Transcript VET FEE-HELP Presentation

VET FEE-HELP 2010
Agenda
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Scene setting
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Higher Education Support Act (2003)
Working with DEEWR
VET FEE-HELP (recap)
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Courses and Students eligibility
Student payments
VET FEE-HELP Operational requirements
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Background
Significance of reforms
Overview of training process
What has happened until now
VET FEE-HELP resources
Request for VFH assistance
Allocation of CHESSN
Issuing Commonwealth Assistance Notices
Withdrawals and repayments
VET FEE-HELP Publishing requirements
VET FEE-HELP Data reporting requirements
VET FEE-HELP Compliance requirements
VET FEE-HELP Payments to providers
Privacy requirements
VITS and HEIMS
Scene setting
Background
• 2007 Federal Budget
• Extending FEE-HELP arrangements
• Amendments to the Higher Education
Support Act 2003 (HESA)
Policy Objectives
• VET FEE-HELP is an income contingent loan
scheme for the VET sector
• Assist eligible students to pay for all/part of
tuition fees for certain VET courses of study
• Extension of FEE-HELP
• Underlying principle – removes major financial
barrier to entry to studies
What has happened till now
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VET Provider eligibility
On-line application process
Financial Viability Assessment
3 Phase Assessment process
Approval notification
Received funds for IT upgrades
VET Provider Information pack
– Website details
– VFH Product order form
– HEPCAT access form
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Disallowance period (can offer VFH assistance during this period)
Input VET tuition fee schedule into VITS (link or file)
Input payment estimates into VITS
NOW VET FEE-HELP training
Overview of training process
• Delivered to a small group of reps from approved
VET providers
• Cascade training
• Learning activities
• Do not hesitate to raise any questions
Contact details
Kellie McInnes
(02) 6240 7152
[email protected]
VET FEE-HELP referral line
13 38 73
Technical issues:
[email protected]
General enquiries:
[email protected]
VET FEE-HELP resources
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HESA (Schedule 1A)
VET Provider Handbook
VET Provider Guidelines
VET Administration Guidelines
VET FEE-HELP Guidelines
Participant Workbook
Student Information Handbook
VET FEE-HELP fact sheets
Training outcomes
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Outline student support policies and providers obligations
under HESA;
Use the Guidelines relevant to VET FEE-HELP to resolve
queries
– VET Provider Guidelines
– VET FEE-HELP Guidelines
– VET Administration Guidelines
Redeliver VET FEE-HELP training to other staff
Know where to go for help
Higher Education Support
Act (2003)
What is HESA?
• An Act does not function alone – ‘Guidelines’ or ‘Regulations’ are
normally made under an Act to assist affected bodies ‘give effect’
to the legislation
• Relevant VET FEE-HELP Guidelines under HESA include
• The VET Provider Guidelines
• The VET FEE-HELP Guidelines
• The VET Administration Guidelines
• Guidelines will often explain how to meet a requirement specified
in an Act*
• An Act is usually amended to reflect a change in policy
Why is HESA so important?
• HESA sets out the details of Australian Government
funding and its associated legislative requirements
• HESA specifies the reporting and compliance
requirements that providers are now obliged to follow
• To put simply, the eligibility of a VET provider to offer
VET FEE-HELP is directly linked to their compliance with
requirements of HESA
Working with DEEWR
Working with DEEWR
• Who we are
• What we do
• Who you will work with
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Higher Skills Branch
• VET FEE-HELP Assessment and Stakeholder Management
• VET FEE-HELP Payment, Analysis and IT
• VET FEE-HELP Financial Viability and Monitoring
• VET FEE-HELP Legislation and Policy
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The Higher Education Business Operations team (known as HEIMS)
• HEPCAT
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The Funding and Student Support Branch (If you are also a HEP administering FEE-HELP)
• Fees Unit
Who we are
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The Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations
Ministers – Julia Gillard, Kate Ellis
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Secretary – Lisa Paul; Deputy Secretary – Colin Walters (A/g until June 10)
Tertiary Skills and Productivity Group Manager – Jennifer Taylor
Higher Skills Branch – Hilary Riggs (Acting)
• VET FEE-HELP Assessment and Stakeholder Management – Belinda
Catelli
• VET FEE-HELP Payment, Analysis and IT – Adam Wenck (acting)
• VET FEE-HELP Financial Viability and Monitoring – Tony Mitchener
• VET FEE-HELP Legislation and Policy – Sarah Thew
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Higher Education Business Operations – Maureen Wood
Funding and Student Support Branch – Susan Bennett
VET FEE-HELP recap
VET FEE-HELP
• Courses and Students
• Student Payments
Courses and Students – VET FEE-HELP
Liability
• VET FEE-HELP liability occurs on a unit of study
basis, not on a course basis
• Students DO NOT incur a VET FEE-HELP
liability until after the census date
Courses and Students – VET Course of
Study
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Diploma*
Advanced Diploma*
Graduate Certificate
Graduate Diploma
*with an approved VET credit transfer arrangement (CTA) to a Bachelor
degree with a higher education provider.
