(1) This Procedure defines the requirements, restrictions and conditions of enrolment at Victoria University (VU). (2) National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (Cth): Standard 3; 8 and 9. (3) HESF: Standards 1.1 Admission; 1.3 Orientation and Progression; 2.4 Student Grievances and Complaints; 7.2 Information for Prospective and Current Students; 7.3 Information Management. (4) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth): Standard 5 and 7.3. (5) This Procedure applies to: (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) See Enrolments Policy. (22) Enrolment is the process by which a person becomes a student of VU. A student is entitled to access the teaching, services and resources made available to students by VU during the course of their enrolment. (23) A person is eligible to enrol in a course or unit at VU if they: (24) To be an enrolled student, an eligible person must meet all requirements of the enrolment process by the relevant deadline, including: (25) A person who has received an offer of study in a domestic place may provide written authorisation for another person to act as a proxy to complete the enrolment form and enrol into units on their behalf. (26) A student enrolled by proxy remains liable for all transactions made on their behalf in completing their enrolment. (27) A proxy cannot: (28) Students must enrol by the specified deadline for a study period. Enrolment after the specified deadline may be permitted with relevant College/VU Polytechnic approval where it is considered that a student would have a realistic chance of success in the unit/s, or on the basis of Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances. (29) VET students will receive information on their training and assessment in a Training Plan, a single document that is provided to students prior to commencement but no later than four weeks after commencement of training. This information will ensure that the student is able to make informed decisions about continuing their training and assessment. The Training Plan for VET students includes the requirements stated in Clause 7 of Schedule 1 of the Dual Sector VET Funding Contract. The Training Plan is developed from Step 2 of the Training and Assessment Strategy, which is authorised by the delivery manager and reviewed by the quality partner for each Training Program on scope at VU. Training Plans for apprentices and trainees must be developed in consultation with the employer and the Apprentice or Trainee and endorsed by all parties. (30) After enrolment a person remains a student at VU until: (31) In order to maintain their status as a student for the duration of their studies, students must: (32) Domestic students can vary their enrolment as per course requirements or advice from the University and can apply for a Leave of Absence or withdraw from the course prior to the relevant census date without academic or financial penalty. (33) International students may forfeit application fees and deposits paid in this situation. Refer to the Fee Adjustments Procedure for details. (34) Students must ensure that they are correctly enrolled, and have completed all required obligations by the relevant deadline in line with the published requirements of the course. (35) Students must be active participants in their studies and in matters of their student administration. Students are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled classes and learning activities, including any online learning. (36) Active participation includes interaction with one or more of the following: (37) Higher Education students enrolled in block study periods who do not record any interaction with University systems after the first week of their first enrolled block, will be withdrawn from that block. Any further units will remain enrolled. Students who are withdrawn will be able to seek review of the unit withdrawal via the Director, Student Administration or delegate. The unit withdrawal will occur at this time to prevent a liability (cost) for the unit on the part of the student. (38) Students who fail to engage with University systems and do not participate in a block for a second time will be withdrawn from their course, and would need to submit a statement to the Director, Student Administration as to why they should be re-admitted to their course. This may include medical documentation or other relevant information. Students maintain the ability to withdraw from any unit prior to census. (39) Students are required to ensure that all personal information, including identity, citizenship and contact details on the University record are correct, and to update VU as soon as practical where these change. Students should ensure that their details match USI and Australian Tax Office (ATO) records. (40) Students/sponsors are responsible for ensuring that all fees (including tuition, materials and the SSAF) are paid in full or correctly deferred (if applicable) by the relevant deadline for their enrolment mode(s). Students must supply all relevant details to VU, including their Tax File Number (TFN) where applicable. (41) Students are issued with a University email account upon enrolment. The University will use this as the primary method of communication with students, which may include urgent information. Students must respond to all calls to action relevant to their enrolment. Students are required to check their email at least weekly throughout the duration of their enrolment or candidature. (42) Domestic students must be enrolled in a minimum of 540 hours per year, or 270 hours per study period to be considered full time. Enrolment hours can be found in