• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Part A - General
• Enrolment responsibilities
• Student records, information and personal data
• Part B - Enrolment
• Enrolment conditions and requirements
• Enrolment timelines
• Leave of absence (LOA)
• Study modes (On campus and online study)
• Study load (Full-time and part-time study)
• Maximum time
• Cross-insitutional study
• Course Transfers
• International student provider transfers
• Part C - Fees
• Payment of fees
• Refund of tuition fees
• Tuition Protection Service
• Part D - Appeals and complaints
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Glossary

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This policy is designed to ensure that all enrolment and fees operations at Charles Sturt University (the University) and its partner providers are conducted in a manner that:

1. is student-centred, equitable, fair, and consistent, and
2. complies with the relevant legislative standards and regulatory frameworks, including the Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF), the Higher Education Support Act (HESA), the Education Services for Overseas Students Act (ESOS), and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students.

Scope

(2) This policy applies to all students into programs, courses, and subjects offered by the University and its partner education providers (including those located within Australia and overseas), as well as matters related to student fees and charges, including payments, refunds, and Commonwealth assistance programs. Some partner institutions, delivery locations or courses may require processes in addition to or at variance with this policy for regulatory or contractual purposes. The University may approve these under the relevant delegations where they are consistent with the University's compliance obligations. Affected students and staff will be directed to the alternative process.

Section 2 - Policy

Part A - General

Enrolment responsibilities

(3) The Director, Student Administration is responsible for overseeing the enrolment of students in all Charles Sturt University courses and subjects.

(4) Students are responsible for:

1. managing their enrolment throughout their study at the University according to the terms and conditions of their offer
2. providing correct and complete information required for enrolment
3. ensuring they are enrolled in the correct subjects each teaching period according to their course structure, and only in subjects that meet the requirements of their current award
4. keeping their contact details current and up to date on University systems at all times
5. paying and/or deferring (where eligible) their tuition and non-tuition fees
6. meeting the prerequisite subject and assumed knowledge requirements stated for each subject in which they enrol
7. meeting study load requirements, including those required for their course, visa and/or scholarship, and
8. managing and maintaining their enrolment in line with their personal priorities and responsibilities and the requirements for academic progress, maximum course completion and/or expected course duration (for international students).

(5) Students are financially liable for all subjects they remain enrolled in past the census date of the teaching period, subject to Part C of this policy.

(6) The University, as registered primary provider, is accountable for delivery of its programs by partner institutions. This includes ensuring the quality and integrity of the award and learning is maintained through regular compliance monitoring of program delivery, student experience, and student learning outcomes, as per the Course and Subject Procedure - Quality Assurance and Review

Student records, information and personal data

(7) As part of the enrolment process, the University will collect information and data about students that is needed to administer their studies, and that is required by the Commonwealth Government to be collected by the University for monitoring and reporting to relevant governing bodies and departments.

(8) Personal information and data gathered throughout each student’s enrolment with the University will be kept confidential and handled in accordance with the University's Privacy Management Plan and Records Management Policy.

(9) Students may authorise a third party to access student information and communicate with the University on their behalf (See the Enrolment and Fees Procedure and Records Management Procedure - Access to University Records for more information).

Part B - Enrolment

Enrolment conditions and requirements

(10) Students are only eligible to enrol in, or remain enrolled in, subjects at this University if they:

1. have been admitted and have accepted their offer (see the Admissions Policy)

1. have no outstanding debts to the University (beyond what is allowed under Part C of this policy)
2. pay or defer (where eligible) all relevant fees and charges for their enrolled subjects (see Part C)
3. for international students (student visa holders), have a current confirmation of enrolment (COE)
4. provide their Unique Student Identifier (USI) to the University by the first census date in their course, and
5. meet the subject’s prerequisite entry requirements.

(11) To retain their place in course, students must be enrolled in at least one subject or have an approved leave of absence for every compulsory teaching period of the course. Commencing students have to defer their studies if they do not enrol in at least one subject in their first session to remain in the course.