Courses and Students – VET Unit of
Study
• Units (subject, modules, structured training) undertaken as part of a
VET course of study
• Provider sets and charges a VET tuition fee.
• Meets the course requirements for VET FEE-HELP and student is
enrolled as a full-fee-paying student
• Have credit transfer arrangements in place for Diploma and
Advanced Diploma courses
Courses and Students – Full fee-paying
student
• A student enrolled in a VET course of study
for which the provider DOES NOT receive
any funding from a State, Territory or the
Commonwealth in relation to the student’s
enrolment in that course
Courses and Students – Student
Eligibility Requirements
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Full fee-paying student
Meet the citizenship or residency requirements
Have a FEE-HELP balance greater than zero
Be enrolled in a unit that meets the course requirements
Be enrolled in the unit on or before the census date for the unit and remain
so enrolled at the end of the census date
Meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements
Have completed, signed and given to an appropriate officer of the provider a
Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form on or before the census date
Courses and Students – Citizenship or
Residency requirements
• An Australian citizen; or
• The holder of a permanent humanitarian visa
who will be resident in Australia for the
duration of the unit
Courses and Students –
Census date
• Closing date for a student to apply for VET
FEE-HELP
• A provider must set a census date for each
unit of study it provides
• Census date can be no earlier than 20% of
the way through a unit.
Courses and Students - Determining
Eligibility
• It is YOUR responsibility
• A provider should collect sufficient information from
student to be satisfied of student eligibility
• A provider must comply with privacy requirements
• Where provider incorrectly determines student eligibility
– provider required to repay
Courses and Students – VET Restricted
access arrangements
• An agreement between a provider and employer/industry
body
• Enrolments to course is limited or restricted to
employees of the employer/industry body
• Provider must produce evidence of arrangement and
details to DEEWR if required
Courses and Students – VET Third party
arrangements
• Provider has arrangement with another organisation for the delivery
of some or all of a course
– The provider is to grant the VET award, the relationship is to be
one of principal and agent.
• Students undertaking such a course are enrolled with the provider.
• The provider is the principal and must carry full responsibility for all
aspects of delivery.
• The provider is required to comply with all the VET FEE-HELP
requirements in HESA.
Student payments – VET fee
requirements
• Determining VET tuition fees
• Schedules of VET tuition fees
• Fees related to units, courses or matters or
things for which fees may be charged
Student payments - VET Tuition fees
• Providers must determine a tuition fee(s) for each unit of
study
– No max or min limit
• Fee for course CANNOT > sum of the unit tuition fees
• May charge other fees, in certain circumstances. The
policy intent is:
• Students generally must be able to complete the requirements of
their course without the imposition of other fees
Student payments - Determining VET
Tuition fees
• Only tuition fees payable through VET FEE-HELP
• Should cover all essential requirements of the course
• Can have more than one tuition fee per unit as
appropriate – different fee CANNOT be based on
• Manner of payment (up-front Vs VET FEE-HELP assistance)
• Timing of payment (prepaying, paying for course compared to units)
• The VET tuition fees determined must be published –
with sufficient information
Student payments - VET fees
• Includes:
– Tuition fees, examination or other fee payable to a provider by a student
– Any fee payable to the provider in respect of the granting of a VET
award at Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate or Graduate
Diploma level
• Does NOT include:
– An organisation of students (unions or guilds)
– The provision to students of amenities or services that are not of an
academic nature (student amenities fees)
– Residential accommodation
– Special admissions tests
– Fees that are incidental to study
Refund policies
• A provider is required to refund a student
any tuition fees the student has paid for a
unit if they are no longer enrolled in that
unit at the end of the census date.