MyVU. (43) International onshore students enrolled in VU English must attend at least 80% of scheduled contact hours for the course, or higher if required under State or Territory legislation and must inform the University immediately of any absence of five consecutive days without approval or longer in order to maintain their enrolment. (44) International onshore students undertaking Foundations courses must comply with the requirements as per the Enrolments - Attendance (International Foundations) Procedure and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth) (ESOS Act 2000). (45) International onshore students enrolled in Foundation courses must attend an average of 80% of scheduled contact hours for the course, or higher if required under State or Territory legislation and must inform the University immediately of any absence of five consecutive days without approval or longer in order to maintain their enrolment. (46) Domestic students are considered full-time when the Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL) is between 0.375 and 0.5 EFTSL per half year. Below this value, a student is considered part-time. EFTSL totals are displayed on the Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). (47) International onshore students are required to enrol in a full-time load in order to meet the timeframes prescribed by their Confirmation of Enrolments, i.e. complete in the minimum time. It is possible to extend a CoE under Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances as per the National Code 2018 Standard 8.16. (48) Students must complete a CoE Extension Application and lodge the application to Enrolments and Student Financials via AskVU or VUHQ. Students who under-enrol without permission will not be approved for an extended CoE. (49) VU will inform all students to whom attendance requirements apply. (50) Following initial enrolment, domestic students may add or withdraw units from their enrolment within published enrolment dates in line with the requirements of their course, study load, and advice from their College. (51) Onshore international students may only vary their enrolment in line with the requirements of their visa and relevant legislation and must ensure: (52) Enrolment into units is subject to the student meeting the published pre- or co-requisites for the unit. (53) Where a student enrols into a unit, but does not meet the published requisites, it is the student's responsibility to vary their enrolment in line with the requirements of the course. (54) If a student fails a pre-requisite unit they will be automatically withdrawn from any other units which have that unit as a pre-requisite. (55) Requirement for an individual to meet or have met the published pre- or co-requisites for specific units may be waived at the discretion of the College for higher education students where it is the opinion of the College that the student will not be disadvantaged in their learning outcomes by doing so. (56) VET students must meet training package qualification rules in order to receive their award. No waivers of requirements can therefore be made. (57) Students are expected to action enrolment online if the course is configured for online enrolment. Alternatively, a request to add units can be submitted via a Unit of Study Amendment Form(HE) or Unit of Study Addition Form(VET). (58) HE students must only enrol in units that are listed on their delivery plan and count toward credit for their course. (59) VET students may add additional units upon advice and approval from the relevant teaching area. (60) Requests to add units to enrolment after the specified deadline for the study period will only be permitted with the relevant College approval where it is considered that the student would not be disadvantaged in their completion of the unit. (61) Students are responsible for seeking advice and establishing any consequences of a withdrawal on their future course progress and the availability of units. (62) Students may withdraw from enrolled units within published enrolment dates in line with the requirements of their course, study load, and advice from their College however, International onshore students may forfeit application fees and deposits paid in this situation. (See Fee Adjustments Procedure) (63) Withdrawal from units after the relevant census date will incur financial unless exceptional circumstances exist and a remission is approved (where applicable), in accordance with the Remission of Debt and Post Census Amendment of Enrolment Procedure. (64) Withdrawal from units after the relevant census date may incur academic penalties as outlined in the published Enrolment/withdrawal dates. (65) HE students should withdraw from units online, or, if online withdrawal is not possible, via the Unit of Study Amendment Form. International onshore students must seek permission from Enrolments for a reduced load prior to varying their course and are advised that this may impact on course duration and student visa obligations. VET students should visit a VUHQ or VU Polytechnic, to initiate the withdrawal process. (66) HE students who wish to withdraw from all units within a study period should apply for a Leave of Absence. Penalties will apply if withdrawal is actioned past the relevant census date. (67) Victoria University may instruct a student to vary their enrolment, or vary on their behalf, where: (68) Instruction to vary an enrolment must be issued in writing, with a prescribed deadline for action and allowing the student appropriate amount of time to vary their enrolment without jeopardising their ability to succeed. (69) The University may enforce the variation to a student's enrolment under