Terms and Conditions

Entry Conditions

The following conditions apply to all international students undertaking a course of study at the Canberra Institute of Technology. Clause 1 is only applicable to people on a student visa.

In signing your Letter of Offer you agree to be bound by these conditions.

You need to read, understand and agree to abide by the following conditions:

1. Student Visa Conditions

1.1. You must abide by the conditions of your student visa (please see the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website) relating to tuition and material fees, course performance and progress, class commitment (and maintain valid enrolment in your chosen course/s of study), work rights, good conduct and, where applicable, the course attendance requirement of 80% at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). If you are judged to have not complied with these visa conditions, CIT is required to notify the Australian Government immigration authorities. This may result in cancellation of your student visa and you may be required to return to your home country.

1.2. You must notify CIT within 7 days of your arrival in Australia of your current residential address and your international address. You must advise any future changes of either address within 7 days. CIT is required by law to keep your residential and international address current so you can be contacted if you do not satisfy course requirements. If you do not abide by this condition, you may not receive important communication from CIT. This situation may lead to the cancellation of your student visa. CIT will monitor your “Academic Performance and Attendance” in accordance with the relevant CIT policy ‘International Students on Student Visas Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy. CIT is required to have current emergency contact details during your studies with CIT. If any changes occur at any time to the original emergency contact details provided, CIT International must be notified within 7 days.

1.3. Under the ‘International Students on Student Visas Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy CIT reserves the right to provide to the Australian Government your personal contact details, course enrolment details and any changes and circumstances of any suspected breach of your student visa conditions.

1.4. The ‘default date’ as shown on the Letter of Offer is the final day for entry to this course. If you do not commence studies by this date, you are in default of your student visa conditions and CIT is obliged to report this default within 31 days to the Australian Government immigration authorities.

2. Release of Information

2.1. The information provided in this Letter of Offer is required by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment and the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs as evidence of enrolment in a course registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

2.2. The offer of place and enrolment of the student must be made in accordance with the provisions of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000; the ESOS Regulations 2001 and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (The National Code 2018).

2.3. This information will be made available to other Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agencies. Information will include personal and contact details, course enrolment details and changes, and the circumstance of any suspected breach by the student of a student visa condition.

2.4. Information regarding your attendance and academic progress may be made available to your sponsor if the sponsorship is through your own Government or an Australian Government agency. For example: the Australia Awards Scholarship programs.

3. Payment of Tuition Fees and Other Expenses

Reference:

A standard vocational semester consists of two terms, with a total 18 teaching weeks
English language courses are delivered in 10-week sessions
All fees in these terms and conditions are shown in Australian Dollars (AUD)

3.1. If your application is successful for entry to a CIT course, the CIT International team will forward a Letter of Offer that will outline the details of your course. This will include the name, duration and total tuition fees for your course/s of study. To accept the offer of place into your course/s, you must sign the Letter of Acceptance which includes the Terms and Conditions of acceptance. In addition to this, tuition fees of one study period (ie. one semester or a minimum of 20 weeks tuition if you are undertaking more than 20 weeks of an English Language course) will be required as prepayment in advance of studies unless a term payment schedule is available for your course. The term payment schedule allows tuition fees to be paid one term in advance, however, full semester tuition fees are due if the student wishes to withdraw from studies during the semester of studies. Please see section 10 - Cancellation, mid study deferral, withdrawal, release from studies with CIT or “fast tracking” of your course, for more information. If you are intending to study on an Australian Student Visa, you will need to pay Overseas Student Health Cover for the full duration of your student visa.

3.2. As per ESOS compliance, where a course duration is more than 25 weeks, payment of a study period or one semester of tuition fees only will be required prior to commencement of studies unless a term payment schedule is available for your course. Please see 3.1 for more information on the term payment schedule.
If your offer includes English Language training as well as an academic course, payment of the English course plus one semester of the academic course fees will be required unless a term payment schedule is available for your course (please see 3.1 for more information on the term payment schedule). In the case where there is more than 20 weeks of English Language Training prior to commencement of the academic course, payment of the first 20 weeks tuition for the English courses is required. If you wish to pay more than is indicated in your Letter of Offer, please contact the CIT International team to advise us of any additional fees you wish to pay in advance. Your preference can also be indicated on the invoice page of this offer.

