Enrolment Withdrawal (TAFE) Procedure

Policy code: ST1029
Policy owner: Director, Student Services and Registrar
Approval authority: Chief Learner Experience Officer
Approval date: 03 June 2024
Next review date: 03 June 2027

Purpose

This procedure describes the TAFE (VET) sector administrative process for withdrawing a student from a complete course or individual unit/s.

Scope

This procedure applies to all TAFE (VET) units and to all staff involved in withdrawing a student in the following circumstances:

  • Withdrawal from a complete course or individual unit/s.
  • Student initiated withdrawal.
  • Non-negotiated absence withdrawal.

Legislative Context

  • Federation University Australia Statute 2021
    • Part 6 - Admission to be a student
  • Federation University Australia (Students) Regulation 2022
    • Part 2 - Admission to become a student
      • Division 1 - Selection
      • Division 3 - Enrolment
      • Division 4 - StudentFees and Charges

Definitions

Term Definition
APT Academic Progress Tracker is the record of individual unit enrolments in Campus Solutions.
Campus Solutions Federation University Australia’s student management system.
CAN Commonwealth Assistance Notice is provided after census date to students who defer fees through the VET Student Loan program.
Census Dates The census date is the deadline by which students enrolled in a VET Student Loan program must take certain actions, such as withdraw from a unit/s or a full course without financial penalty. A census date applies to each unit.
Course A series of units of vocational education and training, or the modules of a VET accredited course that combine to become a qualification from an accredited Training Package or skill set.
Skills First Program The Skills First Program, governing body for Further Education and Training, www.education.vic.gov.au
Unit Is the unit of learning in a VET qualification and includes assessment requirements and the specification of the standards of performance required in the workplace as defined in a training package or accredited course.
VET Student Loan Australian government loan program to assist eligible students enrolled in approved higher level vocational education and training (VET) course to pay all or part of their tuition fees.

Actions

Withdrawal from a complete course or individual unit/s

  STEPS WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? COMMENTS
1a.

Student initiates withdrawal.

 

Conduct interview with student regarding withdrawal from course or unit/s.

Student

 

School Representative

Obtain feedback from student as to the reasons for withdrawal and refer student to services offered by the university, if necessary. Including:

  • Skills and Jobs Centre
  • Appropriate student support services;
  • Student Counsellor and/or member of Student Advocacy;
  • Aboriginal Education Centre.
1b. Non-negotiated absence withdrawal. School Representative

Contact student via written correspondence to ascertain whether they wish to be withdrawn or reason for their absence.

Included in this correspondence must be a statement in relation to VET Student Loan programs and census dates. A student enrolled in a VET Student Loan course needs to withdraw, in writing, prior to census dates to avoid incurring the debt.

Where a student's VET Student Loan enrolment is cancelled after the census day for the course, the cancellation will not take final effect for at least 28 days, to allow the student to initiate grievance procedures

Where a grievance has been initiated by the student, the final cancellation will not take effect until the grievance has been resolved. 

Fees for the course, or part of the course, will not be refunded where the withdrawal is initiated after the census date.

If the student has not responded by the advised date or the student indicates they wish to withdraw from the complete course or individual unit/s commence withdrawal process.

 

All withdrawals must be reported within the year of scheduled commencement in training AND no later than the two (2) months from the point of withdrawal as per VET Funding Contract.

2. Enter withdrawal details on student's APT, set status to 'PEND' and print withdrawal form. School Representative

To ensure we meet our reporting and contractual requirements to Skills First:

  • Withdrawals with participation must include actual hours claimed. This cannot be the full unit hours. Evidence of participation must support the hours claimed.
  • Withdrawal can be for a complete course or individual unit/s.
  • Include material fee refund, if applicable.

To determine the actual hours attended/delivered use the following calculation formula:

Calculation of with participation (WP) hours:

SCH/unit duration (in weeks) x number of weeks delivered = WP hours.

If the above formula is not used in the calculation of WP hours, Schools must show how WP hours were calculated on the withdrawal form.