Student payments –
FEE-HELP Limit and Balance
• 2010
• $85,062 (VET students)
• $106, 328 for students in courses leading to registration as a
medical practitioner, dentist or veterinarian
• Indexed annually
Student payments – VET FEE-HELP debt
• A student incurs a VET FEE-HELP debt for the amount
of VET FEE-HELP assistance loaned to them by the
Commonwealth to pay for part or all of their tuition fees
for each unit at the end of the census date
• The Commonwealth pays this amount directly to the
provider on the students’ behalf
VET FEE-HELP loan fee
• A loan fee of 20% applies to all VET FEE-HELP debts incurred at
the end of the census date
• The loan fee applies to all
VET FEE-HELP debts irrespective of the VET course, fails or
withdraws from the unit after the census date.
• The amount of the VET FEE-HELP debt is the amount of the loan
(the VET FEE-HELP assistance provided) plus 20% (VET FEEHELP loan fee) and is incurred by the student immediately after the
census date for the unit
• The 20% loan fee is not included in a person’s FEE-HELP balance.
VET FEE-HELP
Operational
requirements
VFH Operational requirements –
Census date recap
• A student must be enrolled in the unit on or
before the census date for the unit and must
remain enrolled in the unit at the end of the
census date
• A census date can be set no earlier than 20% of
the way through a unit
VFH Operational requirements – TFN
requirements
A student meets the TFN req for VFH if:
• the student notifies his or her TFN to an appropriate
officer of the provider and the provider is satisfied
that the number is a valid TFN; or
• the student provides a Certificate of Application for a
TFN; and
• this information is provided on or before the end of
the census date for the unit
VFH Operational requirements – Request
for VFH assistance
• Students request VET FEE-HELP assistance by completing, signing
and submitting a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form to the
appropriate officer at their provider on or before the census date for
the unit
• The paper form that DEEWR provides is the approved form. Where
a provider allows for the electronic submission of a Request for VET
FEE-HELP assistance form, it must follow the approved form format.
A provider will be required to submit on E-CAF file if an electronic
Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form is used by the
provider.
VFH Operational requirements – Distribution of
the Request for VFH assistance form
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Original
– All forms that contain the student’s TFN must be sent to the Tax Office
by 1 June (for forms completed for the first half year) and 1 December
(for forms completed in the second half year).
– The forms containing a TFN must be sent to the Tax Office regardless of
whether the student has incurred a VET FEE-HELP debt.
– Forms that do not include the student’s TFN must be retained by the
provider.
Copies
– The provider should retain the first copy and give the second copy to the
student.
VFH Operational requirements – Retention of
the Request for VFH assistance form
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The form is a Commonwealth record and is subject to the Archives Act
1983.
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A provider must retain a copy of forms that do not include the student’s TFN
on behalf of the Commonwealth for a minimum period of 7 years after the
student has completed his or her course of study.
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A provider should retain a copy of all forms for its own records for at least
the duration of the student’s course, or in accordance with state or territory
legislation.
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If a student cancels his or her Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form,
the provider must still retain a copy of the form.
VFH Operational requirements – Cancellation and
validity of the Request for VFH assistance form
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A Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form is valid for the duration of
the person’s enrolment in the course of study.
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Students accessing VFH assistance are not required to cancel their form if
they subsequently choose to pay their tuition fees up-front.
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Students may choose to cancel their request at any time in writing on or
before the census date for the unit of study. Students can subsequently
reactivate their Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form by submitting a
request to their provider in writing.
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A provider should determine its own mechanisms for recording written
cancellations and reactivations of the form.
VFH Operational requirements – completion
of a new form or multiple forms
• Enrolment in a new VET course of study
• Enrolment in more than one VET course of study
• Enrolment at more than one provider (VET or
HEP)
VFH Operational requirements –
Allocation of CHESSNs
• The Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number is a
unique identifier for Commonwealth assistance.
• Students must be allocated a CHESSN if seeking VFH assistance.
• DEEWR allocates CHESSNs to all students who request VET
FEE-HELP assistance through a provider or apply for a place
through a tertiary admission centre.
• This will enable the monitoring of students’ use of Commonwealth
assistance.