3.3. If you applied for studies to CIT prior to 1 July 2016 and were processed under the Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) arrangements through the Department of Home Affairs, then those conditions still remain as valid. You must maintain the original agreement under which you accepted your course and your visa grant.

3.4. The balance of fees payable for each subsequent study period will be invoiced in advance and payable two weeks prior to the commencement of each study period. The details of payment for each study period as per ESOS compliance are outlined in your Letter of Offer. Failure to pay by the due date will attract a late fee of AUD $250 and you will be a breach of your student visa requirements. If you fail to pay your fees by the due date because you did not receive your invoice due to a change of address or contact details and CIT were not advised of the change of address, the late fee will still be payable. If you wish to discontinue your studies at CIT, you must provide written notice to the CIT International team at least 14 days prior to the commencement of each study period. (ie. semester start date or English start date). If you have commenced studies under an SVP offer, withdrawal from studies will have additional financial commitments (see 3.3) and may have visa consequences.

3.5. You are responsible for payment of your tuition fees, and any material fees relevant to your course. You are responsible for accommodation and living expenses and for the purchase of your own textbooks, stationery, equipment and uniform (if applicable) while doing the course. Fees are correct at the time of offer but are subject to review on an annual basis. The information regarding additional fees is listed in your Letter of Offer. If you cannot access the link in your letter of offer please see the course details on the CIT International website http://international.cit.edu.au/courses.

3.6. The Australian Government require international students to demonstrate their capacity to pay for their studies as per their Letter of Offer prior to a student visa being granted. If you fail to pay your fees by the due date for any subsequent study period, financial hardship will not be considered unless this can be verified. For more information see section 7 – ‘Refund of Pre-Paid Tuition Fees’, section 8 – ‘Refund Procedure’ and section 13 – ‘Complaints Procedure’ in this document.

3.7 You may be eligible for a payment plan in your second and subsequent study periods. A AUD250.00 administration fee applies for each payment plan. If you apply for your payment plan after the invoiced due date, a late fee of AUD250.00 will apply. If you fail to pay by your payment plan due date/s a AUD250.00 late fee will apply for each late payment.

3.8 Overdue accounts will be referred to a debt collection agency. If your student account is referred to a Debt Collection Agency an additional recovery fee will be added to your student account.

4. Changes to Tuition Fees

4.1. CIT reserves the right to undertake a review of the tuition fees charged in any course offered to international students. The tuition fees and OSHC fees listed in the Letter of Offer are current at the time of issue but are subject to change. Prior to acceptance of your Letter of Offer, please contact the CIT International Admissions team (ISAdmissions@cit.edu.au) to confirm fees payable.

5. Additional Fees

5.1. If you are required to repeat subjects to complete your course and those subjects are in a part time study load, then pro-rata fees will apply. Additional charges will apply if you do not complete your course level within the course duration as specified in your Letter of Offer. Fees will be charged at the current fee rate applicable at the time of study (i.e. current year of enrolment).

5.2. Course fees which appear in the Letter of Offer are for the course/s identified only. If you study more than one qualification in any one study period, you will be charged additional fees based on the additional subjects chosen.

5.3. Additional fees may be payable on commencement of your studies, this may include material fees, uniforms and equipment expenses. The payment of these fees is not required prior to your commencement of studies, these fees (if applicable) will be invoiced on enrolment into your subjects and are payable by the invoice due date. Please check the additional fees for your chosen course on the CIT International website www.international.cit.edu.au. A list of the additional fees payable is also included in your Letter of Offer.

