RTO Enrolment Guidance

Following The Student Journey Part 2 – RTO ENROLMENT

Following The Student Journey Blogs will allow you to quality assure your RTO. This is part 2 of a 6 part Blog update.

Last week we looked at Marketing and Recruitment – The first phase in the students journey.

This week we will look at Enrolment – The second phase in the student journey

ENROLMENT

As part of the enrolment process RTOs are responsible for informing and protecting students, protecting pre-paid fees by students, and providing credit for prior studies. It ensures  accurate advice is provided about a course to ensure it meets the needs before enrolment; that the student can understand all details associated with the course, their rights and obligations to make a more informed decision prior to enrolment.

We ask you to consider and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does your pre-enrolment information or enrolment agreement include the code, title and currency of the training product the student is or may be enrolled in as set out on training.gov.au?
2. Does your pre-enrolment information include the expected duration time? (in all modes of delivery)
3. Does your pre-enrolment information state all training and assessment locations? (all venues and delivery sites)
4. Does your pre-enrolment information state all the delivery modes (a mix of delivery modes is required to accommodate for differing learner cohorts and experience levels)
5. Does your pre-enrolment information state all work placement arrangements?
6. Does your pre-enrolment information include information about any third-party arrangements for the delivery of the training and assessment and the contact details for the third parties. (only required if a 3^rd party is utilized – Should you use a 3^rd party to deliver your services, a robust 3^rd party agreement should be developed and included on all enrolment information).
7. Does your pre-enrolment information include information about educational and support services available to students: Considerations should include, developing an LLN Checklist/Test, Student Handbook, Support Services Policy, Code of Practice?
8. Does your pre-enrolment information include information on potential implications for students accessing training subsidies or entitlement programs?
9. Does your pre-enrolment information clearly state the organisation’s responsibilities to the students, including that the training organisation must; provide quality training and assessment, comply with the Standards for RTOs 2015, issue AQF certification?
10. Does your pre-enrolment information include information on the rights of students, including; a complaints and appeals process, requiring a Complaints and Appeals Policy, Complaints and Appeals Register, Complaints and Appeals Form, a Complaints & Appeals Flowchart may be developed as an easy overview to educate your proposed staff on the process. Your Code of Practice should include this information, your Complaints & Appeals Policy should be placed on your website.
11. Inability to deliver services – What happens if your organisation or a third party is unable to deliver the training and assessment? (What is your mechanism to safeguard this option?, what is your proposed RTO policy on your training and service guarantee, should a 3^rd party not fulfill the service, the RTO closes or the RTO ownership changes hands?). Develop a Training Guarantee Policy, which should also be addressed, in part, in your Code of Practice
12. Resources and Work placements – The pre-enrolment information or enrolment agreement includes information on resources and work placements including; anything a student needs to enrol in and complete the training and assessment (such as resources they will need to supply eg PPE, notepads, pens), whether students are required to source their own work placements (make it clear if work placements are required and who is responsible for sourcing, a comprehensive 3^rd party/workplace supervisor agreement should be developed if this option is required).
13. Does your organisation have a process for assessing whether each training product is appropriate for potential students. This includes if the mode of delivery is suitable for the students needs, if the level of the training product is appropriate for the students existing skills and abilities (Basic, intermediate or advanced skill level should be considered).
14. Fees and refunds should address – all relevant fees a student will need to pay over the term of their enrolment, payment plan options, payment terms and conditions, including deposits and timeframes for payment (an RTO upfront learner fee threshold is $1,500, total fees can be taken but measures need to be in place for protection of fees. Payment plans may be considered as another option in this area).
15. Refund terms and conditions, including if the student initiates the termination of enrolment, or the RTO is unable to provide the agreed services (Development of a refund policy including under what circumstances substantiate a refund and how administratively this will be affected).
16. Learners’ rights as consumers including cooling-off periods. (A cooling off clause should be evident in your Learner Rights Policy).
17. Fee and refund information considerations – What will your refund policy look like, what fees will be paid upfront, what happens on a cancellation of a course, what is the mechanism should a student be unable to complete a course due date, what circumstances will you consider a refund will be granted?
18. Credit Transfer – who will authenticate AQF certification documentation from another RTO? What information will be presented to learners on this subject and what documents will it be included in? – eg Code of Practice, Enrolment Agreement)

Part 2 complete.

More next week.

Call us now to assist you to Become an RTO on 1300 933 037

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