VFH Operational requirements – Calculating
the amount of VFH assistance
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A student can borrow up to the amount of the tuition fee for the unit being
charged by their provider, so long as this amount does not result in the
student exceeding their FEE-HELP balance
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Students have the option of paying part of their tuition fee for the unit upfront to their provider on or before the census date and obtaining VET
FEE-HELP assistance for the remainder
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The amount of VET FEE-HELP assistance for a unit of study is the
difference between the tuition fee for the unit and the sum of any up-front
payments the student has made on or before the census date
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Providers report the amount of a student’s VET FEE-HELP assistance
through the HEPCAT System and the Commonwealth will pay the VET
FEE-HELP assistance amount to the provider
VFH Operational requirements –
Commonwealth Assistance Notice
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Providers are required to issue each student who has requested VET FEE-HELP
assistance with a CAN
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The CAN must be sent to all students who have requested VET FEE-HELP assistance
after each census date
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A provider may issue separate CANs for units of study with different census dates
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Cannot issue a CAN for Higher Ed and VET courses
VFH Operational requirements –
Commonwealth Assistance Notice (2)
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A CAN must contain the title ‘Commonwealth Assistance Notice’ and include the following information:
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the person’s name;
the name of the VET provider;
the person’s student identification number as issued by the VET provider;
the person’s Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN);
the course(s) of study in which the person is enrolled with the provider for which a tuition fee(s) is recorded at the census date(s)
contained in the CAN;
the total amount of up-front payment;
the total amount of VET FEE-HELP assistance;
the total amount of the VET FEE-HELP loan fee; and
the total amount of VET FEE-HELP debt
For each VET unit of study, the notice must include the following information, as applicable, to each person’s
enrolment:
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the VET unit of study identification code;
the census date;
the VET tuition fee amount;
the amount of up-front VET payment;
the amount of VET FEE-HELP assistance;
the amount of the VET FEE-HELP loan fee; and
the amount of VET FEE-HELP debt
VFH Operational requirements – Commonwealth
Assistance Notice (3)
A CAN must have the following statements prominently displayed:
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“It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient FEE-HELP balance to cover the VET
FEE-HELP amounts indicated in this notice. You are eligible for the amounts of VET FEE-HELP
assistance contained in this notice only if you have sufficient FEE-HELP balance to cover those
amounts.”
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“The information regarding Commonwealth assistance contained in this notice is correct only
insofar as you have correctly advised this VET provider of your entitlement to that assistance
under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.” [VET Administration Guidelines 2.10.20]
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A CAN must include information on the person’s right to request the correction of information
contained in the CAN.
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A CAN must be given within 28 days of the earliest census date indicated in the CAN
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A provider may issue the CAN electronically.
VFH Operational requirements –
Incorrect CAN
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Provider identifies information is incorrect – must issue a new CAN to the
student with the correct information
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Student believes that the information on the CAN is incorrect, the student
may, within 14 days of dispatch of the CAN (or longer if the provider allows),
ask in writing for the CAN to be corrected. This request may be made
electronically as long as the provider complies with chapter 4 of the VET
Administration Guidelines.
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A provider should consider the request as soon as possible, and notify the
student, in writing, of its decision. If the provider finds that the information
on the original CAN was incorrect, or has ceased to be correct, the provider
must issue a new CAN to the student with the correct information. The
provider must also correct its records and data sent to DEEWR accordingly.
VFH Operational requirements – Withdrawals
on or before the census date
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Will not incur a VET FEE-HELP debt.
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Students do not incur a liability for a unit of study until after the census date.
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A provider may set an ‘administrative date’ earlier than the census date by which students are
required to pay their tuition fees or lodge a Request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form.
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A provider may also impose a fine or penalty on students who undertake actions after the
administrative and withdrawal dates
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A provider must treat all of its students and those seeking to enrol with the provider fairly
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It is a provider’s responsibility to ensure that the information it gives to DEEWR is accurate and
that students who have formally withdrawn from a unit or course on or before the census date do
not incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for those studies.
VFH Operational requirements –
Withdrawals after the census date
• Students who have requested VET FEE-HELP assistance who
withdraw from a VET unit of study or course of study after the
census date will incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for any unpaid tuition
fees (up to their FEE-HELP balance).
• Students may apply to their provider to have their FEE-HELP
balance re-credited (and thus their VET FEE-HELP debt remitted) in
special circumstances
VFH Operational requirements –
Cancellations of units of study after the
census date
• If a unit becomes unavailable after the census date,
wherever possible, the provider should attempt to make
suitable arrangements for the affected students to
complete the unit or a comparable unit.
VET FEE-HELP Publishing
requirements
VET FEE-HELP Publishing
requirements
• A number of arrangements and procedures must be published and
made publicly available.
