Policy

Fees, Charges and Refunds Policy

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Version

1.1.4

Last Version Update

April 10, 2026

Review Cycle

Biennial

Next Review Due

April 2028

Principle Alignment

Bushidō (Way of Integrity): Promotes transparency, fairness, and consistency in all ASC financial processes.
Oubaitori (Blossoming in One’s Own Time): Flexible arrangements and clear pre-enrolment information for all.
Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): Routine policy/process review for compliance, student protection, and quality.

1. Purpose

To ensure all current and prospective students are fully informed—before, during, and after enrolment—about their rights and obligations regarding ASC fees, charges, deposits, withdrawals, hardship provisions, and refund process, in line with legislation and sector best practice.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all tuition, administration, materials, and other charges for ASC Diploma programs, accredited and non-accredited short courses/workshops/masterclasses, and all relevant staff.

3. Definitions

Term	Definition
Accredited Program	Course with national/state recognition and outcome (Statement of Attainment or Diploma)
Additional Charges	Late, dishonoured, or follow-up fees, scheduled/unscheduled assessments, repeats, etc.
Administration Fee	Fee for processing an application.
Course Fee	Total charge (tuition, admin, materials, and deposits) for a single program or workshop.
Tuition Fee	Amount charged for teaching, supervision, and assessment.
Diploma Deposit	Amount required to confirm place following formal acceptance into Diploma.
Diploma Qualification Upgrades	Students upgrading an existing Shiatsu qualification (e.g HLT50207, HLT50212) to the HLT52215 Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies
Materials Fee	Charge for issued practical resources (e.g. linen, consumables, manuals; see Materials Fee Table)
Payment Plan	Individualised, written fee schedule, by arrangement with College Directors only.
Course Start Date	Earlier of the first in-person class or access to LMS learning resources.
Census/Withdrawal Deadline	The end of Week Three from the unit’s start date (applies to Diploma/Short Courses).
Short Course/Workshop Deposit	$100, due to confirm place; non-refundable after census/withdrawal deadline.
Scholarship / Fee Waiver	Approved reduction or waiver of tuition and/or other charges, granted at Director discretion for demonstrated hardship, community benefit, or (in limited cases) professional services provided to the College by the student.
Professional Exchange Arrangement	Limited, Director-approved arrangement whereby a student’s tuition fee (or portion thereof) is waived in recognition of professional services provided to the College under a separate Services Agreement. Course progress, assessment, and certification remain independent of the services contract.

4. Key Principles

Transparency & Publication:
All student fees, charges, deposits, refund rules, and payment plans are published, provided at pre-enrolment, included in prospectus, website, and confirmed in handbooks and invoices.
Compliance:
ASC will not accept a deposit exceeding $1000 before commencement for Diploma studies, nor more than $1,500 in any single instalment for Diploma tuition (Ministerial Directions/Education and Training Reform Act).
Payment Security:
All payment processing is via secure platforms (payment processors include Stripe, Go Cardless). Direct debits payments will appear on bank statements as “AUSHIATSUCOL”.
Consistency & Non-Discrimination:
Payment plans, hardship negotiations, and refunds are equitably managed and formally documented.

5. Payment Arrangements

Diploma Programs

Deposit: $100 (non-refundable after census/withdrawal deadline) due following acceptance of offer, required to secure your place prior to course commencement.
Tuition: Billed in 10 equal monthly instalments, due on the 15th of each month (Feb–Nov), not exceeding $1,500 per instalment.
- ASC’s preferred payment method is direct debit, which provides payment security and timely processing for students. Students who opt for self-managed payments assume responsibility for making payments on time.
- Where a payment is dishonoured or missed, an administrative fee applies and automated reminders are issued. Where fees remain unpaid for an extended period, student access, results, and enrolment status may be affected in accordance with this policy.
- The step-by-step payment setup process, platform details, reminder schedule, and non-payment escalation steps are set out in the Fees, Charges and Refunds Procedure.
Materials Fee: Charged per period (see Table in Materials List; covers issued linens, practical and assessment consumables/resources).
Receipts: Issued only after payment and by request (email finance@australianshiatsucollege.edu.au to request receipts).
Automated Payment Reminders:
- Reminder sent 7 days before each direct debit (window for students to adjust payment or advise hardship).
- Follow-ups go out on the day of due payment, 1 week and 2 weeks after, as necessary.
Non-Payment:
- A 2% monthly interest charge will apply to any overdue balance starting 30 days after the due date. This interest will be compounded monthly and calculated on the total outstanding amount, including any previously accrued interest, on the first day of each subsequent 30-day period.
- After 90 days, student access/participation may be suspended, resource/handbook result access revoked, progress/certificates withheld, and enrolment may be terminated or referred to a recovery agency.
Diploma Qualification Upgrades: Students upgrading an existing Shiatsu qualification to the HLT52215 Diploma are enrolled on an individually negotiated fee arrangement. Upgrade fees are set out in the ASC Fee Schedule and are subject to the same payment, refund, and hardship provisions as other Diploma enrolments.

Short Courses, Workshops, Masterclasses

Deposit: $100 (non-refundable after census/withdrawal deadline) to confirm a place in any short course/workshop/masterclass.
Full payment: Due prior to course start unless otherwise arranged; for courses over $600, payment may be split into 2 instalments (default).
Alternative Payment Plan:
- Available only with signed Written Agreement (Director approval) for students with demonstrated hardship. Details must include deposit, schedule, admin fee, workflow for missed/delayed payments, census, withdrawal, and consequences tied to progress tracking.
Payment methods, receipt processes, reminders, and non-payment escalation for short courses, workshops, and masterclasses follow the same operational framework as the Diploma process, as set out in the Fees, Charges and Refunds Procedure.

