911±¬ÁĎÍř

Policy - AAC01018

Withdrawal, Transfer, Deferral, Change of Enrolment and Refund Policy

Approver Group Chief Executive Approved date 17 September 2025
Responsibility Group CFO Effective date 17 September 2025
Division Domestic, International Review date 31 October 2028
Department Academic Policy Number AAC01018
Performance Framework Customer Focus

To manage and administer student withdrawal, transfer and cancellations and associated refund of fees.

Components: Courses, which may include assessment standards, that make up a programme of study.

Course Fees: The price/cost payable by students to study at the institution.

Delegated Authority: The person who is exercising the Chief Executive’s delegated authority to approve or decline a refund requested or to cancel a programme/component.

Delegated Programme Lead: The academic staff member who exercises responsibility for making decisions in relation to academic delivery of the programme and the students' journey. This may be a team leader, programme manager or another person nominated by the Head of Department or Academic Director.

Domestic Learner: A domestic learner is defined by the Education and Training Act 2020 as a person who is a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a residence class visa granted under the Immigration Act 2009 who satisfies the criteria (if any) prescribed by regulations made under subsection (4): or a person of a class or description of persons required by the Minister, by notice in the Gazette, to be treated as if they are not international students.

Institution: The Institution that is referred to in this policy is 911±¬ÁĎÍř Academy or Ashton Warner Academy.

International Learner: Any individual who is not a domestic learner.

Programme: A coherent arrangement of learning or training that is based on clear and consistent aims, content, outcomes and assessment practices.