• The Provider to decide on the method.
• Methods may include:
• As part of a printed handbook
• Any other method determined by the provider which will bring
the information to the attention of students and prospective
students
• VET providers MUST publish their Schedule of VET tuition fees on
their website
VFH Publishing requirements – Schedule
of VET tuition fees
• A provider must determine a schedule of VET tuition fees for all units
of study that it provides or proposes to provide.
• The schedule must contain enough information to enable a person
to work out the tuition fee for each unit that the provider provides or
proposes to provide
• Where more than one tuition fee has been determined for a unit, the
schedule must contain sufficient information to enable a person to
work out which tuition fee applies to them
VFH Publishing requirements – Schedule of
VET tuition fees – publication requirements
• A provider must publish its schedule of VET tuition
fees for the units it provides or proposes to provide by:
– 1 April for units with a census date in the same
year between 1 July and 31 December; and
– 1 October for units with a census date in the
subsequent year between 1 January and 30 June
of that year
VFH Publishing requirements – Access to
schedule of VET tuition fees
• A provider must ensure its schedule of VET tuition fees is available
to all students and persons seeking to enrol with the provider on
request and at no charge
• Students enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in units that are offered
under restricted access arrangements must be provided with the
tuition fee information for the relevant unit on request and at no
charge
VFH Publishing requirements –
Giving the schedule to the Minister
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A provider must give the schedule of VET tuition fees to the Minister by the
publication deadlines for tuition fees, (except under restricted access arrangements).
That is, by:
– 1 April for units with a census date in the same year between 1 July and
31 December; and
– 1 October for units with a census date in the subsequent year between
1 January and 30 June of that year.
A provider must give the schedule to the Minister by:
– posting the schedule on the provider’s website (if applicable); and
– submitting the schedule or a URL link to the schedule via the provider’s VITS
account. (Course schedule menu)
VFH Publishing requirements – VET
Unit of study information
• While not a requirement of HESA to provide the Minister with a
schedule of census dates, it is usual to include the census date
information with the tuition fee information for a unit in a schedule of
VET tuition fees and provide this information to the Minister.
• Once a provider has published its schedule of VET tuition fees it can
vary the information only in accordance with the requirements in the
VET Provider Guidelines or the VET Administration Guidelines (for
census dates) or with Ministerial approval
VFH publishing requirements – Variations to
published information
Varying published unit of study information
• Without ministerial approval:
– Due to changed circumstances or administrative error AND
– More than 2 months before start of unit or last day to withdraw without
penalty OR
– Less than 2 months with NO disadvantage to students
– Five days notice to DEEWR
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With ministerial approval:
– Less than 2 months before start of unit or last day to withdraw without
penalty AND
– Will disadvantage students
VET FEE-HELP Data
Reporting requirements
VFH Data Reporting requirements –
Reporting requirements
• A provider must give to the Minister such statistical and
other information that the Minister, by notice in writing,
requires and in the form approved by the Minister
• A provider must inform the Minister, in writing, of any
event that may significantly affect the provider’s capacity
to meet the VET quality and accountability requirements
VFH Data reporting requirements –
E-CAF File
• A provider that enables students to complete
and submit the Request for VET FEE-HELP
assistance form electronically will need to submit
an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form
File (E-CAF File) to DEEWR.
VFH Data reporting requirements – Data
reporting dates
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Providers will need to submit the above data files to DEEWR four times a
year by the following dates:
– 31 March (for units of study with census dates occurring in SeptemberDecember of previous year);
– 31 May (for units of study with census dates occurring in JanuaryMarch);
– 31 August (for units of study with census dates occurring in April-June);
and
– 31 October (for units of study with census dates occurring in JulyAugust). [Ministerial determination under HESA Schedule 1A cl24]
VFH Data reporting requirements –
EFTSL
• EFTSL is an equivalent full-time student load. It is a measure of the
study load, for a year, of a student undertaking a course of study on
a full-time basis.
• For VET FEE-HELP data reporting purposes, a provider will need to
determine and provide DEEWR with the EFTSL value for each unit
of study (within a course of study) as part of the Student Load File.
• EFTSL is also used to determine VET FEE-HELP payments
VFH Data reporting requirements –
Variations
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Variations to a student’s VET FEE-HELP debt amounts that occur after the census
date due to:
– special circumstances
– the student’s provision of an invalid TFN; or
– administrative error
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must be reported in the Revisions File and in the Revised Student Load File, both of
which must be sent to DEEWR.
