Fees and Refunds Policy

HPOTS is entitled to charge fees for services provided to students undertaking training and assessment that leads to a nationally recognised outcome. These charges are generally for items such as course materials, text books, student services and training and assessment services.

Fees payable

Fees are payable when a student or employer has received a confirmation of enrolment. The initial fee payment must be made prior to commencing training or within 14 days of receiving an invoice from HPOTS Training. HPOTS may discontinue training if fees are not paid in accordance with the agreed fee schedule. The current fees and charges for HPOTS are published within the current schedule of fees and charges.

Schedule of Fees and Charges

The General Manager is responsible for approving HPOTS Schedule of Fees and Charges. The schedule of fees and charges is to include the following information:

the total amount of all fees including course fees, administration fees, material fees and any other charges for enrolling in a training program;
payment terms, including the timing and amount of fees to be paid and any non-refundable deposit/administration fee;
the nature of the guarantee given by HPOTS to honour its commitment to deliver services and complete the training and/or assessment once the student has commenced study;
any discounts, fee reductions or exemptions available for multiple enrolments, concession card holders, continuing students, group bookings etc;
the fees and charges for additional services, including such items as issuance of a replacement qualification parchment or statement of results and the options available to students who are deemed not yet competent on completion of training and assessment; and
HPOTS refund policy.

Replacement of text and training workbooks

Students who require replacement of issued text or training workbooks will be liable for additional charges to cover the cost of replacement. Where a student has purchased a text or training workbooks and subsequently cancels his or her enrolment, HPOTS will not refund monies for the text unless a written request for a refund is received and we are satisfied that the text is in as-new condition. For a full list of replacement charges please refer to HPOTS schedule of fees and charges.

Giving notice of enrolment cancellation

A student who wishes to cancel their enrolment must give notice either by phone or via email. HPOTS staff who are approached with initial notice of cancelation are to ensure the student understands their rights with regards to the refunding of tuition fees. The student is also to be advised of other options such as suspending the enrolment and re-commencing in another scheduled training program.

Students who give written notice to cancel their enrolment and who are eligible for a refund are to be provided with a Refund Request Form. Students’ who may not be eligible but are requesting a refund should also be provided with the Refund Request Form so the request can be properly considered by the General Manager.

Refunds

The following refund policy will apply:

Individual Students

Students who give notice to cancel their enrolment more than 7 days prior to the commencement of a program, will be entitled to a full refund of fees paid.
Students who give notice to cancel their enrolment less than 7 days prior to the commencement of a program will be entitled to a 75% refund of fees paid. The amount retained (25%) by HPOTS is required to cover the costs of staff and resources which will have already been committed based on the students initial intention to undertake the training.
Students who cancel their enrolment after a training program has commenced will not be entitled to a refund of fees.

Employers

The following refund policy will apply:

Employers who give notice to cancel a staff member’s enrolment more than 7 days prior to the commencement of a program, will be entitled to a full refund of fees paid.
Employers who give notice to cancel their enrolment less than 7 days prior to the commencement of a program will be required to pay a fee 25% of the total amount owing. This amount retained by HPOTS is required to cover the costs of staff and resources which will have already been committed based on the employer’s original booking request.
Employers who cancel their staff member’s enrolment after a training program has commenced will not be entitled to a refund of fees.

Discretion may be exercised by the General Manager in all situations, if the student can demonstrate that extenuating or significant personal circumstance led to their withdrawal. In these cases, the student should be offered a full credit toward the tuition fee in another scheduled program in-lieu of a refund. The General Manager may also authorise a refund of tuition fees if the circumstances require it.

Where refunds are approved, the refund payment must be paid to the student within 14 days from the time the student gave notice to cancel their enrolment. Tuition refunds are to be paid via electronic funds transfer using the authorised bank account nominated by the student on the Refund Request Form.

Our Guarantee to Clients

If for any reason HPOTS is unable to fulfil its service agreement with a student, HPOTS must issue a full refund for any services not provided. The basis for determining “services not provided” is to be based on the units of competency completed by the student and which can be issued in a statement of attainment at the time the service is terminated.

Limiting fees being paid in advance

HPOTS acknowledges that it has a responsibility under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations to limit the fees paid by students in advance of their training and assessment services being delivered. To meet our responsibilities HPOTS may accept payment of no more than $1,500 from each student prior to the commencement of the course. This requirement applies regardless of the payment for the fees are being made directly or through a third party.

Following the course commencement, HPOTS Training may require payment of additional fees in scheduled payments in advance from the student but only such that at any given time, the total amount required to be paid in advance does not exceed $1,500.

Payment of GST

GST is exempt under section 38-85 GSTR 2003/1 Goods and Services Tax, tax ruling. The ruling explains the supply of a course for ‘professional or trade course’ is a GST-free education course.

ATO reference: http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?docid=GST/GSTR20031/NAT/ATO/00001

Where a student is enrolled in a course which is offering units of competency or a whole qualification, the course fees attached to this enrolment will be exempt from the payment of GST. GST does apply on the payment of some miscellaneous charges where these charges are in addition to and outside the normal services offered in a course. Please refer to HPOTS schedule of fees and charges for details of what GST is and is not applied to.

Miscellaneous Charges

HPOTS will levy some miscellaneous charges for services. These may include:

Re-issuing a certificate after it has been initially issued to a student.
Replacing issued learning materials which the student has lost or damaged
Re-assessment services
Photocopy fee

These miscellaneous charges are to be clearly specified in HPOTS Schedule of Fees and Charges. It is to be made clear if these services will include GST. All miscellaneous charges are to be based on a cost recovery basis and are not intended to be a source of profit.

Student complaints about fees or refunds

Students who are unhappy with HPOTS arrangements for the collection and refunding of tuition fees are entitled to lodge a complaint. This should occur in accordance with HPOTS complaints policy and procedure.