Statement of Course Assurance, Eastern College Australia
Last Revised 9 August 2019
Under the provisions of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) and the associated IHE Guidelines Eastern College Australia (the First Provider) is required to provide a tuition assurance arrangement for Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa who are enrolled in higher education courses it offers. This requirement is to protect a student in the event that Eastern College Australia ceases to provide a course of study in which a student is enrolled. The meaning of 'ceasing to provide a course of study' is set out in the IHE Guidelines https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2013C00787
Introduction
- Tuition assurance protects students in the event a course provided by an approved FEE−HELP provider ceases to be provided after it starts but before it is completed.
- As an approved higher education provider under the Higher Education Support Act 2003, Eastern College Australia ABN: 61 551 855 405 must meet the higher education tuition assurance requirements or be exempt from those requirements.
- It is intended that, from 1 January 2018, Eastern College Australia will be exempted from the requirement to meet the higher education tuition assurance requirements. Instead, Eastern College Australia is required to comply with interim arrangements which ensure similar tuition assurance protection is provided to students.
- This statement sets out the interim arrangements for tuition assurance that will apply from 1 January 2018 and Eastern College Australia's obligations from that date.
- If any changes occur to the proposed arrangements outlined below, a revised statement will be provided on Eastern College Australia's website and advised to all students that have enrolled in the intervening period.
What happens if Eastern College Australia ceases to provide an eligible higher education course of study?
Information for affected students
- Eastern College Australia will notify affected students in writing that an eligible higher education course of study is no longer provided within 2 business days after Eastern College Australia ceases to provide the course.
- As soon as practicable, Eastern College Australia will also update its website to reflect that the course is no longer being delivered and to give students information about the tuition assurance arrangements.
- Affected students may choose either course assurance arrangements or a re−credit of their FEE HELP balance.
Course Assurance
The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training (the Department) (or a consultant engaged by the Department) will work with affected students to identify a replacement course and arrange for students to be placed with a second provider.
- Replacement courses must meet the following requirements:
- the course must lead to the same or comparable qualification as the original course;
- the mode of delivery of the replacement course must be the same as or, with the student's consent, similar to the mode of delivery for the original course;
- the location of the replacement course must be reasonable, having regard to the costs of, and the time required for, a student's travel; and
- the student will not incur additional fees that are unreasonable and will be able to attend the replacement course without unreasonable impacts on the student's prior commitments.
- Affected students will be offered a replacement course and may seek a review about whether the course offered to them meets the requirements for replacement courses.
- A student who accepts the replacement course offered will not be required to pay the second provider for the replacement components of the replacement course. However, the fees payable for the remainder of the replacement course may be different from the fees payable for the original course.
- The student will also receive course credits for parts of the original course successfully completed by the student, as evidenced by a copy of a statement of attainment or other Australian Qualifications Framework certification document issued by the course provider or an authorised issuing organisation in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework.
- Each affected student will have a period of six (6) months in which to accept the replacement course offer. The Department may extend that period in circumstances that justify an extension.
- If an affected student enrols in a course that is not a replacement course, the student may be required to pay additional tuition fees, and might not receive the course credits the student would have received if the student had enrolled in a replacement course.
Re−credit of FEE−HELP balance
- Where the student chooses the re−credit of FEE−HELP balance option, the Department (or a consultant engaged by the Department) will notify the student that he or she may apply to Eastern College Australia to have their FEE−HELP balance re−credited for the affected parts of the original course. The student may nominate the Department (or a consultant engaged by the Department) to make the application on the student's behalf.
- Eastern College Australia will consider students' applications as soon as practicable and notify them of the decision about the application, together with a statement of reasons for the decision. If an application for a re−credit is accepted, the amount re−credited will be equal to the amount of FEE−HELP assistance received by the student for the affected units of study.
Record keeping
- It is suggested best practice for students to retain assessments, records of competencies or statements of attainment that they receive from their education provider.
If Eastern College Australia ceases to provide a course of Study, TAFE Directors Australia will send a student enrolled in the course of study a Written Tuition Assurance Offer (the Offer) advising the student of the options available under the tuition assurance requirements. The Offer will include directions that the student must follow in order to notify TAFE Directors Australia of the choice he or she has made for each affected unit. TAFE Directors Australia will provide this offer within 20 business days after he knows, or should know by reasonable inquiries, that Eastern College Australia Inc. has ceased to provide a course of study.
Tuition Assurance for Domestic Non-FEE-HELP Students
In the event that Eastern College Australia is unable to provide a course of study, ceases to operate as a provider, loses professional accreditation for a course of study or is otherwise not able to offer a course of study, domestic students' fees will be reimbursed from a protected designated account. This account is kept separate from day to day operating expense accounts so that any refunds can be made in full and in a timely way without impact on the financial operations of the College or the need for recourse to any external tuition protection scheme.
Eastern College Australia’s Administrator undertakes to pay the student the total of any up-front payments already paid by the student for any courses the student has commenced but not completed because the course ceased to be offered. This only applies to tuition fees collected upfront for which a unit has not been delivered in whole or part by the College and for which no final grade is recorded at the time the College is no longer able to offer the course of study.
Course Assurance
The College is entering into Course Assurance options for its courses which will be published on this web page. Current agreements are published below.
| Course | Second Provider |
|---|---|
| Diploma of Theology | Tabor College of Higher Education |
| Bachelor of Applied Social Science - specialising in Community Development | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Applied Social Science - specialising in Counselling | Australian Council of Applied Psychology |
| Bachelor of Applied Social Science - specialising in Youth Work | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Arts - specialising in English | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Arts - specialising in History | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Arts - specialising in Visual Arts | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Education (Primary) | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Education (Secondary) | Victoria University |
| Bachelor of Theology | Alphacrucis College |
| Graduate Certificate in Arts | Alphacrucis College |
| Graduate Diploma in Arts | Alphacrucis College |
| Master of Community Counselling | No other equivalent course is offered in Australia |
| Master of Practical Theology | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Master of Teaching (Primary) | Victoria University |
| Master of Teaching (Secondary) | Victoria University |
| Master of Transformational Development | No other equivalent course is offered in Australia |