Scholarships & Fee Waivers (All Programs)

The College may grant scholarships or fee waivers in the following circumstances:

a) Community / Strategic Benefit (at Director Discretion)

The College may approve limited scholarships or fee reductions where the arrangement aligns with the College’s mission and strategic benefit.
Subject to availability and fairness to other students.
Documented with written rationale and Director approval.

b) Professional Services Exchange

In limited cases, the College may approve a Professional Exchange Arrangement whereby a student’s tuition fee (or portion thereof) is waived if the student agrees to provide professional services under a separate Services Agreement.

Requirements:

Documented via Scholarship/Fee Waiver Approval Form.
Separate Services Agreement specifying scope, deliverables, timeline, and commercial value.
Conflict of Interest Declaration & Management Plan signed by Directors and student.
Written approval by College Directors and student.
Academic decisions (assessment, progression, certification) remain independent of services contract performance.

Documentation:

Scholarship/Fee Waiver Approval Form (Director-signed)
Services Agreement (fees, deliverables, timeline, IP, confidentiality)
Conflict of Interest Declaration & Management Plan (Director- and student-signed)
Enrolment Agreement stating: published fee, waived amount, reason (“Professional Exchange Scholarship”), and net fee payable

Student Rights & Obligations:

Enrolled on identical academic and assessment terms as all other students.
Assessment, progress, and certification are independent of services performance.
Full access to complaints, appeals, and student protection rights (see Complaints and Appeals Policy).
If the student withdraws, the services contract remains a separate obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Non-delivery of services does not affect the tuition waiver; College may pursue remedies under the Services Agreement.

Finance & Record-Keeping:

Full published tuition fee recorded in Student Management System (SMS).
Waived amount recorded with reason code “Professional Exchange Scholarship.”
Net tuition payable recorded (may be $0 for tuition; materials fees remain payable unless waived).
Services Agreement value recorded in College finance system as income offset or credit.
All documentation filed in student and administration/finance files.
All approvals, conflict assessments, and outcomes retained for 7 years per Records Retention & Archiving Policy.

6. Refunds and Withdrawals

A. ASC-Initiated Cancellation or Deferral

100% refund of all paid fees within 10 working days (or for undelivered portion if course is already underway).

B. Student-Initiated Withdrawal (Diploma, Accredited & Non-Accredited Short Courses, Workshops, Masterclasses)

Approved refunds are processed within 10 business days of written approval. See Section 8 for the refund application process.

The refund entitlements applicable to each withdrawal scenario — including Diploma pro-rata refund periods, short course and workshop refund windows, medical and compassionate withdrawal provisions, provider default obligations, and College-initiated withdrawal entitlements — are set out in full in the ASC Fee Schedule.

The principles governing how refund entitlements are calculated and applied are as follows:

The enrolment deposit is non-refundable in all voluntary withdrawal scenarios
Refunds are calculated on a pro-rata basis relative to the billing period in which withdrawal occurs
Medical and compassionate withdrawal applications are assessed with Director discretion and require supporting documentation
Where ASC is unable to deliver a program (provider default), a full refund of all fees paid is provided within 14 days
Where withdrawal is College-initiated, fees paid in advance beyond the current billing period are refunded pro-rata less any amounts owed to ASC
All refunds are returned to the original payee

7. Additional Charges

Additional charges apply in certain circumstances — including certificate reissues and corrections, out-of-schedule assessments, unit repeats, and RPL assessments. The schedule of additional charges is published in the ASC Fee Schedule, which is updated annually and available via the LMS and on request from Admin.

Any changes to additional charges take effect from the date of publication of the updated Fee Schedule. Students enrolled at the time of a fee change are not retrospectively subject to increased charges for units already commenced.

8. Applications for Refund

Refunds must be requested in writing using the Student Fee Refund Application Form, stating the reason and attaching supporting documentation where relevant. Applications are assessed by the College Directors within 10 business days. Students are notified in writing of the outcome, including any calculation statement. Approved refunds are returned to the original payee. All records are retained on the student file for seven years.

The step-by-step refund application process — including form location, assessment steps, and communication requirements — is set out in the Fees, Charges and Refunds Procedure.

9. Appeals

Appeals Process:

If you disagree with a refund/fee/payment decision, you may appeal in writing to the Directors by following the Complaints and Appeals Policy.
Unresolved appeals may be escalated to ASQA, the Ombudsman, or relevant consumer body.

10. Special Arrangements & Payment Plans

Individual payment plans or flexible schedules are available for students facing hardship—Director approval in writing is required.
Agreements must state: payment milestones, consequences for non-payment/missed instalments, census date, process for renegotiation, and appeals.
All signed payment plan agreements are retained in the student record.

11. Special Cases & Administrative Discretion

Low enrolment/cancellation: College may cancel a course due to low enrolment up to 2 days pre-start; full refund/credit or alternative options offered.
ASC-initiated change to course start date: Students offered full refund within 10 working days if unwilling to accept change.
College may withhold/deny access to resources, progress notifications, final results, progression or graduation if there are unpaid overdue fees.

12. Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
College Directors	Approve/review schedule, hardship, refunds, appeals
Finance/Admin	Issue invoices, monitor payments, process refunds, recordkeep
Marketing/Admin	Communicate clear, current fee/refund schedules to students