Sydney Rescue Consultants.

 

Fee Administration

1. Sydney Rescue Consultants will only charge fees for accredited training in accordance to the fee information published and provided to the prospective student and the Fee Administration and Refund policy.
2. Sydney Rescue Consultants will retain accurate course fee payment, waiver, exemption or refund record for each student.
3. Sydney Rescue Consultants will require payment prior commencement of training as well as pre-payment plans for students.
4. Sydney Rescue Consultants will apply standard student fees for Fee-for-Service (FFS) students.
5. Sydney Rescue Consultants will allow participant course fees to be paid on behalf of the student by their employer or another third party (if applicable).
6. Sydney Rescue Consultants will maintain arrangements for the protection of any fees paid in advance in accordance with 7.3 of the Standards for RTOs 2015 and the NSW Fee Administration Policy.

 

Fee Payment Arrangements

1. Sydney Rescue Consultants will affect financial practices to ensure the protection of fees paid in advance and exceeding the $1500 for any student. Sydney Rescue Consultants implements fee protection measures as prescribed under Schedule 6 of the Standards for RTOs.
2. Sydney Rescue Consultants implements a fee payment plan and does not collect fees in advance exceeding $1500 for any student.
3. Flexible payment arrangements / options will accommodate individual circumstances.
4. Fees must be paid in full before certification will be issued.
5. If payment instalment / arrangements are in place, and a payment becomes overdue and remains unpaid for a period in excess of 14 days, Sydney Rescue Consultants reserves the right to suspend the clients learning or assessments (or both) until all fee payments are up-to-date.

 

Outstanding Student Fees

1. Non-payment of fees by the due date for continuing enrolments will result in suspension of training. Sydney Rescue Consultants will notify all parties in writing if suspension. Once payment has been finalised, parties will be notified of the recommencement of training.

 

1. Sydney Rescue Consultants will charge a recommencement fee for any suspended training to cover administration cost.
2. Sydney Rescue Consultants will not issue SOAs or Certificates if training fees are outstanding.
3. Sydney Rescue Consultants will inform students of its process for the recovery of outstanding student fees prior to enrolment through the Fee Administration and Refund Policy.

 

Refund Policy Principles

1. The ‘refund period’ is defined as 24 hours prior start date for face-to-face public facility booked courses and 72 hours for face to face training for onsite client booked courses.
2. The ‘Agreement Date’ is defined as the date the terms and conditions that were agreed upon at the time the student submitted their enrolment form or when the client booked the course.
3. If you wish to terminate your studies before the completion of your course, you must first complete a Refund Request Form, available from our website and support team. No refunds will be issued for cancellations outside of the refund period.
4. For refund applications within the refund period, the Refund Request Form must be received by Sydney Rescue Consultants, within the refund period. A refund of the course fee, less the applicable administration fees will only be issued if all above criteria has been met and the student has no previous outstanding monies with Sydney Rescue Consultants.
5. If you do not notify Sydney Rescue Consultants in writing within the refund period, you will not be eligible for a refund.
6. All refunds will be paid to the person or organisation that originally paid the fees. Refunds will be paid within four calendar weeks of the date the request is received.
7. This refund policy does not remove your right to take further action under Australia’s consumer protection laws.

 

SRC will reserve the right to hold entire payment of clients and students if:

8. Students do not turn up to course on time (Must arrive within 30min of start timing, unless they have called ahead with a valid reason, but will be on case-by-case basis). Must give a minimum of 1 business day (24hrs) notice for face-to-face public facility booked courses. Must give a minimum of 3 business days (72hrs) for on-site client booked courses. Must give a minimum of 3 business days (72hrs) notice for any private facility booked courses.
9. Are removed from course for unacceptable behaviour.
10. Staff feel threatened or intimidated by students or clients who made the booking.
11. Additional information not received as required by quote or email correspondence.
12. Under the influence of alcohol or drugs on arrival or during course.
13. If you book within these time frames ie: you book a public course the 1  day prior to course starting you will not be entitled to a refund.
14. If the booking or enrolment is found to be fraudulent. 
15. Circumstances around booking (from student or client) are found to fraudulent or suspicious in nature and may cause financial or reputational harm. 
16. If you have a language literacy and numeracy (LLN) issue eg. English not your first language. And don’t disclose this before booking. You will be assessed by the trainer on the day and if found you are unable to attend the course you will not be entitled to a refund and your enrolment will be cancelled. ALL SRC COURSES ARE DELIVERED IN ENGLISH.
17. Students are deemed Not Yet Competent (NYC).
18. Students who withdraw from the course or are withdrawn by the client who made the booking.
19. Students who do not complete the course within the accepted timeframe. Although, extra time can be added for additional fees. However, if no correspondence is received directly from the student or client requesting an extension with payment received within 7 days of the booked last day, students will be withdrawn from the course and given a result depending on whether they have been assessed for any part of the course.  
20. Students who are deemed NYC will have to pay a re-booking fee of 100% of total course fee, this will include re-training and re-assessment. Amount of re-training will be dependent on where the students fell short of the knowledge and skills required to achieve the competency.

