Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

VET STUDENT LOANS ACT 2016

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Act binds the Crown  
   4.      Objects  
   5.      Simplified outline of this Act  
   6.      Definitions  

   PART 2--LOANS--TO STUDENTS

           Division 1--Secretary may approve loans

   7.      Secretary may approve loans  
   8.      Amount of loan  

           Division 2--Eligible students

   9.      Eligible students  
   10.     Enrolment and loan application  
   11.     Citizenship and residency  
   12.     Academic suitability  

           Division 3--Approved courses

   13.     Approved courses  
   14.     Kinds of courses  
   15.     Provision and delivery  
   16.     The courses and loan caps determination  

           Division 4--Applications for loans

   17.     Applications for loans  
   18.     Decisions about loans  

   PART 3--PAYING--AND REPAYING LOAN AMOUNTS

           Division 1--Paying loan amounts

   19.     Loan must be used to pay tuition fees  
   20.     When Secretary is not required to pay loan amount  
   21.     Notice about payment of loan amount  

           Division 2--Repaying loan amounts

   22.     When course provider must repay loan amount  

   PART 3A--VETSL--DEBTS

           Division 1--Simplified outline of this Part

   23AA.   Simplified outline of this Part  

           Division 2--VETSL debts

   23BA.   VETSL debt  
   23BB.   VETSL debt discharged by death  
   23BC.   Notice to Commissioner  

           Division 3--Accumulated VETSL debts

   23CA.   Simplified outline of this Division  
   23CB.   Stage 1--working out a former accumulated VETSL debt  
   23CC.   Stage 2--working out an accumulated VETSL debt  
   23CD.   Rounding of amounts  
   23CE.   Accumulated VETSL debt discharges earlier debts  
   23CF.   Accumulated VETSL debt discharged by death  

           Division 4--Voluntary discharge of debt

   23DA.   Voluntary repayments  
   23DB.   Application of voluntary repayments  
   23DC.   Refunding of payments  

           Division 5--Compulsory discharge of debt

              Subdivision A--Compulsory repayments

   23EA.   Compulsory repayments  
   23EB.   Repayable VETSL debt for an income year  

              Subdivision B--Levy for overseas debtors

   23EC.   Liability of overseas debtors to repay amounts  
   23ED.   Notices to be given to the Commissioner  

              Subdivision C--Assessments

   23EE.   Commissioner may make assessments  
   23EF.   Notification of notices of assessment of tax  
   23EG.   Commissioner may defer making assessments  
   23EH.   Commissioner may amend assessments  

           Division 6--Application of tax legislation

   23FA.   Returns, assessments, collection and recovery  
   23FB.   Charges and civil penalties for failing to meet obligations  
   23FC.   Pay as you go (PAYG) withholding  
   23FD.   Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments  
   23FE.   Failures to comply with section 23ED  
   23FF.   Extent of Commissioner's general administration of this Act  

   PART 4--APPROVED--COURSE PROVIDERS

           Division 1--Approving course providers

   24.     Meaning of approved course provider  
   25.     Secretary may approve a body  
   26.     Provider suitability requirements  
   27.     Listed course providers may be taken to meet requirements  
   28.     Application for approval  
   29.     Period of approval  
   30.     Decisions about approval  
   31.     Fees for applications  
   32.     When Secretary is not required to consider application  
   33.     Period of approval extends to cover decision on re - approval  

           Division 2--Conditions of approval

   34.     Secretary may impose conditions  

           Division 3--Revoking and suspending approvals

   35.     Automatic revocation on winding up  
   35A.    Automatic revocation if body ceases to be a registered training organisation  
   36.     Secretary may revoke or suspend approval  
   37.     Immediate suspension in certain circumstances  
   38.     Secretary must revoke approval on provider request  
   39.     Secretary to notify relevant VET Regulator and VSL Tuition Protection Director if approval is revoked or suspended  

           Division 4A--External dispute resolution

   42A.    Minister may specify external dispute resolution scheme  
   42B.    Meaning of approved external dispute resolution scheme  
   42BA.   External dispute resolution scheme--VET Student Loans Ombudsman  
   42C.    Approved course provider must comply  

           Division 5--Ensuring compliance

   43.     Compliance notices  
   44.     Varying and revoking compliance notices  
   45.     Compliance audits  
   46.     Approved course provider must cooperate  

   PART 5--OTHER--REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVED COURSE PROVIDERS

           Division 1--General

   47.     Conditions of approval and course provider requirements  
   48.     Provider must have certain processes and procedures  
   49.     Provider must not use broker or agent  
   49A.    VSL tuition protection levy  

           Division 2--Information

   50.     Information for students  
   51.     Retaining information and documents  
   52.     Ongoing information requirements  
   53.     Secretary may request information  
   54.     Dealing with personal information  

           Division 3--Fees

   55.     Determining tuition fees  
   56.     Student not liable for covered fees  
   57.     Publishing tuition fees  

           Division 4--Census days

   58.     Determining and publishing census days  
   59.     No penalty for cancelling enrolment before census day  

           Division 5--Marketing

   60.     Misrepresenting VET student loans  
   61.     Offering certain inducements  
   62.     Engaging in cold - calling  
   63.     Use of third party contact lists  
   64.     Other marketing requirements  

