International students are protected by a Tuition Protection Service under Australian Government legislation. The aim of this protection is to ensure that students receive the tuition they have paid for or, as a last resort, a refund.
The legislation sets out what happens when a registered provider or an overseas student or intending overseas student defaults (that is, when a provider fails to start or finish providing a course to a student, or a student fails to start or finish a course with a provider).
The legislation establishes a universal single Tuition Protection Service (TPS) to provide a flexible and streamlined approach to student placement and refund arrangements in the event a defaulting provider does not meet its refund obligations under the ESOS Act.
Students will be given an active role in selecting from suitable placement options through an online information service. Where a student does not access a placement through the placement facility provided by the TPS Director, the student may be eligible for a refund of their unexpended tuition fees from the TPS Director.
Students will be eligible for a refund of the unused portion of any prepaid tuition fees (i.e. tuition for which you have paid but which has not yet been delivered) rather than a full refund, in recognition of the fact that you may obtain credit for the study already completed.
Students should be familiar with the Protocol on refund of fees for international students.
Further complementing the new TPS framework is a limit on the collection of pre-paid course fees to no more than one study period in advance, and to limit the deposit for commencing students to no more than 50% of their total course fee.
UTS complies with all the requirements of the Tuition Protection Service. Further information can be obtained from the Department of Education website (opens an external site).