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1 |
Preamble |
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In accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003, fees may be charged for items or services, which are incidental to studies undertaken as part of a course of study, provided these fees meet criteria specified in the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines. |
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2 |
Permissible Fees and Charges |
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2.1 |
Course Materials |
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2.1.1 |
Charges may be made for reading material such as anthologies of required reading, and practical or lecture notes provided that their purchase is voluntary. Alternative sources must be provided in the library so that students who do not wish to purchase the compiled materials can refer to them and make their own copies if desired. |
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2.1.2 |
No charge shall be made for topic outlines, or reading lists, or practical workbooks which form part of the assessment of a topic or course. |
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2.2 |
Field trips |
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Where a field trip is a compulsory part of the assessment requirements of a topic or course: |
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2.2.1 |
fees shall not be charged for tuition or materials associated with the field trip; |
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2.2.2 |
costs for food, transport and accommodation associated with the field trip may be recouped, provided students have the choice of making their own arrangements for purchasing these items from an alternative supplier. Where students are required to use transport and accommodation specified by the University these costs will be met by the University. |
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2.3 |
Clinical, Laboratory or Workshop Materials and Equipment |
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2.3.1 |
There shall be no requirement for students to purchase a piece of equipment nor shall there be any charge made by the University for the use of equipment which is compulsory for students to participate fully in a topic, except as provided for in clause 2.3.3. A deposit may be charged for the loan of equipment provided that the deposit is fully refunded on completion of the topic if the item of equipment is returned in a satisfactory condition. |
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2.3.2 |
Students must not be charged for basic clinical, laboratory, workshop and creative materials which are compulsory for students to participate fully in a topic and are consumed during the course of study. |
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2.3.3 |
Students may be charged for items that become their physical property and would be required by a professional in the field (e.g 'tools of the trade' such as stethoscopes), provided the items are not consumed during the course of study and students have the choice of acquiring the items from a supplier other than the University. |
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2.4 |
Uniforms |
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Purchase of uniforms or particular types of dress shall not be required by the University for any topic. In some cases uniforms may be required by external agencies engaging students for field or clinical work as a condition of participation in those topics and in these cases students may be liable for the cost of the uniform. |
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3 |
Grievances |
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3.1 |
Students who believe they have been charged a fee contrary to this policy shall in the first instance discuss this with the relevant Faculty General Manager. |
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3.2 |
Where the Faculty General Manager determines that the fee charged was not permissible under this policy, the student will be entitled to a refund. |
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4 |
Procedures |
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Procedures relating to the charging of materials fees will be subject to approval by the Executive Director of Administration. |