(12) International students (student visa holders) who fail to enrol in each compulsory teaching period, or do not maintain an approved study load in each compulsory teaching period, may be in breach of their enrolment conditions and the University may be required to report this to the Department of Home Affairs, as per the Enrolment and Fees Procedure.

(13) Students must follow the course structure provided in the University Handbook for the year they were admitted to the course when adding subjects to their enrolment (unless an alternative structure is approved by the Course Director, the student has agreed in writing to undertake course requirements stated in the University Handbook for a later year, or the student left or was withdrawn and then readmitted. See Graduation Policy for details.). Students are not permitted to enrol in extra subjects that are incompatible with their course structure, cannot contribute towards the completion of their current course, or will result in the student completing more credit points than were required for attaining their current award.

(14) Students will remain enrolled in any subject they are enrolled in past the census date of the teaching period until they either:

1. complete the subject and receive a permanent grade, or
2. withdraw from the subject (as a late withdrawal or approved withdrawal).

(15) Compulsory teaching periods are those that students must enrol in to maintain a current place in their course. This normally refers to (as per the academic calendar):

1. For session-based courses, sessions 1 and 2, unless the course has compulsory session 3 as well (see the compulsory Session 3 courses listed online).
2. For term-based courses, terms 1, 2 and 3.
3. For courses with year long periods, all teaching periods are compulsory.
4. For ADPP periods, all sessions are compulsory.
5. For UCWE periods, all sessions are compulsory.
6. For HDR courses, Sessions 1 and 2.

(16) Concurrent enrolments (enrolling in more than one course either at this University or through another provider) must be approved by the Course Director(s), regardless of whether the students’ study load will exceed 1.0 EFTSL. Concurrent enrolment approval is not required for Study Link courses.

(18) The Enrolment and Fees Procedure and International Student Fee Refund Procedure outlines the financial liabilities that apply to all subjects students remain enrolled in past the census date.

Enrolment timelines

(19) All due dates are regulated under local New South Wales time, being either AEST (GMT+10) or AEDT (GMT+11), depending on the time of year.

(20) Enrolment timelines apply to all teaching periods. Students must ensure they are enrolled in all subjects they wish to study by the relevant due dates:

1. Most subjects will allow enrolments until the end of the first week of the teaching period, but individual subjects may restrict this.
2. Enrolments after the end of the first week of the teaching period may be approved in accordance with the Enrolment and Fees Procedure.
3. Enrolments after the census date has passed are subject to availability and approval, and full tuition fees and late enrolment fees may apply.
4. The University will publish important dates for each teaching period on the Important dates webpage.

(21) Students may withdraw from a subject until 11:59 PM on the census date of the teaching period without incurring financial liability (for tuition and non-tuition fees) or academic penalty.

(22) Students who wish to withdraw after the census date must apply for a late withdrawal or approved withdrawal (see the Enrolment and Fees Procedure for eligibility).

Leave of absence (LOA)

(23) Students may be eligible to take leave of absence from their course in accordance with the Enrolment and Fees Procedure.

Study modes (On campus and online study)

(24) Subjects are delivered in either online or on campus study mode. The mode of study that each subject is available in for each teaching period is identified in the University Handbook and/or the subject availability list (SAL).

(25) Some online subjects require students to attend face to face classes and learning activities, including work-integrated learning and intensive schools, refer to the University Handbook for further information.

(26) International students (student visa holders) must complete at least two-thirds of their course through on-campus subjects (calculated by the total points required to complete the course through this University). This must include at least one on-campus subject in every compulsory period of study, unless they have only one subject left to complete their course.

Study load (Full-time and part-time study)

(27) For coursework courses, an equivalent full time study load at Charles Sturt University (1.0 EFTSL) is 64 points per academic year.

(28) Minimum study load requirements:

1. International students (student visa holders) must maintain a study load of 1.0 EFTSL with 32 points of subjects in each compulsory period, unless a reduced or varied study load is approved by the Director, Student Administration(or nominee) or they are in their last teaching period of study.
2. Except for sub-clause (a), there is no minimum study load for other coursework students, however a reduced study load may impact course completion timeframes and government assistance eligibility.

