Clear, fair policies for all ABS College students — aligned with the Standards for RTOs 2015 and Australian Consumer Law.
Version 2.0
Compliant: Standards for RTOs 2015
Western Australia RTO
Course
CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support
Version
2.0
Next review
01.05.2027
Approved by
RTO Manager / CEO
1
Overview
This policy sets out the fees, payment terms, cooling-off rights, withdrawal entitlements, and refund processes for the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support delivered by ABS College.
This policy complies with:
Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 — in particular Standards 4, 5, and 6
Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2, Competition and Consumer Act 2010)
Consumer Protection Act 1999 (WA) and applicable fair trading requirements
AVETMISS Data Standard and National VET Provider Collection requirements
Nothing in this policy removes or restricts rights held by students under the Australian Consumer Law or applicable WA consumer protection legislation.
2
Fees and Payments
Course fees vary depending on delivery mode and any applicable government funding. All fees are disclosed in the student's Letter of Offer and Pre-Enrolment Information prior to enrolment.
2.1 Payment structure
An initial deposit of $750 is required to confirm enrolment prior to course commencement.
ABS College will not collect more than $1,500 in total from any student prior to the commencement of training, in accordance with Clause 5.3 of the Standards for RTOs 2015.
No further payments will be collected until the student has commenced training.
Remaining fees are collected under a written payment plan linked to training milestones (e.g. unit completions), provided before enrolment.
2.2 Contingent fees
A re-enrolment / administration fee of $500 applies if a student does not complete their qualification within the standard 6-month period.
This fee is disclosed in the student's Letter of Offer and Pre-Enrolment Information prior to enrolment.
Compliance reference: Standards for RTOs 2015, Clauses 5.3–5.4; Standard 4.1
3
Cooling-Off Period
Students who enrol in this qualification are entitled to a cooling-off period of 10 business days from the date the enrolment agreement is signed.
A full refund of all fees paid will be provided, less a $250 administration fee, where written cancellation is received within the cooling-off period and before course commencement.
The $250 administration fee reflects actual costs incurred in processing the enrolment (staff time, system registration, and compliance reporting).
The cooling-off period runs from the date the enrolment agreement is signed, regardless of when payment is made.
Compliance reference: Australian Consumer Law; WA Fair Trading guidance; Standards for RTOs 2015, Clause 5.4
4
Student Withdrawal — Before Course Commencement
Where a student withdraws after the cooling-off period has expired but before the course commences, the following refund schedule applies:
Timing of withdrawal
Refund entitlement
More than 5 business days before the start date
Full refund of fees paid, less $250 administration fee
5 business days or fewer before the start date
50% refund of fees paid, less $250 administration fee
Within 24 hours of scheduled commencement
No refund
The effective date of withdrawal is the date written notice is received by ABS College.
5
Student Withdrawal — After Course Commencement
5.1 General entitlement
Where a student withdraws after training has commenced, a pro-rata refund will be calculated based on the proportion of the course not yet delivered at the effective date of withdrawal, less a $250 administration fee.
Proportion of course delivered at withdrawal
Refund entitlement
0–25% delivered
Up to 75% refund of total course fee, less $250 admin fee
26–50% delivered
Up to 50% refund of total course fee, less $250 admin fee
51–75% delivered
Up to 25% refund of total course fee, less $250 admin fee
More than 75% delivered
No refund
Students who withdraw after commencement remain liable for fees associated with training already delivered. Outstanding fees under the payment agreement remain payable.
5.2 Exceptional circumstances
ABS College may adjust refund entitlements in exceptional circumstances, including:
Serious illness or injury — supported by a medical certificate or specialist report
Compassionate grounds — e.g. death or critical illness of an immediate family member, supported by documentation
Significant financial hardship — arising from circumstances beyond the student's control, supported by a statutory declaration or other evidence
Exceptional-circumstance requests must be submitted in writing within 10 business days of the withdrawing event, with supporting documentation. Decisions will be made by the RTO Manager within 10 business days and communicated in writing.
Compliance reference: Australian Consumer Law s.267; Standards for RTOs 2015, Standard 6
6
Course Completion Requirement
Students must complete their qualification within 6 months from the commencement date, unless a written extension has been agreed with ABS College.
Students unable to complete due to illness, compassionate grounds, or other exceptional circumstances may apply in writing for an extension. All reasonable requests will be considered.
If a student does not complete within the agreed timeframe and has not been granted an extension, a re-enrolment / administration fee of $500 applies before further training can be accessed.
7
Provider Cancellation or Non-Delivery
If ABS College cancels, postpones, or is unable to deliver a course or any part thereof:
Students will be offered the choice of a full refund of all unused fees paid, OR a transfer to an alternative course or intake at no additional cost.
ABS College will notify affected students in writing as soon as practicable.
Refunds will be processed within 14 business days of the student's election.
Nothing in this section limits a student's rights under the Australian Consumer Law where services are not delivered as advertised or contracted.
8
Australian Consumer Law and Consumer Protections
This policy does not remove or limit any right or remedy held by a student under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) or applicable WA consumer protection legislation.
Where a course is not delivered as advertised, students may be entitled to a remedy including a refund, repeat of service, or transfer.
Students may contact the following external bodies at any time:
ABS College is required by law to report enrolment activity — including withdrawals and completions — to the National VET Provider Collection (NCVER) via AVETMISS data submission.
A student's withdrawal will be recorded and reported as required by the AVETMISS Data Standard.
This reporting does not affect a student's refund entitlement under this policy.
Students may access their training record via their Unique Student Identifier (USI) account at usi.gov.au.
10
Written Notice Requirement
All withdrawal and refund requests must be submitted in writing. The effective date of withdrawal is the date the written request is received.