the authority of the Director, Student Administration where the student fails to do so in line with policy. Withdrawal from units after the relevant census date will incur financial and academic penalties unless exceptional circumstances exist and a remission is approved (where applicable), in accordance with the Remission of Debt and Post Census Amendment of Enrolment Procedure. (70) The University may only vary a domestic student's enrolment after the relevant census date, where this variation results in a recalculation of the student's HELP scheme balance, in the following circumstances: (71) Students who are considering withdrawal from their course may seek advice from their College, Student Wellbeing and/or VUHQ regarding their options. (72) HE students must submit a request to withdraw via MyVU. VET students should refer to VUHQ or VU Polytechnic for assistance with the withdrawal process. (73) Where a student submits a formal request to withdraw from a course, they are withdrawn from all enrolled units in current and future study periods in that course. (74) A course withdrawal is an enrolment action and is subject to the same enrolment deadlines as enrolment, variation to enrolment or Leave of Absence. Where an enrolled student requests a course withdrawal after the relevant study period deadline, they will be subject to all relevant academic and financial penalties. (75) The date the request is received by VU is the date the withdrawal becomes effective. (76) International onshore students should contact the Department of Home Affairs for information about the potential effect on their visa prior to withdrawing from their course. (77) The student will be notified in writing of the decision regarding their application to transfer to another Australian provider. (78) In order to allow cancellation of enrolment by the student, the following process and related documentation is required, and must be kept on the international onshore student’s file: (79) An onshore international student’s CoE maybe cancelled where the student has actively (for example submission of Course Discontinuation form) or inactively advised that they will not be continuing their studies at VU. (Refer PRISMS Student Course Variation Report Options – Quick Reference Guide). Inactive advice may be where the student just does not return after an arranged holiday break, suspension or deferment or fails to enrol in any subject for a compulsory study period. (80) Where an international onshore student is cancelling their enrolment in order to return to and remain in their home country they may do so at any time without need for a letter of release. (81) International onshore students who have been enrolled for a period less than six months in the principal course are generally not permitted to cancel their enrolment for the purpose of undertaking study at another Australian provider, other than where: (82) Please see the International Student Transfer Procedure for further details. (83) A Leave of Absence is an approved break in study when study has commenced. Students approved for a Leave of Absence will have all relevant units in the study period(s) withdrawn. (84) An application for a Leave of Absence is subject to enrolment deadlines, i.e. census date for relevant study period. Students will be subject to all relevant enrolment and financial penalties where Leave of Absence is submitted and approved after the relevant enrolment deadline. (85) Where a Leave of Absence is granted, it will become effective from the start of the study period, or for a half-year period in the case of Block study. (86) A coursework student on a Leave of Absence remains a student of the University and is entitled to all the services and resources available to students by the University. (87) It remains the student’s responsibility to re-enrol into units by the relevant deadline upon their return from a Leave of Absence. Failure to do so will result in forfeiting their place in the course. (88) Leave of Absence may not be permitted when: (89) If a Leave of Absence request is denied, the student may seek to have the decision reviewed by the relevant authority as per the Enrolments Policy, and for International students, Standard 10 of the National Code 2018. (90) A request for review must be submitted in writing to the appropriate authority within the timeline offered by the relevant process. Students will be advised of the outcome of this review in writing, and this outcome will be final. (91) Leave of Absence is available to research students in line with the provisions, policies and administrative requirements that govern research studies. Therefore, the following provisions do not apply to research students. (92) Leave of Absence is available to domestic HE coursework students and is not normally permitted until at least six months (or equivalent) of study is completed, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. Students apply for Leave of Absence online. Leave is processed by Student Administration. (93) A student is generally entitled to no more than two years of leave in any course. (94) Students may take a Leave of Absence for a period up to one year at a time via formal application, submitted by the relevant deadline, and a maximum of 12 months throughout the course. (95) A Leave of Absence sought beyond 12 months, and/or in exceptional circumstances (see Assessment of Compassionate, Compelling or Special Circumstances) must be approved by the Director, Student Administration. (96) VU may grant or decline an application for Leave of Absence. In some cases, a full year of leave will be more administratively appropriate than six