(29) Maximum study load requirements:

1. Approval by the Course Director is required to enrol in:
   1. more than 1.0 EFTSL per academic year, or
   2. more than 32 subject points in a single teaching period unless otherwise specified in the University Handbook.  Enrolment in more than 2.0 EFTSL may impact students receiving Commonwealth assistance.

(30) The Higher Degree by Research Procedure states requirements for HDR students in relation to full-time and part-time enrolment, and the process for changing study loads during their candidature.

Maximum time

(31) Students that have reached the maximum time duration in the same course (as indicated by the registered course/program/government code) as per the Course and Subject Policy may be terminated if they do not complete their course within the maximum period.

(32) The Enrolment and Fees Procedure provides details about the maximum time process for all students.

Cross-insitutional study

(33) Students may be eligible to complete one or more subjects through another tertiary institution and receive credit for the cross-institutional study towards their Charles Sturt course. See the Credit Policy.

(34) A student of another tertiary institution can apply to enrol in subjects at Charles Sturt University and may be able to have the subjects recognised as part of their course at their home institution. Further information and instructions are published on the cross-institutional learning website.

Part C - Fees

Payment of fees

(38) A condition of continued enrolment is that all students must pay their tuition fees upfront by the due dates for every teaching period, unless they are eligible to defer payment of their fees via the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), as well as pay any other fees and costs incurred throughout their studies by the payment due dates set by the University.

(39) The type of fees that students must pay (or defer where eligible) each teaching period throughout their course include:

1. tuition fees for each subject they enrol in (unless the student is eligible for the Higher Education Loan Provision (HELP), and submits a Commonwealth assistance form (CAF) by the relevant census date to defer their fees via HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP)
2. the student services and amenities fee (SSAF) (unless the student is eligible for a HELP loan, and completes an SA-HELP nomination form to defer these fees via SA-HELP), and
3. any other fees and charges accrued by the student such as late payment and late enrolment fees, library fines and other administrative costs.

(40) Fees will not be reduced for any student repeating a subject due to failing it previously (or for any other reason).

(41) Students who do not pay (or defer where eligible) all fees arising from their enrolment by the date stated on their invoice/fee statement may:

1. be charged a late fee
2. have their access to certain services and facilities restricted (including their results, further subject enrolments, graduation, etc)
3. have their enrolment in current or future subjects cancelled, and/or
4. have their place in the course cancelled.

Refund of tuition fees

(42) Students are liable for the fees that apply to any subjects they are enrolled in at midnight of the census date in each teaching period.

(43) Students who withdraw from a subject before midnight on the census date will have their fee liabilities for that subject refunded or reversed in accordance with the:

1. Enrolment and Fees Procedure (for domestic and non-resident students)
2. International Student Fee Refund Procedure (for international students (student visa holders))

(44) At and after midnight on the census date, students remain liable for all fees, unless a remission or reimbursement of their tuition fees for special circumstances is approved by the Director, Student Administration (or nominee), subject to the conditions in the Enrolment and Fees Procedure.

Tuition Protection Service

(45) The Tuition Protection Service provides assistance to students who have paid their tuition fees upfront or via a HELP loan where the University is unable to fully deliver their course of study. This ensures that students are able to either:

1. complete their studies in another course or with another education provider, or
2. receive a refund of their unused tuition fees and/or a re-credit of the unused remainder of their HELP loan (including HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP).

Part D - Appeals and complaints

(46) Where a student wishes to appeal a decision that has been made under this policy, or if they have a complaint about the quality of service or conduct of staff, the following policies apply:

1. University Student Appeals Policy and University Student Appeals Procedure.
2. Complaints Management Policy and Complaints Management Procedure.

Section 3 - Procedures

(47) The following procedures support this policy:

1. The Enrolment and Fees Procedure states detailed information about enrolment processes and requirements.
2. The International Student Fee Refund Procedure states the conditions under which international students’ tuition fees will or will not be refunded.
3. The International Students Provider Transfer Procedure describes the process and requirements for international students applying to transfer their enrolment to another provider.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(48) Nil.