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Changes in a student’s enrolment due to cancellation of units of study after the
census date (see 5.23) should not be reported to DEEWR. The provider should
report to DEEWR as per the provider’s enrolment records as at the census date.
VET FEE-HELP
Compliance
requirements
Higher Education Support Act
2003
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VET Provider Guidelines
VET Administration Guidelines
VET FEE-HELP Guidelines
Ministerial determinations
• Draft VET Provider Handbook
• Student Handbook
Quality and Accountability
Requirements
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Financial viability requirements
Quality requirements
Fairness requirements
Compliance requirements
Fee requirements
Financial Viability
A VET provider:
• (a) must be financially viable; and
• (b) must be likely to remain financially viable.
• (c) must provide to the Minister financial information
within six months after the end of its financial period
(calendar/financial year).
• [ HESA Schedule 1A cl 14-15]
VET Quality Requirements
• A VET provider must operate, and continue to operate, at an
appropriate level of quality for a VET provider.
• The Minister must not determine that a VET provider meets an
appropriate level of quality for a VET provider unless the Minister is
satisfied that the provider meets the requirements set out in the
Australian Quality Training Framework.
• [HESA Schedule 1A cl 17]
VET Fairness Requirements
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Equal benefits and opportunities
Student grievance and review
Tuition assurance
Appointing review officers
Review officers not reviewing own decisions
Procedures relating to personal information
[HESA Schedule 1A cl 18 to 23]
VET Compliance Requirements
• VET provider to provide statement of general
information
• Notice of events that affect provider’s ability to
comply with VET quality and accountability
requirements
• Compliance assurance – provider
• [HESA Schedule 1A cl 24-26]
VET Fee Requirements
Determining tuition fees for all students
• Requirements in the VET Provider Guidelines
• Schedules of VET tuition fees – general
requirements; restricted access; and variations.
• [HESA Schedule 1A cl 27-28]
Compliance Calendar
• Monitoring of VET providers is ongoing
• Specific dates for certain requirements:
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Monthly payments – 15th of each month
Annual financial statements 30 June or 31 December
Additional financial reporting requirements in Deeds of Undertaking
Submission of estimates; schedules, data
NTIS RTO registration expiry date
VTAS expiry date
• Self-assessment checklist to assist providers
Summary of Compliance
• DEEWR conducts ongoing monitoring of VET
providers on VET quality and accountability
including the following:
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Deed of undertaking requirements
Principal purpose and RTO status
Schedule of VET Tuition Fees
Census dates
Financial viability
Summary of Compliance continued
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Integrity checks where changes to key personnel
Student complaints
Fair treatment
Grievance procedures
Review procedures
VET Tuition Assurance
Information Privacy Policy
Summary of Compliance continued
• Website references to VET FEE-HELP including
adherence to marketing requirements
• Data requirements
• Incidental fees and refund policies
• Credit transfer arrangements
• Notice of events under clause 25
VET FEE-HELP– ongoing compliance
requirements
• Report any of the following to [email protected]
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Changes in legal entity (structure, corporate restructure)
Changes in personnel (Directors, CEO)
Variations to payments
Changes to any procedures (Reviews etc)
Changes to Fees/Charges
VET FEE-HELP Privacy
requirements
VET FEE-HELP Privacy
requirements
• A provider must comply with the information
privacy principles (IPPs), set out in section 14 of
the Privacy Act 1988, when it handles personal
information obtained for the purposes of VET
FEE-HELP assistance and the repayment of
loans under HESA.
VET FEE-HELP
payments to
providers
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers –
Advance payments
•
HESA provides that the Secretary, or the Secretary’s delegate, may determine that an advance
payment be made to a provider on account of the amount of VET FEE-HELP assistance expected
to be accessed by the provider’s students
•
The Secretary’s Delegate determines the amount of an advances based on the Department’s
assessment of a provider’s estimate. Estimates are submitted on an annual basis in October for
the following calendar year. In estimating the level of VET FEE-HELP assistance, VET providers
need to estimate the:
•
•
•
•
•
number of eligible students that will enrol;
level of equivalent full-time student load that will be undertaken by those students;
proportion of VET tuition fees that will be deferred to VET FEE-HELP; and
weighted annual average course cost for the estimate year
VET providers enter their estimates of VET FEE-HELP loans using VITS. End of year
reconciliations follow the verification of HEIMS student data as detailed in the following table.