months. (97) It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are able to continue their studies in line with the course requirements at the conclusion of their Leave of Absence. (98) International onshore students may apply to Student Administration for a Leave of Absence only if there are Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances (see Appendix) the ESOS Act 2000 and Standard 9 of the National Code 2018. (99) Where an international onshore student is approved for a Leave of Absence, negotiation must also be made with the relevant College to ensure that the student is able to resume their studies upon their scheduled return. (100) Leave of Absence for VET international onshore students resuming studies in the same course will be dependent on whether the course they were enrolled into is still being delivered and has not been superseded. Negotiation with the VET Department and the international onshore student will need to occur before resuming studies. Transition into new course may be subject to new entry requirements. (101) The following documentation must be completed by the student and must be kept in the student’s file: (102) The University will provide a written outcome to the student confirming the outcome of the application for Leave of Absence. If granted, the University must inform: (103) The University must retain evidence of the process and outcome of assessment of the student’s application, as per the Enrolments Policy, the ESOS Act 2000 and the National Code 2018. (104) Deferral refers to a request to delay the commencement of an enrolment for a student with a confirmed letter of offer. The University may grant deferment for all commencing local students in HE up to a maximum of 12 months and for all VET, six months. Deferrals for VET will require re-assessment of eligibility for government subsidies. (105) Applicants must defer prior to enrolment using the Application for Deferment. Applications should be submitted to VUHQ in person or online. (106) The University will acknowledge all applications for deferral. Applicants will receive a letter informing them of their outcome. (107) Deferral may not be possible for courses that are being taught out. Deferral for 12 months must occur for courses without a mid-year intake. (108) As per the National Code 2018 Standard 9.2, international onshore applicants may only be granted a deferral where the University believes there are Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances (please see Assessment of Compassionate, Compelling or Special Circumstances). (109) When approved, international onshore applicants may apply for deferral using the Defer Your Studies/Change of Course Preference form. The University may grant or decline an application for deferral. (110) The following documentation is required for deferral and must be kept on file: (111) Deferral may or may not affect the end date of the CoE. If a student will not complete their study within the expected duration, PRISMS will cancel the original CoE and a new CoE will need to be created. (112) In certain circumstances, VU may act to suspend a student’s enrolment for a period of time. These circumstances may include: (113) VU can only suspend an international onshore student’s enrolment without such action being requested by the student on the grounds of: (114) To allow the suspension, the following documentation is required and must be kept on the international student’s file: (115) The international student has 20 working days to access VU’s internal complaints and appeals process, as prescribed in VU’s Student Complaints Policy and as prescribed by Standard 10 of the National Code 2018. (116) If the student accesses VU’s internal complaints and appeals process: (117) VU may initiate a cancellation of a student's course enrolment, withdrawing the student from their course enrolment in any current and future study periods in line with: (118) The authority to cancel enrolment at VU rests with the Director, Student Administration. (119) Students must be informed in writing of: (120) If the student accesses VU’s internal complaints and appeals process: (121) VU may cancel an international student’s enrolment for the same reasons as outlined in clause (116) for domestic students. (122) In order to allow cancellation of the enrolment of an international onshore student, the following processes must be followed and relevant documentation kept in the student’s file: (123) If the student accesses VU’s internal complaints and appeals process: (124) Documentary evidence must be kept of: (125) The student visa may be affected, and students are advised to seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs on this matter. (126) Concurrent enrolment in two or more standalone courses is only permissible where the relevant College Dean(s) are satisfied that the student is not disadvantaged and has a realistic opportunity to succeed in their studies in all courses. (127) Approval to undertake concurrent study in more than one course at VU in any study period is conditional on the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress in both courses, and may be revoked where the student cannot continue to meet this requirement. (128) Approval to undertake concurrent study in more than one course at VU is subject to all relevant external requirements and legislation. (129) VET students seeking to undertake concurrent study in more than one course acknowledge by doing so that this may impact their eligibility for government funding. (130) Concurrent study where at least one course is delivered by VU and others are delivered at any other institution may be permissible where the relevant VU College Dean is satisfied