6. Overseas Student Health Cover

6.1. As a condition of your student visa, you must maintain health insurance cover by an approved Overseas Student Health Cover Scheme for the duration of your visa. CIT’s current recommended OSHC insurer is Allianz Care Australia. Under Allianz Care Australia’s scheme, your health insurance policy will cover you and your dependants against basic medical and hospital expenses in Australia. This cover will be for the duration of your visa. Premiums must be paid before you can be issued with a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE). If you have coverage from another OSHC provider, evidence of this coverage must be produced before a COE can be issued. If you arrive in Australia prior to your commencement date (as stated in your Letter of Offer), additional OSHC fees may apply to ensure the full period of your student visa is covered.

7. Refund of Pre-Paid Tuition Fees

7.1. The Institute will refund tuition fees paid in advance if your course is cancelled prior to commencement or fails to be delivered. See further information under Section 12 - ‘Provider Default’ in this document.

7.2. The Institute will refund all payments other than the Administration fee of AUD $250 if you are unable to obtain a student visa to arrive in Australia to commence your course. In this case the refund will only be paid if written evidence of the refusal has been provided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs or in-country Embassy or High Commission. The refund process will be completed within 28 days from receipt of the required documents i.e. Completed ‘Refund of Fees form’ and written visa refusal notification from the Department of Home Affairs. If you have arranged OSHC through CIT a refund of your policy payment will be included in the total refund amount.

7.3. The Institute will consider a pro-rata refund of fees if your student visa application is refused after you have commenced your course. If eligible, the pro-rate refund will be less any applicable Education Agent's fees and the Administration fee of AUD $250. Any OSHC fees paid must be recovered directly from the OSHC provider.

7.4. If you fail to gain a student visa based on providing either verbal or written fraudulent or misleading information to an Australian visa office or officer, the tuition fees paid in advance will be refunded less a 5% administration fee or AUD $500 (whichever is the lesser amount).

7.5. The Institute will consider a refund of tuition fees other than the Administration fee of AUD $250 if written evidence is provided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs regarding an ‘invalid’ application lodgement. If the student has commenced studies a pro-rata refund of fees will be provided less the AUD$250 administration fee. This is applicable to Australian onshore applicants only. Any OSHC fees paid must be recovered directly from the OSHC provider.

If either verbal or written fraudulent or misleading information is identified as the reason for the application being deemed ‘invalid’ 5% of the pre-paid tuition fees or AUD $500 (whichever is the lesser amount) will be held on processing of the refund if the student has not commenced studies.

7.6. The Institute will refund all tuition payments other than the Administration fee of AUD $250 (and Education Agent's fees applicable) if you cancel your enrolment in writing 14 days before the agreed course commencement date as stated on your Letter of Offer. A refund will not be paid if you fail to give at least 14 days’ notice of the cancellation of your enrolment or if the course commencement date as stated on your Letter of Offer has passed.

7.7. If you have arrived in Australia under CIT’s approved access to the Department of Home Affairs SVP process for Higher Education or Advanced Diploma courses, as previously advised, the non-refundable deposit paid on acceptance will not be refunded if you withdraw from studies at CIT.

7.8. In the case of an English language course where you have already commenced studies, a refund of tuition fees may only be granted if a written notice of withdrawal is received by the CIT International Office 14 days prior to the commencement of the next course start date as per your Letter of Offer. In this case, a refund of the future tuition fees paid may be granted less an administration fee of AUD $250 and Education Agent’s fee if applicable.

7.9. A refund is not payable if the student has received a Letter of Offer with discounted English fees when either the student commences their course after the agreed course start date or for part time studies to complete their course.

7.10. Where a student has been granted a deferral of commencement in their course due to a delay in their visa grant, tuition fees paid would be transferred to the subsequent semester.

Where the student fails to take up the place in the subsequent semester, a refund of fees (less AUD $250 administration fee) will only be granted if the student’s visa is refused. However, if either verbal or written fraudulent or misleading information has been provided to the Australian Visa office and is the reason for the visa refusal then 5% or AUD $500 of pre-paid tuition fees will be held (whichever is the lesser amount).

7.11. Where a deferral has been granted during the course of study as per CIT’s current ‘International Students on Student Visa Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy and ‘International Students on Student Visa Compliance with ESOS Act’ (PDF 781kb) procedure with reference to deferral, any transfer of fees granted will be credited to the subsequent semester. If the student fails to return to studies after the approved deferral period, no refund of fees will apply.