Payment cycle
October
Providers submit VET FEE-HELP estimates for the following year.
When an RTO is initially approved as a VET provider it should
provide an estimate in VITS as soon as possible after approval
November/December
VET FEE-HELP estimates for the following year are assessed by
DEEWR. Based on these assessments, the Delegate determines the
amount of advances and advises providers in writing.
January – December
VET FEE-HELP advances are paid in monthly instalments
May
VET providers are required to verify their previous years student data
June
The amount of the previous years advance is reconciled against the
provider’s verified data. An additional payment or a recovery is made
to account for variations.
September
Review of amount of VET FEE-HELP advances paid for the current
year based on first half data
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers –
payment cycle
•
DEEWR has developed a Microsoft excel tool designed to assist providers
in completing their estimates, the Estimates Calculator takes providers
through a step by step process to assist in the development of estimates
and estimate revisions. All new VET providers are encouraged to use the
Estimates Calculator for their first estimate submission.
•
Details on how to enter estimates can be found in the:
• VET FEE-HELP Information Technology (VITS) Guide on the VITS
user login page;
• VET FEE-HELP Payment Estimates Information Document
(provided with the information pack upon approval); and
• The Estimates Calculator Excel workbook found at
http://www.deewr.gov.au/Skills
/Programs/VetFeeHelp/ApprovedVET Providers/Pages/Home.aspx
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers –
Variations
•
VET providers are expected to ensure after each major census date, that
VET FEE-HELP advance payments are closely aligned to student liabilities.
•
At this time the providers will be in a better position to assess whether the
level of the current advance is appropriate.
•
If you believe that the level of VET FEE-HELP advance payments is
significantly different to that expected, please inform the VET FEE-HELP
Payment, Analysis and IT Section via [email protected] to request
a variation.
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers – Actioning a
Variation
• To action a variation, a signed letter from the Chief Executive Officer
should be sent to DEEWR (see Appendix A of VET provider
Handbook for contact details) detailing the reasons for the request.
• If the variation is made, a provider’s remaining payments will be
adjusted and a lump sum amount paid (where the yearly estimate is
increased) or recovered (where the yearly estimate is decreased),
depending on the variation from the existing payment schedule.
• DEEWR will generally be able to make variations to VET FEE-HELP
advance payments by the next scheduled payment date following
receipt of a letter of request.
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers –
recovery of overpayments
•
How a recovery for an overpayment is made will depend on the size of the
overpayment and the monthly payment amounts that a provider receives.
•
The recovery will occur as part of the monthly payment system where the
overpayment can be recovered from the provider’s next one or two monthly
payments.
•
If the size of the overpayment is larger than what can be recovered within
two monthly advance payments, a provider will be sent a debt notice in
which the overpayment is required to be repaid within 30 days.
VET FEE-HELP payments to providers –
Further Information
Further Information on submitting estimates can be found in:
• The Information Pack sent to approved VET Providers;
• The VET Provider Handbook; and
• The VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) Electronic Information
Guide.
VITS and HEIMS
What is VITS?
• The VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) is an
application developed for VET FEE-HELP. VITS
encompasses the VET provider application
system, CHESSN allocation, course approval for
VET FEE-HELP, provider payments and data
management of VET FEE-HELP. The
application is published as a secure website at
https://vetfeehelp.deewr.gov.au.
What is HEIMS
• The Higher Education Information
Management System (HEIMS) is the data
management system developed for higher
education data reporting.
CHESSN Web Services
• To allocate multiple CHESSNs
• Approved VET providers only contact
[email protected] for test
URL
Going to Uni web page
•
The Going to Uni website provides information about the Australian higher
education system, including detailed information on HEPs and
Commonwealth assistance available to higher education students. It is part
of HEIMS.
•
The Going to Uni website does not include information on VET providers or
VET FEE-HELP assistance. This information is located on the DEEWR
website under www.deewr.gov.au/vet/vetfeehelp with links to it from the
Going to Uni website.
•
Students who have been allocated a CHESSN are able to access
information on their use of VET FEE-HELP assistance (and other
Commonwealth assistance) through myUniAssist, which is part of the Going
to Uni website. Students can access their information on the website using
their CHESSN and other identifying information.
Questions
and
feedback