that the student is not disadvantaged and has a realistic opportunity to succeed in their studies at VU. (131) It is the student’s responsibility to enrol accordingly when undertaking concurrent study. (132) HE students currently studying in a course at VU may apply for permission to study individual unit offerings with another recognised HE provider, and to have this study credited towards their VU course requirements, on a cross-institutional basis. (133) International onshore students must submit their Cross Institutional Form (Inbound/Outbound) to Student Administration for approval. International onshore students are also required to provide a copy of their valid CoE to the other provider. Inbound international onshore cross-institutional students must also provide evidence of a valid CoE from their home institution. (134) HE students currently studying at another Australian provider may apply to study individual unit offerings at VU on a cross institutional basis. Approval for study and unit credit must also be granted by the home institution and proof provided to VU. (135) HE students currently studying in a course at VU may apply for permission to study as an exchange student at an overseas institution with whom VU has a formal exchange agreement. (136) Where there is no exchange agreement between VU and a particular overseas provider, HE students currently studying in a course at VU may apply for permission to study under a Study Abroad arrangement. (137) Students who are permitted to study at an overseas institution under an Exchange or Study Abroad arrangement remain students at VU and must maintain compliance with all enrolment requirements of their VU course. (138) VU students studying at an overseas institution under an Exchange or Study Abroad arrangement are subject to the relevant rules, policies and procedures of the host institution. (139) Students from overseas institutions may apply to study at VU on an Exchange or Study Abroad basis. Whether a formal exchange agreement between the overseas institutes and VU exists will determine whether such study is by Exchange or Study Abroad. (140) Students studying at VU under an Exchange or Study Abroad arrangement are subject to the relevant rules, policies and procedures of VU and will have the entitlements and responsibilities of a VU student for the duration of their study. (141) International onshore students who enter into an Exchange or Study Abroad arrangement are still required to maintain a full-time load and finish within course duration. (142) Students enrolled in units on a non-award basis are students of VU and are subject to the relevant rules, policies and the same conditions for this study as any other student of the University. (143) Non-award students are entitled to access the services of the University as a student while they are enrolled. (144) International onshore students are not permitted to enrol in VET non-award courses unless the course has CRICOS approval (e.g. English Language Intensive Courses of Study, Foundations studies). (145) Students enrolled at VU are required to notify VU where there is a change to their citizenship or immigration status. (146) Where a student's change to citizenship or immigration status impacts their eligibility for government funding, other external sponsorship or scholarship, or a HELP loan, the date that notification and evidence of this change was received by VU will determine the effective date that a student's changed eligibility can be assessed from. (147) Where a HE student submits confirmation of a change to their citizenship or immigration status to the University before the census date they may be entitled to a changed funding arrangement for that and future study periods. VET students will be assessed in line with the current eligibility criteria for government funding before the census date for the immediate and future study periods.Enrolments Procedure
Section 1 - Summary
Section 2 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
Section 3 - Scope
Top of Page
Section 4 - Definitions
Section 5 - Policy/Regulation
Section 6 - Procedures
Part A - Summary of Role and Responsibilities
Roles
Responsibilities
Enrolments and Student Financials, Student Administration
VU Polytechnic and Student Administration
Manage enrolment and enrolment variations for all domestic and international VET students.
Director, Student Administration
Set conditions and expectations for the enrolment of students appropriate to their facility or context, in conjunction with VU.
Part B - Enrolment: General
Part C - Responsibilities of an Enrolled Student
Part D - Enrolment Load and Attendance Requirements
Enrolment Load
Vocational Education and Training, and VU English Language Students
Foundation Students
Higher Education Students
Attendance Requirements
Part E - Variation to Enrolment
Requisites
Adding Units
Withdrawing from Enrolled Units
Part F - Course Withdrawal (Discontinuation)
Domestic Students
International Onshore Students
Part G - Leave of Absence and Deferral
Leave of Absence
Domestic Students
International Onshore Students
Deferral
Domestic Students
International Students
Part H - Suspension and Cancellation
Suspension
Domestic Students
International Onshore Students
Cancellation
Domestic Students
International Onshore Students
Part I - Concurrent and Cross-Institutional Enrolment
Concurrent Enrolment
Cross-Institutional Study
Part J - Study Abroad and Exchange
Part K - Non-Award
Part L - Change of Citizenship
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Manage enrolment and enrolment variations for all domestic and international higher education students.
VU's offshore partner institutions