7.12. In the case of an approved transfer to another Australian Education provider, allowable refunds will only be paid to the student.

7.13. No refunds will be paid to third parties unless a third party is identified by the applicant at the time of refund request.

7.14. There will be no refund for days designated as Australian/ACT public holidays.

7.15. In the case of a refund agreed to by CIT for a student returning home, the refund will be sent after the CIT International team is satisfied that you have left Australia. Evidence of travel will be required.

7.16. This agreement, and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of the student to take further action under Australia’s consumer protection law. For more information see section 7 – ‘Refund of prepaid tuition fees’, section 8 – ‘Refund procedure’ and section 13 – ‘Complaints procedure’ in this document.

8. Refund Procedure

8.1. All refunds are made in Australian dollars

8.2. You must complete a CIT International Refund/Withdrawal form and attach any supporting documentation. The Refund/withdrawal form is available to download from the CIT International website https://international.cit.edu.au/information/publications_forms.

8.3. The terms of applicable refunds payable are listed in section 7 of this document.

8.4. If you have applied to study at CIT through a current CIT Education Agent/Representative, a commission will be paid to the Education Agent/Representative for the services they provided to you. If you are not successful in gaining your student visa, no commission will be paid to the Education Agent/Representative.

8.5. If you have applied through a current CIT Education Agent/Representative and you withdraw from studies within the first year, commission will be recovered prior to any refunds payable.

8.6. If you meet the requirements for a refund of fees, your refund will be processed within 28 working days of the receipt of your completed refund application and relevant supporting documentation.

9. Incorrect, Incomplete or Misleading Information

9.1. CIT International has the right to vary or revise any decision regarding this Letter of Offer if information provided is found to be incorrect, incomplete, misleading or fraudulent.

9.2 Only the applicant is to sign the Letter of Offer agreement, anyone else signing the agreement would be considered fraudulent.

10. Cancellation, mid study deferral, withdrawal, release from studies with CIT or “fast tracking” of your course

10.1. You must provide the CIT International team notice in writing that you are withdrawing from your course at least 14 days prior to the commencement of each ‘agreed course start date’ or subsequent study period as per your LOO. You are still responsible for your fees regardless of whether you enrol in your subjects or not. The term “enrolled” into a course is based on your Letter of Offer and/or COE for the duration of your course/s unless you have formally withdrawn in writing and submitted the withdrawal form to the CIT International team as previously advised. Failure to give 14 days’ notice will mean that you are still responsible to pay the tuition fees for the current course study period.

10.2. If you wish to transfer to another education provider before completing the first 6 months of your principal course, the requirements of the CIT ‘International Students on Student Visas Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy and procedure must be met. Release from studies with CIT will not be considered if you apply after the commencement of a study period. To apply for release from studies with CIT you must complete the Withdrawal/Refund Form indicating you are requesting release. Supporting evidence must be submitted with your Withdrawal/Refund form. Approval for release from CIT is subject to meeting the requirements in the policy and procedure mentioned above.

10.3. If you have arrived in Australia under CIT’s approved access to the Department of Home Affairs SVP process, a transfer to another provider will not be considered unless the new provider was also an SVP provider prior to 1 July 2016 and the reasons for the transfer meet the current CIT policy ‘International Students on Student Visas Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy and procedure. This is to ensure you maintain a current valid visa under SVP.

10.4. If you “Fast Track” your course resulting in early completion, the full course fees still apply to receive the qualification (unless otherwise indicated). For example, complete a 2-year course in 18 months. In addition to this, your COE will be cancelled to reflect the actual duration of studies, which may impact on your student visa and any future pathway you may have in place on completion of your studies at CIT.

10.5. If you fail to comply with the conditions of enrolment at CIT after commencement of studies, no refund will apply.

10.6. If you breach any of the visa requirements as set by the Australian Government, no refunds will apply.

10.7. If you wish to defer your studies after commencement, your application for a deferral must meet the requirements as indicated in the ‘International Students on Student Visas Compliance with ESOS Act’ policy and procedure.

