Cancellations & Withdrawals

It is your responsibility to make an application for a withdrawal or refund. To do this, you must contact your teacher or departmental representative to request a course withdrawal or an amendment to your enrolment. 

The date this request is received is your official withdrawal effective date and determines whether tuition and material fees are refunded or credited. If this form is not submitted within the required timelines, then you will not be eligible for a refund and will be responsible for any outstanding debts.

Tuition Fee Refunds for Certificate I to IV courses

A student who is withdrawn – either official or apparent:

• Before the course commences, students will be eligible for a full refund, although it may not be possible to refund costs associated with materials due to health regulations.
• Within four weeks of their course commencement date, they will receive a refund of fees paid, less fees associated with completed units of competency (where a Grade has been applied). Where Units of Competency have been achieved, a Statement of Attainment will be issued to the student.
• After four weeks from the course commencement date, a refund will be issued for units of competency in which participation has not commenced. Units of competency that have commenced participation will not receive a refund.

Tuition Fee Refunds for Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses (including Approved VET Student Loans)

Refund eligibility for VET Student Loan eligible courses is determined by the relevant Census date and processed in consultation with the VET Student Loan Officer. This applies to all students whether they pay their tuition fees up-front or seek VET Student Loan assistance.

For all courses at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels, a refund or credit of all tuition fees charged for the unit will be made if the withdrawal is before the unit census date. Any portion of any other fees or levies (such as material fees) to be refunded or credited will be at the discretion of the Teaching Area.

The exception to this is where:

• VET tuition assurance has been activated because SWTAFE has ceased to provide the unit, and the student has chosen the VET tuition assurance option for that unit.

Refer to Statement of Tuition Assurance for Exempt TAFE VET Student Loans (VSL) Providers. Students who have requested VET Student Loan assistance and withdraw from a unit of study after the census date will incur a VET Student Loan debt for any unpaid tuition fees. Students who have paid tuition fees upfront will not receive a refund for any delivered units post the census date. Students may apply to SWTAFE to have their VET Student Loan balance re-credited (and thus their VET Student Loan debt remitted) in special circumstances. Refer to PPP153 VET Student Loan Student Review Guidelines.

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Withdrawal from Skill Set, Short Course, or Non-Accredited Programs

• Skills Set can be Skills First funded or fee-for-service, Nationally Accredited (appear on TGA), or informal Skills First Skills Sets (such as CONISS programs).
• Short Courses are identified by a course code commencing with 3120 and are fee-for-service.
• Non-Accredited Programs (NAP) are identified by a program code commencing with NAP and are fee-for-service.
  
  

  Notification	Refund
  More than five (5) business days before the course commencement date	Full refund or transfer to a new date in an identical course
  Less than or including five (5) business days before the course commencement date	No refund - transfer to a new date in an identical course
  Course commencement date and after including "no show."	No refund | No transfer | No substitutions
  Course cancelled by South West TAFE	Full refund

Transferring to an alternative date

Where a student provides notification within the approved timeline above, a transfer to an alternate date may occur.

• If no future date is currently scheduled, the student will be placed on a priority waitlist and admitted to the next available identical course.
• If no course date is scheduled within three (3) months of the original commencement date, the student may request a full refund of the course fees paid.
• Where extenuating circumstances apply, and a mutually agreeable date cannot be provided, a request for refund will be considered by the Manager, Student Administration, on a case-by-case basis.

All transfer and refund requests must be submitted in writing to the designated administration contact.

Material and Consumable fees 

In all circumstances, the refund of unused materials is at the discretion of the teaching department and will be determined by the units of competency commenced and the condition of the materials. In some circumstances, materials cannot be refunded due to health regulations.

Special consideration

If you are unable to officially withdraw within the specified required timelines, to be eligible for a refund due to extenuating circumstances, you may write to state your case to:

Manager Student Administration
South West TAFE
PO Box 674
Warrnambool 3280

Or email Mailbox.ESSA@swtafe.edu.au

ONLY written claims for Special Consideration will be addressed.

For further information, view our policies and guidelines.