Note:

If not entering the withdrawal details directly into the student management system, the withdrawal form must be authorised by the school representative, including all relevant information and materials fees refund amount, if applicable.

3. Student to authorise withdrawal. School Representative / Student

Student must either sign the withdrawal form or advise of their intention to withdraw in writing.

Written authorisation must be attached to the withdrawal form.

OR

The School must keep a record of documentation advising the student that they will be withdrawn from complete course or unit/s if they do not respond to written correspondence by the date advised.

As per the VET Funding Contract enrolment changes must be endorsed by the individual.

4. Withdrawal of an apprentice or trainee. School Representative/ATOM Support Team

If an apprentice or trainee withdraws from a course, the school must obtain confirmation from the employer that the student is not continuing the apprenticeship/traineeship.

Once confirmation is received from the employer the school immediately notifies the ATOM Support team of the withdrawal.

ATOM Support team to communicate withdrawal with the Apprenticeship Network provider within two weeks as required by the Skills First Program Guidelines About Apprenticeship and Traineeship Training Delivery.

Refer to the Australian Apprenticeship Traineeship Delivery (VET) Procedure AG1340

5. Withdrawal of students under 17 years. School Representative

If a student stops attending training with the University and is still under 17 years, the University must notify the relevant Regional Office of the Department and (where applicable) the students previous Victorian school that they are no longer attending training.

Regional Office contact details as follows:

North East

pathways.transitions.nev@education.vic.gov.au

North West

pathways.transitions.nwv@education.vic.gov.au

South East

pathways.transitions.sev@education.vic.gov.au

South West

pathways.transitions.swv@education.vic.gov.au

6. Withdrawals for VET Student Loan approved programs. School Representative

Students must be provided with clear information on how to withdraw from a unit of study including information on individual census dates to avoid being liable for fees

  • A VET provider must not have a financial, administrative or other barriers that would result in a student not being able to withdraw from a VET unit of study on or before the census date.
  • Student must either sign the withdrawal form or advise of their intention to withdraw in writing prior to or on the census date to ensure they do not incur the debt.
  • Should the students circumstances change the provider will allow a student to re-enrol into an approved course they have previously withdrawn from.
7. Send printed withdrawal form to Student Administration. School Representative
  • Has the student signed the withdrawal?
  • Has the student provided an e- mail or some other form of written authority to withdraw them from the course or unit/s?
  • Withdrawal forms must be submitted to Student  Administration within 5 days of the school receiving and processing them in Campus Solutions.
8.

Assess withdrawal to determine eligibility for credit of material and tuition fees.

Enter withdrawal details in Campus Solutions and file.

Student  Administration

Assess student's eligibility for a credit in accordance with the VET (TAFE) Student Refund Procedure.

  • If student is eligible for a credit of their material fees raise a request in Service Now for Student Finance to action, including details of the material fee to be credited. Attach the withdrawal form to the request.
  • If a VET Student Loan program and the student withdrew prior to census date, but the withdrawal is processed after census date Student Administration to notify Data and Reporting and Student Finance.
  • Enter the relevant refund code against each withdrawn unit, as per the VET student refund procedure (code NORF for no refund or code FULL for refund) in Campus Solutions.
  • Recalculate fees for any units with the FULL refund code to credit tuition fees.
  • Full course withdrawal - scan a copy of the withdrawal form to graduate@federation.edu.au to initiate the issuing of a Statement of Attainment, if applicable.

Responsibilities

  • The ChiefLearner Experience Officer (as the Approval Authority) is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
  • Director, Student Services and Registrar (as the Document Owner) is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Approval Authority.
  • Specific responsibilities are included in Actions.

Implementation

The Enrolment Withdrawal (TAFE) Procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. an Announcement under 'FedNews' on the FedUni website,
  2. the University Policy - 'Recently Approved Documents' webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Procedure, and
  3. inclusion on the University's online Policy Library.

Forms/Record Keeping

Item Location Responsible Officer Minimum Retention Period
Withdrawal Form
Student Administration Coordinator TAFE Student Administration 7 years after enrolment has expired