11. Additional qualifications

11.1. Course fees that appear on the CIT International website are for individual qualifications (unless indicated). If you study more than one qualification in any study period, you will be charged additional fees based on the additional subjects chosen. You will need to indicate at the time of application if you wish to gain more than 1 qualification.

12. Provider Default

12.1. If CIT is unable to offer the accepted course at the agreed location, you will be offered a full refund of fees. If the course has commenced, a refund less the used portion of pre-paid fees will be provided. The refund will be provided within 2 weeks from the day that you are advised that the course has been cancelled.

12.2. If an alternative course/location is offered, you have the right to choose whether you wish to continue with the newly offered course/location or prefer a refund of pre-paid fees. If you chose to accept the new course/location a new Letter of Offer will be issued for you to sign as acceptance as well as new COE’s to show the change of course/location. Under these circumstances, the obligations of CIT will have been discharged.

13. Complaints Procedure

13.1. The complaints procedure contained within these terms and conditions of enrolment is available to a student in the event there is a grievance in relation to a refund. However, this agreement and the availability of complaints and appeals processes does not remove the student’s right to take further action under the Australian consumer protection laws or pursue other legal avenues.

13.2. If the student has a complaint about the services that are provided by CIT, attempts should be made to resolve the matter with relevant staff before lodging a written complaint.

13.3 Details of the ‘International Students Non-academic Grievances and Complaints’ policy and procedure are available through the CIT website https://cit.edu.au/policies.

14. Information regarding a disability

14.1. If you have identified in your application that you have a disability, relevant information is requested to establish whether you require the provision of additional services or facilities not required by a student who does not have a disability.

14.2. After consideration of your requirements, if provision of these services or facilities would impose "justifiable hardship", for example a very high cost on CIT, your enrolment may be refused or additional fees may apply. You will be advised in writing of our decision.

15. Definitions or terms used within this agreement or offer

15.1. ‘‘Study period’ means, for courses other than English Language courses, one semester as outlined in the Letter of Offer. For English Language courses a study period equates to 10 weeks.

15.2. ‘Default’ means the failure to meet the terms or conditions of your student visa.

15.3. ‘Default Date’ as shown in the Letter of Offer is the final date for entry to your course. If you do not commence studies by this date, you are in default of your student visa conditions and CIT is obliged to report this default within 31 days to the Australian Government.

16. Additional Information

16.1. The collection of information in relation to this application is held using ‘cloud’ based technology.

16.2. This written agreement, and the right to make complaints and seek appeals of decisions and action under various processes, does not affect the rights of the student to take action under the Australian Consumer Law if the Australian Consumer Law applies.

17. Student Declaration

To accept your place at the Canberra Institute of Technology, you will need to sign your Letter of Offer and agree to the following conditions:

17.1. It is my responsibility to obtain a passport and valid study visa for entry into Australia.

17.2. It is my responsibility to keep a copy of the Letter of Offer (written agreement) provided by CIT International Admissions team and receipts of payment for tuition and non-tuition fees.

17.3. I understand that I am responsible for the return air fares, health cover, accommodation and living expenses for both myself and my dependents while undertaking the course.

17.4. I will pay the course fees as detailed in my Letter of Offer.

17.5. I will attend regularly and make satisfactory progress completing my studies in the duration specified in my Letter of Offer.

17.6. I will allow CIT International team to provide information related to my studies to my parents, guardians or scholarship provider if required.

17.7. I consent to the Department of Home Affairs providing CIT with any information about my visa status from the time of my application to the time of my departure from CIT.

17.8. I consent to CIT accessing my current visa information through the Department of Home Affairs Visa Entitlements Verification Online system (VEVO) when required.

17.9. I consent for CIT to create a Unique Student Identifier (USI) number on my behalf if required once my student visa is issued.

17.10 I consent for CIT to process my enrolment in the CIT student management system on my behalf in my nominated course as outline in this Letter of Offer.

17.11 I accept the terms and conditions set out above.

Last updated: 23 May 2022

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