Section 5 - Glossary

(49) For the purposes of this policy, the following terms have the definitions stated:

1. Academic year - means the start of the first teaching to the end of the last teaching period in the University's annual cycle of teaching. All subjects with the same year in their subject code are considered to be in the same academic year, regardless of their start or end date.
2. Census date – as defined in the policy library glossary.
3. Compulsory period – a teaching period that students must enrol in to maintain a current place in their course. This normally refers to Sessions 1 and 2, unless a student is enrolled in a course structure which requires students to undertake subjects in Session 3 as well as Sessions 1 and 2. These compulsory Session 3 courses are listed online.
4. Concurrent study – where a student is enrolled in more than one course at the same time (including being enrolled in single subject study as well as a course).
5. Confirmation of enrolment (COE) – an official document issued to international students to confirm they have accepted a place and are eligible to enrol in a course at this University. The COE provides information about student enrolment status, course details, expected course duration, and enrolment start and end dates. 
6. Coursework course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
7. Cross-institutional study – where a student enrolled in a course at one university (their home institution) undertakes approved study in one or more subjects at another university (the host institution) under an agreement where this study will be recognised and applied as credit towards completion of their current course. There are two types of cross-institutional study: Incoming, and Outgoing, depending on whether the student is undertaking study at Charles Sturt University as their home institution or host institution.
8. Days - mean business days when the University is open (not including NSW public holidays or University closedown periods), unless calendar days is specified. Days or times will refer local New South Wales time, being either AEST (GMT+10) or AEDT (GMT+11) as relevant to the time of year.
9. Domestic course – a course delivered by an Australian education provider, including courses provided by this University and by partner institutions located within Australia.
10. Domestic student – a student who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, New Zealand citizen, or holds an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.
11. Equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL) – an equivalent full-time student load for a year. It is a measure of the study load for a year of a student undertaking the course of study on a full-time basis (the value of each subject as a percentage of the overall standard full-time study load each year).
12. Higher degree by research (HDR) course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
13. International student (student visa holder) – a student who is not a domestic student at the time of the relevant study, who is studying within Australia on a temporary student visa.
14. Letter of offer (offer letter) – the written agreement outlining a student’s enrolment contract with the University.
15. Non-tuition fees – any fees and charges required for items that are not directly related to tuition fees. Examples include: Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF), library fines, accommodation fees, campus facilities and services, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and other fees and charges related to additional administrative costs incurred by the University, such as late payment and late enrolment fees.
16. Non-resident student – all students who are not classified as ‘domestic’ or ‘international/overseas’ as defined in this policy in relation to their visa/citizenship and location status. Non-residents include: any student enrolled in a non-domestic course (including Australian domestic students studying overseas in a course delivered by an offshore partner institution); non-domestic students studying on campus within Australia while on any temporary visa other than the student visa; and non-domestic students who are studying in a domestic course that is delivered entirely online, where they do not need a student visa for their enrolment.
17. Partner provider – an educational institution that has a partnership agreement with the University to deliver programs and courses on behalf of or in collaboration with the University, where the University remains responsible for quality assurance monitoring to ensure a high standard of academic and student outcomes.
18. Phase out/teach out - when a course or subject will no longer be accepting new applications or intakes.
19. Prerequisite subject - a subject that must be completed before a student can commence study in the next subject for which this is a prerequisite entry requirement.
20. Single subject study – enrolment in one or more credit-bearing subjects undertaken outside of a formal course or program.
21. Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) - this fee is used for maintaining and enhancing services and amenities that support a wide range of student needs. This fee is charged per 8 points of subjects that each student is enrolled in each teaching period.
22. Study load – this can be either full-time or part-time, depending on the amount of subjects and the number of credit points that a student is enrolled in each teaching period.
23. Study mode – this can be either online or on campus, depending on the delivery mode that each subject is available for enrolment in each teaching period.
24. Subject availability list (SAL) - a list of all subject offerings for a particular year, including the study mode, campus, and teaching period that each subject is delivered in.
25. Teaching period – as defined in the policy library glossary.
26. Tuition fees - fees charged for each unit of study (subject) that a student is enrolled in.
27. Written agreement – this is the University's letter of offer to the student, containing the enrolment contact between the student and the University, which is agreed to by the student when they accept their offer.