Compliance reference: Standards for RTOs 2015, Standard 6.1
Applies to
Non-Accredited & Accredited Skill Sets
Version
2.0
Next review
01.05.2027
Approved by
RTO Manager / CEO
1
Overview
This policy applies to all short courses, workshops, and skill-based training delivered by ABS College, including:
Non-accredited short courses and workshops — not nationally recognised training
Accredited skill sets — nationally recognised training within the Australian Qualifications Framework
Important: Accredited skill sets are nationally recognised training and are subject to the full obligations of the Standards for RTOs 2015, including pre-commencement fee caps, cooling-off rights, and AVETMISS reporting. Where this policy applies to accredited skill sets, those additional obligations are specifically identified.
2
Course Bookings and Payments
2.1 Non-accredited short courses and workshops
Full payment is required at the time of booking to secure a place.
Places are limited and confirmed on a first-paid basis.
The course fee is disclosed on the booking confirmation and marketing materials prior to booking.
2.2 Accredited skill sets
Full payment is required at booking where the total course fee does not exceed $1,500.
Where the total fee exceeds $1,500, ABS College will not collect more than $1,500 prior to commencement, in accordance with Clause 5.3 of the Standards for RTOs 2015. Any balance will be collected after training commences.
Students enrolling in an accredited skill set are entitled to a 10-business-day cooling-off period (see Section 3).
All fees, including contingent fees, are disclosed prior to enrolment.
Compliance reference: Standards for RTOs 2015, Clauses 5.3–5.4; Standard 4.1
3
Cooling-Off Period — Accredited Skill Sets Only
Students enrolling in an accredited skill set are entitled to a cooling-off period of 10 business days from the date the enrolment agreement is signed.
A full refund of all fees paid, less a $25 administration fee, will be provided if written cancellation is received within the cooling-off period and before course commencement.
Students enrolling in non-accredited courses do not have a statutory cooling-off entitlement. Standard cancellation terms in Section 4 apply.
Compliance reference: Standards for RTOs 2015, Clause 5.4; Australian Consumer Law
4
Cancellations and Refunds
The following refund schedule applies to all short courses (non-accredited and accredited skill sets), subject to the exceptional circumstances provision in Section 9:
Notice period
Refund entitlement
48 hours or more before the session start time
Full refund of fees paid, less $25 administration fee
Less than 48 hours before the session start time
50% refund of fees paid, less $25 administration fee; OR transfer to an available future session (see Section 5)
On the day of the session / after session start
No refund
The $25 administration fee reflects actual processing costs. The effective date of cancellation is the date written notice is received.
5
Rescheduling
Students may request to reschedule to an available future session with at least 48 hours' notice at no additional cost, subject to availability.
Students are entitled to one no-cost reschedule per booking. Subsequent rescheduling requests may incur a $25 rescheduling fee.
Requests made with less than 48 hours' notice are subject to availability and may incur the $25 rescheduling fee.
Students who do not attend their scheduled session and have not provided prior written notice will forfeit 100% of the course fee.
If a student is unable to attend due to a medical emergency or other exceptional circumstance, they should contact ABS College as soon as practicable. A transfer or partial refund may be considered under Section 9.
7
Late Arrival
Students are expected to arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled session start time.
A 10-minute grace period applies from the scheduled start time. Students arriving within this period will generally be admitted at the trainer's discretion.
Students arriving more than 10 minutes late may be refused entry where late admission would disrupt training delivery, compromise training integrity, or — for accredited skill sets — affect the validity of competency assessment.
Where entry is refused, the booking will be treated as a non-attendance (no refund), unless exceptional circumstances apply under Section 9.
The trainer's decision regarding late entry is final and is made in accordance with ABS College's training delivery obligations.
8
Provider Cancellation
If ABS College cancels, postpones, or is unable to deliver a scheduled session:
ABS College will notify affected students in writing as soon as practicable.
Students will be offered the choice of a full refund of fees paid, OR a transfer to an alternative available session at no additional cost.
Refunds will be processed within 14 business days of the student's election.
9
Exceptional Circumstances
ABS College may consider refunds or transfers outside the standard cancellation schedule in exceptional circumstances, including:
Medical emergencies — supported by a medical certificate or hospital documentation
Compassionate grounds — such as the death or critical illness of an immediate family member, supported by documentation
Requests must be submitted in writing within 5 business days of the session date with supporting documentation. Decisions will be made by the RTO Manager within 5 business days and communicated in writing. Students may appeal under Section 14.
10
Training Record Reporting — Accredited Skill Sets
Where a student enrols in an accredited skill set, ABS College is required to report enrolment activity (including withdrawals) to the National VET Provider Collection (NCVER) via AVETMISS data submission.
A student's withdrawal will be recorded and reported as required by the AVETMISS Data Standard.
This reporting does not affect a student's refund entitlement under this policy.
Students may access their training record at usi.gov.au.
11
Australian Consumer Law
This policy does not remove or limit any right or remedy held by a student under the Australian Consumer Law or applicable WA consumer protection legislation.
All cancellations, refund, and rescheduling requests must be submitted in writing.
Submit requests to: info@abscollege.com.au The effective date is the date the written request is received. Please retain a copy of all correspondence.
13
Refund Processing
ABS College will acknowledge all refund requests in writing within 2 business days of receipt.
A decision will be communicated within 5 business days of receipt.
Approved refunds will be paid within 14 business days of the approval decision.
Refunds will be paid to the original payer. Where fees were paid by a third party (e.g. an employer), refunds will be returned to the original payer unless otherwise agreed in writing.
14
Complaints and Appeals
Students who are not satisfied with a refund or rescheduling decision may lodge a formal complaint or appeal under ABS College's Complaints and Appeals Policy.
At ABS College, we are passionate about building a brighter future for our students and the communities they serve. Together, we can create positive change through education and support.
