Things you must understand!
Course Fees
Regional Trade Assessments (RTA) will provide students with fee information in relation to the courses
on RTA Scope of Registration, prior to the student’s enrolment into a course, as follows:
All marketing materials and the RTA website will include Fees and Charges applicable for each course.
An itemized Statement of fees, will also be presented to inform the student and employer of the costs
of each unit. The Statement of Fees will include all costs associated with a course and will include all
tuition, materials, administration or amenities fees applicable.
Fees and charges will be subject to change and marketing materials will include the caveat: ‘Tuition
fees are subject to change and they are right at the time of publication’. In all cases RTA and will Endeavour
to provide the most recent and correct fees and charges to students in a transparent and open
manner.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have read and understood the information provided
by RTA and/or its Partnering organisations regarding fees, payments, refunds and guarantees prior to
enrolling to a course. If the information is difficult to understand, intending students should seek advice
and explanation from RTA.
Additional Fees may be charged by RTA or any of its Delivery Partner organisations for the following:
Additional Tutorials as applicable
RPL Applications
Fee Payment Schedule
Course Fees will need to be paid by individual students or Employers (in the case of apprenticeships)
in the following manner:
4 payment options-
1 x full payment of student fees
2 x 50% payments in 6 monthly intervals
4 x 25% payments in quarterly payments
10 x 10% monthly payments over 10 months
Any variation on the above terms can only be made with written permission from RTA.
QLD Fees
Student contribution fees are calculated based upon the nominal hours of each unit of
competency.
Example: A 21 unit apprenticeships course may be calculated at approximately $1340.
(each course will vary in costs, individual costs will be provided prior to enrollment)
NSW Fees
You may be eligible for fee free apprenticeship training under the Smart and Skilled Policy for the
Fee Free Apprenticeships Strategy. Check with Regional Trade Assessments to check if you are
eligible for the Fee Free Apprenticeship.
The student fees for apprenticeship qualifications are capped at $2000.
Under the fee free apprenticeships strategy, eligible apprentices that commence training on or after 1
July 2018 will be fee free.
Exemptions
An exemption is where no fee is charged to the student. For exemptions, the government subsidises
the total cost of the qualification.
Fee exemptions are available to eligible students who:
are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (through descent, self-identification or community identification)
meet the Smart and Skilled disability criteria (proof of a disability support pension or documentary evidence
from an appropriate medical professional is required)
are the Dependants of disability support pension recipients.
Concession fees
Concession fees are discounted fees for disadvantaged people who are studying for qualifications up
to and including Certificate IV.
The concession fee applies to the whole qualification and is a flat fee set for each qualification level.
Concessions are available to eligible students who:
are receiving a specified Australian Government welfare benefit or allowance at the time of their enrollment
(e.g. age pension, carer payment, Newstart allowance, Veterans’ Affairs pension, single parenting
payment or youth allowance)
are the Dependants of a recipient of specified Australian Government welfare benefits or allowances.
Protection of Fees
Where RTA or any of its Delivery Partner organisations require, either directly or through a third party, a
prospective or current learner to prepay fees in excess of a total of $1500, RTA or its Delivery Partner
organisations will hold a learner fee protection scheme through the following arrangement:
The RTO will in this case obtain a membership of a Tuition Assurance Scheme approved by its VET
Regulator which, if the RTO is unable to provide services for which the learner has prepaid, must ensure:
The learner will be placed into an equivalent course such that:
The new location is geographically close to where the learner had been enrolled, and
The learner receives the full services for which they have prepaid at no additional cost to the learner or,
If an equivalent course cannot be found, the learner is paid a refund of any prepaid fees for services
yet to be delivered above the threshold prepaid fee amount.
RTA will endeavor to keep the collection of the fee to less than the threshold in order to maintain operation
without the need for the Tuition Assurance Scheme.
It is our intention to provide an online payment gateway, and there fore will limit the invoice amounts of
student contribution fees to remain below the threshold.
Example Only: 3 year Apprenticeship course
NSW student contribution fees = $2000
Upfront Payment invoice issued = $500 Balance = $1500
Year 1 fee = $500 Balance = $1000
Year 2 fee = $500 Balance = $500
Year 3 fee = $500 Balance = CLOSED.
This fee payment structure allows the student fees to be under the threshold.
Refund Policy
Full Refunds
Tuition fee and any administration fee will be refunded in full where:
the course does not start on the agreed starting date which is notified in the Letter of Offer;
The course stops being provided after it starts and before it is completed;
The course is not provided fully to the student because the RTA or a Delivery Partner organisation has
a sanction imposed by a government regulator;
An offer of a place is withdrawn by the RTA or a Delivery Partner organisation and incorrect or incomplete
information has been provided by the student; or
RTA or one of its Delivery Partner organisations is unable to deliver the course in full.
A full refund, less any administration fee will be provided to the student where:
A student is unable to obtain a student visa;
Illness or disability prevents a student from taking up the course;
A student fails to meet the English or other requirements for admission for the course;
There is death of a close family member of the student (parent, siblings, spouse or child) and the student
withdraws; or
A major illness or disability affecting the student causes the student to withdraw; or
Other special or extenuating circumstances, including political, civil or natural disasters.
A full refund of any pre-paid fees will be provided for continuing students if:
A student’s enrollment is either suspended or canceled by the RTA or any of its delivery Partner organisations
through no fault of the student,
A student’s visa is canceled during the semester through no fault of the student.
The student must provide documentary evidence to the satisfaction of the RTA or any of its Delivery
Partner organisations in support of one or more of the grounds listed above.
Process for Claiming Refunds
Refund applications for full or partial refunds must:
be made in writing by the student; and
set out the reasons for the application;
be accompanied by supporting documents as may be appropriate; and
be forwarded to the CEO by mail or email.
If submitted by email, the Subject line should be: <Course> Refund Request
The information provided by the student on the Application for Refund Form must include:
The date of the claim;
The student’s full name;
The course in which the student was enrolled;
The basis for making the claim;
The amount claimed;
The financial institutes information to which the refund is to be forwarded;
The student’s payment details;
The student’s signature, and
All documents relevant to the consideration of the claim.
In order for a refund to be payable, the funds must be available (e.g. cheques are cleared, telegraph
transfers received), and any debts to the RTA Delivery Partner must be paid in full or outstanding
amount will be deducted from the refund.
This procedure, and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of
the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws.
RTA makes provision for full refunds to apprentice / trainees for student contribution fees charged for
training delivery that has not commenced at the time of the cancellation of enrollment.
Payment of Refunds
Applications for refunds for students must be authorised by the RTA. Refunds may be approved where:
the Course does not start on the agreed starting date; or
the RTA or any of its Delivery Partner organisations stops the course after it starts and before it is
completed; or
the course is not provided fully to the student because the RTA or any of its Delivery Partner
organisations has a sanction imposed by a government regulator, and the student has requested a full
refund of fees rather than placement in an alternate course. In this case, the refund of fees will be paid
in full to the student within 2 weeks.
In any other circumstance, the RTA or its Delivery Partner organisations will refund the amount within 4
weeks after receipt of a signed letter explaining the reason for refund together with appropriate supporting
documents.
The date of the notification for application for refund is the date the completed and signed Application
for Refund is received by the RTA Delivery Partner.
Approved refund
The CEO will prepare a Refund Calculation to determine the amount to refund.
The CEO keeps copies of the documents in the Student’s file and notifies the student that the refund
has been approved and will be credited to their account.
Appeals of decisions
If the student is not satisfied with the application of this Policy, they should raise their concern with the
RTA by Email.
This procedure, and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of
the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws.