Read Me First (Pre-enrolment Information)

Course suitability

Prior to enrolling please ensure you fully understand the details of the course you wish to enrol in and the minimum requirements for entry. You should consider the study load required, the course duration, and the employment outcomes that may be available to you once you complete the course.

If you are in any doubt regarding your suitability for a course it is important you speak to us prior to enrolling. You may make an enquiry via email to [email protected]

Further information on the Australian training system, including further details regarding qualifications and individual units of competency, may be found by visiting training.gov.au

Course entry requirements

Age requirements: All students must be over 18 years of age; and

English language proficiency requirements: All overseas students must demonstrate at least an Upper Intermediate (IELTS 6.0 or equivalent) level of English prior to commencement.

Academic requirements: Please refer to our courses pages and click on the course you wish to enrol for more information on specific academic requirements that apply to that course.

Course delivery locations

All of our courses are delivered and assessed on our campus at Levels 4&5, 565 George St, Sydney NSW 2000.

Our location is close to public transport, including train stations, bus stops and light rail. The closest train stations are Central Station and Town Hall station.

Visit our location page for further information and map.

Modes of delivery/study

All our courses are delivered full-time (20 contact hours per week) using blended mode (two-thirds of contact hours is via the face-to-face mode and one-third is via distance mode using e-Learning platform). Additional self-directed study at home is also required to achieve the desired course outcomes.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods may include: Short answer questions; compiling portfolio of evidence of completed work; participating in practical activities such as demonstrations, role-plays and presentations.

Course materials and equipment

During your course you will be provided with all learning and assessment materials, including learner guides, reading material and assessment manuals.

You will need to provide your own pens and paper for note taking. You will also require access to a computing device with internet access and MS Office suite or similar for accessing electronic materials and for completing assessments and their submissions. Computing device may be a laptop, desktop PC, or tablet device.

You will be responsible for the supply and support of any specialised software tools you require to complete your studies, such as accessibility software (screen readers, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, high-contrast screens, etc).

Support services

VIA provides various support services to ensure your time with us is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Please visit our student support page for more information.

Please come and see our Student Services Team for any enquiries you may have.

Leave

There is a scheduled holiday break between every term of the academic year. Requests for additional leave outside of these times will be approved only in limited compassionate and compelling circumstances. Please visit academic calendar page and see the Student Handbook for further details.

Campus facilities

Our new campus has been designed to facilitate learning and friendly interactions in a relaxed environment.

Visit our campus page for more information.

Fees

For information on fees, please visit our Fees page

Paying your tuition fees

You must pay your course fees by the due dates in your Letter of Offer and Student Agreement. Please refer to the payment methods on the Letter of Offer and Student Agreement or the fee-due reminder emails.
VIA sends you fee due reminders via email when your fees are due. Please let us know if you change your email address or mobile telephone number so we can keep your details current.

If you are experiencing difficulties paying your fees as they fall due, it is important to come and talk to us in person as soon as possible. We can arrange a payment plan for short-term financial hardship in certain limited circumstances. To access this support, you must provide evidence showing genuine short-term financial hardship caused by compassionate and compelling circumstances beyond your control.

Complaints and Appeals

If at any time you have a complaint or appeal related to our services, our staff, other learners, assessment decisions, or related third parties it is important to make us aware of your concerns so that they may be resolved.

Please visit our Complaints and Appeals Policy page for more details.

Complaint and Appeals form is available from the Reception Desk.

Obtaining a Unique Student Identifier (USI)

All students studying a nationally recognised qualification in Australia are required to obtain a USI number. The USI program is administered by the Australian government.

As part of your enrolment you will need to generate a USI (if you don’t already have one) and provide it to us. By providing us with your USI you consent to us recording and verifying this number.

For more information about USI, and to generate one, please see www.usi.gov.au

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer (CT)

If you’ve previously completed studies in an area related to your intended course, or you feel that your employment experience has given you adequate knowledge of a learning area, you may decide to apply to have your knowledge and experience recognised.

If you feel this applies to you it is important that you let us know at the time you apply for enrolment so that we may assess you. If your application is successful you may have a shorter course and visa period.

Please contact us to discuss RPL and CT opportunities via [email protected].

RPL and CT policy and procedure are detailed in our Student Handbook.

VIA EDUCATION obligations as the provider of training and assessment

All training and assessment will be conducted by Cachet Training Pty Ltd trading as VIA, who is responsible for the quality of the training and assessment in compliance with Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 and for the issuance of Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) certification documentation.

Student Handbook

Before enrolling, please read through our Student Handbook. It contains further details about our policies and procedures, including information you should be aware of before you enrol.

Information for overseas students

ESOS Framework information

Click this link to find out how the Australian Government protects your rights as an International student and ensures a high standard of education.

Applying for visa

If you are an overseas student you will need to apply for a visa to study in Australia. Before applying for admission to VIA you should familiarise yourself with Australia’s visa requirements to ensure that you meet the criteria for a visa.

More information on Australia’s visa system and the process for applying may be found at http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/

Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC)

All overseas students studying in Australia on a student visa are required to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). OSHC covers your medical expenses while you are studying within Australia.

You are free to arrange this yourself or request us to arrange this for you at the time of enrolment. Your partner or other family members travelling with you will also require coverage while in Australia.

You can find out more about the conditions of health coverage and about purchasing Overseas Student Health Cover at the website http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/global/live-in-australia/insurance.

Accommodation options

Overseas students have a number of accommodation options including staying in a private rental property (either alone or with housemates), in a home stay with a family or in a student apartment.

Private Rental

This accommodation option is very popular with students. You can rent, using a real estate agent, an apartment or a house either alone or with housemates. Living with others is ideal for meeting new people and reducing your costs. Private rentals come either furnished or unfurnished. Both will require you to buy the basic necessities but furnished will at least have the major furniture and appliances.

Homestay

Homestay offers accommodation in a private home with a host family. Students are provided with a furnished bedroom with study space. The host provides meals, but the student must pay for their own travel, telephone calls, entertainment and personal needs.

Student Apartments

Students can find these large centres full of apartments of varying sizes in convenient locations (mostly in and around the city)
Please note that most of these accommodation options require a bond usually a four weeks rent. This bond will be returned to you at the end of the agreement. You may also pay some weeks rent in advance.

Refer to below websites to find suitable accommodation, locations and prices:
https://www.student.com/au/sydney
https://www.domain.com.au/
https://www.realestate.com.au/
https://www.homestaynetwork.org/sydney-pricing/

Indicative cost of living in Australia

Living costs include accommodation, food, transport, utility (electricity, gas, phone, internet) bills, clothing as necessary, entertainment, and will vary according to your lifestyle. As a general guide, the estimated annual cost for a single student living in Australia comes to a total of about AUD$ $20,290

For more information on cost of living please visit https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/living-costs

Living in Australia

Australia is a friendly and multicultural country. Before your arrival it is important that you understand the living conditions in Australia so that you can be better prepared. Please visit Study in Australia website for more information on living in Australia.

Living in Sydney

Sydney is a very vibrant cosmopolitan city. Sydney attracts people from so many cultures and countries. Please visit City of Sydney International Students page to find out more about living in Sydney

Deferral, suspension and cancellation policy

Once your visa commences you may only be able to defer or suspend your studies in very limited circumstances. This is a requirement of your student visa. In general we can only grant you a period of deferral or leave on the grounds of compassionate circumstances outside of your control. This may include a serious medical condition or the death of a close family member. In all cases you will need to provide evidence to accompany your request.

In all cases there will be no reduction in your tuition fees for the period you are absent, and you may be required to take additional classes at your own expense in order to complete your qualification. You may also be required to extend your visa.

Students may also be suspended from their studies for serious and wilful misconduct. Examples of misconduct may include criminal activity, harassment or abuse of staff or other students, failure to pay tuition fees, plagiarism or any other form of cheating. Students have the right to appeal through our complaints and appeals process.

Please see our Student Handbook for full details.

Monitoring course progress policy

All overseas students enrolled at VIA must maintain satisfactory course progress in order to complete the course on time. Maintaining satisfactory course is also one of the student visa conditions. VIA implements intervention strategies for those students who are at risk maintaining unsatisfactory course progress.
Please see our Student Handbook for full details.

Transfer between providers policy

Overseas students on student visas may not be able to change to a different education provider within the first six months of their principal course of study (usually the last course for which the student visa is granted). Please see our Student Handbook for full details.