• Schedule of VET tuition fees
• Publication dates
• Giving the schedule to the Minister
• Variations to VET tuition fees and census dates
• Estimates and Payments
• Variations to approved estimates
• Recovery of overpayments

Schedule of VET tuition fees

A VET provider must submit and publish a schedule of VET tuition fees (schedule) for all VET units of study that it provides or proposes to provide for both full fee-paying and state government-subsidised students. The schedule must contain enough information to enable a person to work out the VET tuition fee for each VET unit of study that the VET provider provides or proposes to provide. Where more than one VET tuition fee has been determined for a VET unit of study, the schedule must contain sufficient information to enable a person to work out which VET tuition fee applies to them.

A schedule should include:

• VET course of study name(s)
• VET unit of study name(s)
• VET unit of study code(s)
• EFTSL
• Delivery location(s)
• Delivery mode(s)
• VET unit commencement date(s)
• VET unit completion date(s)
• VET unit census date(s)
• VET unit tuition fee(s)
• Specific period for which the schedule applies
• RPL VET units of study (if offered) and associated tuition fees

In addition, where VET provider offers VET courses of study to state government subsidised students, the schedule must indicate a fixed VET tuition fee amount for each VET unit of study or the maximum VET tuition fee amount payable per hour of tuition, the number of hours of tuition in each VET unit of study and the maximum total amount of VET tuition fees payable by the student. Where applicable, the schedule must also make it clear where the actual VET tuition fee payable for a VET unit of study is subject to a maximum allowable annual student contribution amount. The schedule must also include information that enables each student to understand any other circumstances or factors that affect the actual VET tuition fee that is payable by him or her for each VET unit of study.

For further information on what to include in a schedule of VET tuition fees, see the determination by the Minister which is available below.

Example 1

Schedule of VET tuition fees for the period 1 January to 31 December 2011

Example 2

Schedule of VET tuition fees for the period 1 January to 31 December 2011*

The above is an example of the required form of a schedule only and VET providers should not infer from the substance of the information in these examples that it is direction on the setting of VET tuition fees.

Note: VET providers should submit separate schedules for the first half and second half of a calendar year. It is not recommended that VET providers submit a schedule that covers a period longer than one calendar year.

Publication dates

A VET provider must publish its schedule of VET tuition fees for the VET units of study it provides or proposes to provide by:

• 1 April for VET units of study with a census date in the same year between 1 July and 31 December.
• 1 October for VET units of study with a census date in the subsequent year between 1 January and 30 June of that year.

For newly approved VET providers, schedules must be submitted and published as soon as possible for the remainder of the relevant calendar year.

Giving the schedule to the Minister

A VET provider must give the schedule to the Minister by:

• posting the schedule on the VET provider’s website
• by attaching the schedule to, or entering a URL (uniform resource locator) link to the schedule (if posted on the VET provider’s website) in the VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) (under the VET provider’s user account). For the VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) Electronic Information Guide – VET FEE-HELP approved, visit the Useful Publications page.

Where a VET provider submits a link to its website it must maintain a printable record of the published schedule that applied at a particular time including enough information to respond to student queries or provide the information to DEEWR upon request.

If the schedule is not provided by way of a URL link, it must be in a form that allows it to be printed. It must not contain links or references to information not contained within that schedule document.

For reference, copies of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) determinations are below:

• VET Form and Determination under 28(2A) of Schedule 1A ( PDF 14KB | RTF 78KB)
• VET Form and Determination under 28(1) of Schedule 1A ( PDF 15KB | RTF 132KB)

Variations to the Schedule of VET Tuition Fees and Census Dates

Information about changing information in your schedule, including alteration with and without Ministerial approval, can be found in the following factsheet:

• Variation to the Schedule of VET Tuition Fees and Census Dates Factsheet ( PDF 499KB | RTF 117KB)

Estimates and Payments

When an RTO is initially approved as a VET provider they should complete and upload into VITS the VET FEE-HELP Estimate of Advance Payments as soon as possible after approval. After uploading the Estimate, you must enter the data in the ‘Summary of Payment Estimate’ directly into the Estimates section of VITS. This Estimate will be in relation to any VET FEE-HELP assistance expected to be accessed by students for the remainder of the current calendar year.

After this first period, VET providers will need to submit annual estimates by the end of October in relation to the VET FEE-HELP assistance they expect their students to access during the following calendar year. It is a VET provider’s responsibility to ensure these estimates are submitted to allow advance payments to begin in the new payment year.

VET providers can use the VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) Electronic Information Guide – VET FEE-HELP approved, and the VET FEE-HELP Estimate of Advance Payments to assist them with providing their estimates to DEEWR.

• VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) Electronic Information Guide – VET FEE-HELP approved
• VET FEE-HELP Estimate of Advance Payments

Variations to approved estimates

It is unlikely that the Estimate of Advance Payments will be the same as the actual amount of funding deferred through VET FEE-HELP assistance.

After census dates are passed a VET provider will be able to calculate how accurate their estimates were for those courses.

When a VET provider becomes aware that the difference between the estimate and the actual amount deferred is greater than 10 per cent the provider must contact DEEWR and seek a variation to their monthly payments in advance.  Information about how to request a variation can be found at Section 8 of the VET Provider Handbook.

You may request a variation by sending an email to TSEnquiries@deewr.gov.au marked for the attention of the Payments Team.

See Section 8.2.3 of the VET Provider Handbook for more information about requesting a variation.

Recovery of overpayments

If a VET Provider’s estimate is higher than the actual fees deferred, DEEWR must recover the overpayment.

See Section 8.2.4 of the VET Provider Handbook for more information about recovery of overpayments.