Refunds will be given students if:

1. Cancelled more than 3 business days prior to course start for private facility/on-site grouped booking.
2. Cancelled more than 1 business day prior to course start for public bookings.
3. Family emergency during course (must provide evidence).
4. Student booked on incorrect course (partial payment may be held due to student package costs).
5. Unforeseen circumstance on student’s behalf but will be on a case by case basis.
6. An administration of fee of $50 or 20% of total fee whichever is higher, will be retained by SRC upon any cancellation.

27. Sydney Rescue Consultants requires written notification of withdrawal from training the completion of the Withdrawal from Training Form. Refund will be assessed upon receipt of the request. Statement of fees that includes all fees applied and any fees refunded (if applicable) will be provided where a student withdraws from training.
28. Sydney Rescue Consultants will process refund requests within 7 days from the day of receipt. The reimbursement procedure may take up to 4 weeks.
29. All refunds will be paid to the person or organisation that originally paid the fees.
30. Sydney Rescue Consultants does not accept liability for loss or damage suffered in the event of withdrawal from a course by a client.
31. Sydney Rescue Consultants provides a full refund to all clients, should there be a need for Sydney Rescue Consultants to cancel a course. In the first instance Sydney Rescue Consultants will (where possible) provide an opportunity for the client to attend another scheduled course. If Sydney Rescue Consultants cancels a course, clients do not have to apply for a refund; Sydney Rescue Consultants will process the refunds automatically.
32. Refunds for cancellation of enrolments and other conditions are granted based on the refunds table in the annex of this policy.

MONITORING AND IMPROVEMENT

The Sydney Rescue Consultants Administration Coordinator is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy. The Administration Team of Sydney Rescue Consultants will process refund requests.

 

Sydney Rescue Consultants CEO and/or Administration Coordinator is responsible for all continuous improvement processes in relation to the fee administration and refund policy and procedure and ensuring all staff, including those from the third party providers are complying with the provisions of this policy.

Annex A

SYDNEY RESCUE CONSULTANTS Refunds Table

1. Sydney Rescue Consultants Refunds for enrolments are subject to the following refund formula.
2. Refund Period:
   1. Refund requested at least 24 hours prior to start date:

1. Face-to-face public facility booked course
2. All other course enrolments not subject to other conditions stipulated in this policy

 

1. 1. Refund requested at least 72 hours prior to start date:

1. Face-to-face training booked on-site
2. Face-to-face training booked for exclusive/private students.

 

Refund Type	Description	Notification Requirements	Non-refundable fee	Refund
Enrolment cancellation / withdrawal from training within the “refund period”	-For all individual units NOT commenced and -For all individual units commenced	-In writing, within the refund period	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	-Full refund less the administration fee -Future payments maybe cancelled for students under payment plans
Withdrawal from Course beyond the refund period “Withdrawal outside the refund period”	Withdrawal from Training – for all units commenced/attended/ completed	-In writing, any day beyond the “refund period”	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	-No refund or -In some cases upon the discretion of the Sydney Rescue Consultants, the calculated refund less the administration fee –
Withdrawal from Course Due to Indecorum	Where student is dismissed from training due to unacceptable behaviour	N/A	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	– No refund
RPL / Credit Transfer	Where recognition of prior learning and/or credit transfer has been granted after enrolment	N/A	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	-No refund
Course Cancellation	Cancellation of a course by Sydney Rescue Consultants (for any reason)	N/A	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	Full refund or enrolment to a different qualification
Withdrawal – “not of their own accord”	Where training ceased due to RTO closure. Where student is enrolled in an incorrect course.	N/A	administration fee: $50 or 20% of course fee whichever is higher	Full refund or referral to a different service provider

 

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