           Division 6--Personal liability for executive officers

   65.     Personal liability for executive officers  
   66.     Reasonable steps to prevent offence or contravention  

   PART 5A--TUITION--PROTECTION

           Division 1--Preliminary

   66A.    Application of this Part  
   66B.    When an approved course provider defaults in relation to a student  

           Division 2--Obligations when a provider defaults in relation to a student

   66C.    Approved course providers must give notice of default to VSL Tuition Protection Director  
   66D.    Approved course providers must give notice of default to affected students  
   66E.    Student placement service  
   66F.    Obligations of providers to provide information about replacement courses  
   66G.    Obligations of replacement provider  
   66H.    Obligations where there is no replacement course  

   PART 5B--VSL--TUITION PROTECTION FUND, VSL TUITION PROTECTION DIRECTOR AND VSL TUITION PROTECTION FUND ADVISORY BOARD

           Division 1--VSL Tuition Protection Fund

   66J.    Name of Fund  
   66K.    Credits to the VSL Tuition Protection Fund  
   66L.    Purposes of the VSL Tuition Protection Fund  

           Division 2--VSL Tuition Protection Director

   66M.    VSL Tuition Protection Director  
   66N.    Functions of the VSL Tuition Protection Director  
   66P.    Administrative provisions relating to the VSL Tuition Protection Director  

           Division 3--VSL Tuition Protection Fund Advisory Board

   66Q.    Establishment and membership  
   66R.    Function of the VSL Tuition Protection Fund Advisory Board  
   66S.    Administrative provisions relating to the VSL Tuition Protection Fund Advisory Board  

   PART 6--RE---CREDITING HELP BALANCES

           Division 1--General

   67.     When HELP balance may be re - credited  

           Division 2--Re-crediting by course provider

   68.     Special circumstances  
   70.     Secretary may act in place of provider  

           Division 3--Re-crediting by Secretary other than on discharge of debt

   71.     When Secretary may re - credit HELP balance  
   72.     Student may apply for re - crediting by Secretary  
   72A.    When Secretary must re - credit HELP balance  
   73.     Secretary must invite submissions before re - crediting  

           Division 4--Re-crediting by Secretary on discharge of debt

   73A.    When Secretary must re - credit HELP balance--discharge of debt  

   PART 7--REVIEW--OF DECISIONS

           Division 1--Reviewable decisions

   74.     Reviewable decisions  
   75.     When applications are taken to be refused  

           Division 2--Reconsideration of reviewable decisions

   76.     Application for reconsideration  
   77.     Reconsideration without application  
   78.     Reconsideration by delegates of the Secretary or Commissioner  
   78A.    Reconsideration by delegates of the VSL Tuition Protection Director  
   79.     Approved course providers must have review officers  
   80.     Review by the Administrative Review Tribunal  

           Division 3--Reconsideration of other decisions

   81.     Reconsideration of other decisions  

   PART 8--REGULATORY--POWERS

   82.     Monitoring powers  
   83.     Investigation powers  
   84.     Civil penalty provisions  
   85.     Infringement notices  
   86.     Enforceable undertakings  
   87.     Injunctions  
   88.     Appointment of investigators  
   89.     Delegation of regulatory powers  
   90.     Other enforcement action  

   PART 9--USE--OF INFORMATION

           Division 1--Authorised use and disclosure of information

   91.     Use and disclosure by Commonwealth officers  
   92.     Use and disclosure by certain VET officers  
   93.     Disclosure to certain agencies, bodies or persons  
   94.     Disclosure for purposes of law enforcement  
   95.     Disclosure to other bodies for permitted purposes  
   96.     Disclosure of publicly available information  
   97.     Commissioner may disclose VET information  
   98.     This Division does not limit use or disclosure of VET information  

           Division 2--Offences for misuse of personal information

   99.     VET officers  
   100.    Use of personal information for other purposes  
   101.    Unauthorised access to, or modification of, personal information  

   PART 10--GENERAL--PROVISIONS

   102.    Communicating electronically  
   103.    Secretary may publish information  
   103A.   Secretary must publish information relating to operation of the VET student loans program  
   104.    Secretary may require a person to provide information about compliance with this Act  
   104A.   VSL Tuition Protection Director may require a person to provide information about compliance with Part 5A  
   105.    Secretary may use computer programs to make decisions  
   105A.   VSL Tuition Protection Director may use computer programs to make decisions  
   106.    Giving false or misleading information  
   107.    Verifying tax file numbers  
   108.    Contravening offence and civil penalty provisions  
   109.    Certain references to course provider include references to agent  
   110.    Continuing application of Act to certain persons  
   111.    No entitlement to future rights  
   112.    Protection from civil actions  
   113.    Compensation for acquisition of property  
   113A.   Review of operation of tuition protection  
   114.    Delegations  
   115.    Appropriation  
   115A.   Alternative constitutional basis  
   116.    Rules