An important reminder regarding the compliance responsibilities that educational institutions have in accordance with the National Code 2018 and the ELICOS Standards 2018 was recently distributed by the Australian Skills Quality Authority to all educational institutions for informational purposes.

 

Transition Back to In-Person Classes and Attendance Reporting for ELICOS

All ELICOS providers are required to return to in-person class formats and implement stringent attendance tracking for international students beginning on July 1, 2023. This mandate will take effect immediately.

 

Obligatory Issuance of Offer Letters and Agreements

Providers are required to provide a comprehensive letter of offer and a written agreement prior to enrolling an international student. This is a mandatory requirement. In accordance with Standards 3.1 and 3.3 of the National Code 2018, this document ought to provide a detailed description of the course’s particulars, which should include the duration of the course, the schedule of study periods and holiday breaks, and the location of the course being delivered.

 

Requirement to Provide a CoE for Enrolled Courses

Standards P3.1 of the ELICOS Standards stipulate that students must be placed in a class that corresponds to their current level of language proficiency, educational goals, and requirements prior to the beginning of their course. This must be done in accordance with the terms of the written agreement that they have signed. Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) documents are issued to international students who are enrolled in an ELICOS course. It is the responsibility of the providers to issue these documents. This Course of Study (CoE) needs to cover every level of the course, including breaks for holidays, and it needs to be in accordance with the student’s agreement, particularly with regard to the total amount of time required to finish the course.

 

Pre-enrollment Assessment of Student Needs

Providers should have robust enrollment processes in place to effectively assess the needs and goals of each prospective international student. The information gathered during this process is crucial to determine the most suitable course level for the student, along with the overall duration of the course, including holidays (Standard 2 of the National Code 2018).

 

If a student completes their ELICOS course and wishes to modify their educational goals or needs, they may have the option to enroll in additional course levels, subject to a case-by-case evaluation by the provider. In such cases, a new CoE in line with a new written agreement must be issued. Providers must ensure that the overall duration of the student’s ELICOS course doesn’t exceed the registered duration under CRICOS.

 

Guidelines for Tuition Fee Acceptance

When accepting tuition fees from international students, providers are required to adhere to specific guidelines in order to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (ESOS Act). In accordance with Section 27 of the ESOS Act of 2000, a provider is expressly prohibited from accepting more than fifty percent of a student’s total tuition fees for a course prior to the beginning of the course. This rule does not apply if the student or fee-payer chooses to pay a tuition fee that is an amount that is greater than fifty percent, or if the duration of the course is twenty-five weeks or less.

 

Conditions for Extending Course Duration

Per Standard 8.16 of the National Code 2018, course duration can only be extended under specific conditions:

  • In cases of compassionate or compelling circumstances, supported by verifiable evidence.
  • If an intervention strategy is being implemented or planned for a student at risk of not meeting course progress requirements.
  • In the event of an approved deferral or suspension of a student’s enrolment as per Standard 9.

 

Providers are encouraged to review the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s recent fact sheet on a Assessing Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances.

 

Should students need a CoE extension due to the aforementioned circumstances, providers must record this as a student course variation (SCV) on the original CoE. Guidance on creating an SCV is available in the Department of Education’s PRISMS User’s Guide.

 

Enhancing Student Management with Educli

Educli provides a comprehensive student management system that can be adapted to meet the requirements of your organisation. Our system is designed by industry seasoned experts to streamline the management of students from the day they enroll until they graduate. Among the many features, that are included in our system, are an online enrollment form, comprehensive student management, attendance monitoring, advanced financial services, and a many more. Furthermore, in order to guarantee a smooth deployment and utilisation of our system, we offer comprehensive training sessions for your staff. 

For more information or to book a session, please contact us at Educli.