  1. All learners will be treated equitably and consistently with regard to withdrawals, transfers, deferrals, changes to enrolments, cancellations, and the refund of fees.
  2. Learners who withdraw from a programme of study may be entitled to a refund if specific conditions are met.
  3. For domestic learners, the withdrawal period and refund entitlements are set out in Schedule 1 of this policy.
  4. For international learners, the withdrawal period and refund entitlements are set out in Schedule 2 of this policy.
  5. The guidelines for determining withdrawal, transfer, deferrals, changes to enrolments, and refunds are set out in the annually published Terms and Conditions http://futureskills.co.nz/about/terms-and-conditions/
  6. The Institution reserves the right to cease or cancel a programme or component of a programme.
  1. Withdrawal
    1. Learners who wish to withdraw from the programme must complete the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form.
    2. Verbal notice of withdrawal will not be accepted as a learner’s intention to withdraw.
    3. The withdrawal date from a programme is taken as the date the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment form is submitted to the registry department.
    4. The registry department will record the withdrawal date in the Student Management System (SMS).
    5. The student support teams will counsel learners who wish to withdraw, on
      1. Other study opportunities available for the learner
      2. Depending on the reasons for withdrawal, alternative study arrangements
      3. Any consequences on the student loans and allowances, as well as any academic implications for progression and results.
    6. When a domestic learner has been admitted to a programme after the programme start date, the last date for withdrawal is extended accordingly and must be highlighted to the learner as set out in Schedule 1 of this policy.
    7. When an international learner has been admitted to a programme after the programme start date, the last date of withdrawal is not extended and normal withdrawal conditions apply as set in Schedule 2.
    8. Late admission to the programme is not a reason for compassionate withdrawal.
    9. No-shows, non-attendance
      1. Learners who have never attended classes or logged in to an online class shall be treated as a no-show and be early withdrawn from the programme.
      2. Domestic learners who have attended less than the required attendance specified in the Tertiary Education Commission’s funding conditions, as outlined in Schedule 1 of this policy, will be early withdrawn from the programme if they have missed attending for at least four consecutive weeks.
        1. These withdrawals must only be made after reasonable efforts are made to support the learner to attend and re-engage, including two written attempts by the student success team to contact the learner. All written communication must be filed in the learner’s record. The final communication must inform the learner that they have been withdrawn from the programme.
        2. In such cases, the withdrawal date is taken as the last date of attendance.
      3. Any other instances of non-attendance or non-engagement will be managed in accordance with the Learner Progress and Exclusion Policy.
    10. If a learner is entitled to a refund as a result of a withdrawal, it must be processed following the procedures set out in section 5.
  2. Transfer to another programme
    1. Learners may transfer to another programme before or within the first 10% of the programme start date with no academic or financial penalty. Depending on the programme fees, learners may be refunded or required to pay additional fees.
      1. If a student loan is not used to pay fees, the refund will be credited to the new programme. If a student loan has been used, the refund is returned to StudyLink, and a the student must complete a new study link loan draw down form.
      2. It is the responsibility of the learner to contact StudyLink to advise of the programme change and re-apply for a new loan.
      3. Any academic results entered cannot be changed.
      4. International learners must notify Immigration New Zealand (INZ) when they transfer from one programme to another and seek a variation to their visa before the new programme start date.
  3. Change to a component of programme
    1. Learners who enrol in study blocks may change their component enrolments before the component start date with no academic or financial penalty, provided they have passed all prerequisites.
    2. Learners can only change to available components (courses offered) at the time of change, and before the new component start date.
    3. Learners can change to the new components up to five (5) working days after the new component start date, subject to the delegated programme lead’s approval.Such changes must not create gaps in the learner’s study journey or extend the learner’s programme duration.
  4. Deferral of Study
    1. In exceptional circumstances, a learner enrolled into a programme may be able to defer their studies for that programme to a maximum period of one academic year. An approved deferral of studies does not incur any additional costs.
      1. The learner must complete the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form before or within ten (10) working days after the component start date.
      2. If a Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form is received after the tenth (10th) working day, any deferral granted will be for the subsequent components that have not yet started.
      3. When completing the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form, the learner must:
        1. Confirm their proposed return date.
        2. Explain the extenuating grounds for their request.
        3. Provide evidence to support their circumstances.
      4. The delegated programme lead will decide on the request and inform the learner and the registry team of their decision before the component start date.
    2. The Institution may defer the start of a programme/component due to factors outside of the Institution’s control, including national emergencies. The delegated programme lead must inform all enrolled or deferred students of the deferral as soon as reasonably possible.
  5. Refunds
    1. Learners who wish to apply for a refund must first withdraw from the programme by completing the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form.
    2. All refunds are paid in New Zealand dollars and by direct credit to:
      1. The original payer’s nominated bank account or
      2. To another party’s bank account, if authorised in writing by the original payer.
    3. Domestic learners
      1. All refund amounts are to be calculated in accordance with Schedule 1 of this policy.
      2. The refund period must be calculated based on the first day the learner is required to attend.
    4. International learners
      1. All refund amounts are to be calculated in accordance with Schedule 2 of this policy.
      2. Where the international learner’s permit/visa application is rejected or an extension is declined by INZ, the rejection/decline letter must accompany the completed Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form.
      3. The Institution reserves the right to retain up to 25% of the tuition fee if the offer is declined or withdrawn due to fraudulent information being supplied by the learner.
      4. An international learner who gains permanent residency will not receive a refund of fees for programme components if the component start date has already passed. However, the learner will be entitled to pay domestic fees for subsequent enrolments. The learner will be entitled to a refund of the difference between domestic and international fees for those enrolments.
    5. Refunds of overpayments
      1. In the case of an overpayment of fees by the learner, the learner is entitled to a refund equal to the overpayment amount.
      2. The institution will not be liable for any interest accrued on the overpayment.
    6. Refunds on compassionate grounds
      1. Learners who wish to apply for a refund on compassionate grounds must complete the Withdrawal or Change of Enrolment Form with supporting evidence.
      2. All applications will be forwarded to the delegated authority for consideration and approval. The delegated authority may ask other team members to provide their recommendations on the application.
      3. Compassionate consideration may be considered for the following reasons:
        1. Medical, supported in writing by a health professional.
        2. Other unanticipated circumstances beyond the learner’s control.
        3. Death of the student - In such case any refund would be remitted to the next of kin as detailed on the enrolment form.
      4. Fees funded by StudyLink are required to be refunded to StudyLink.
  6. Cancellation of programme/component by the Institution
    1. The Institution reserves the right to cease or cancel a programme/component at the earliest opportunity if:
      1. There are insufficient enrolments before programme/component start date.
      2. It is no longer considered necessary or does not fit with the Institution’s investment plan and/or strategic direction.
      3. To comply with the Fair-Trading Act 1986, all advertising, application and offer letters must contain the following statement (or similar): “enrolment in this programme/component is conditional upon, and subject to, sufficient numbers of learners enrolling in this programme/component”.
      4. With the authorisation from the Chief Executive, the delegated authority is responsible for cancelling a programme/component and ensuring approved procedures are followed, including notifying enrolled learners, prospective learners, external stakeholders and relevant team members.
      5. Where possible, affected learners will be provided with alternative options for study and if accepted, the standard enrolment process shall be followed.
      6. If the institution ceases to be a provider and/or ceases to be a signatory, cancels or postpones a programme/component, all learner fees held in advance will be refunded in full or credited to another component at the learner’s request.
  7. Appeal
    1. Any learner who wishes to dispute the Withdrawal, Transfer, Deferral, Change of Enrolment, and Refund decisions must do so in accordance with the Appeal Policy.

Approved policies and procedures are always intended to comply and conform with the current Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA,) and other external agency legislation requirements and procedures.

Programme Length / Category

Date of Advice of Change

Classification

Refund Due amount

(of tuition fees paid or payable less scholarships/ discounts)

Less Administration Charge / amount retained from the tuition fees

Academic Result

2 days or lesser

No withdrawal period

Started

$Nil.

N/A

No result recorded

Greater than 2 days but less than 5 weeks

Up to the end of the 2nd day

Refund period

(Not started)

50%

50%

No result recorded

Greater than 5 weeks but less than 3 months

Up to the end of five calendar days after the programme start date.

Refund period

(Not started)

75%

25%

No result recorded

Greater than  3 months

Up to the end of the 8th day of the programme start date or the date the learner is required to attend, whichever is longer.  

Refund period

(Not started)

100%

The lesser of 10% of the sum paid or

$500

No result recorded

All enrolments programme/

component

transfer

When the delegated lead approves the transfer.

Transfer

Difference between the programme/component fees if applicable

N/A

Academic record stands

All enrolments

Deferral up to 10

working days

after

programme

start date.

Deferral

No additional cost.

N/A

No academic record

All enrolments

No show/contact.

Early withdrawal

(Not started)

100% if withdrawn within the refund period; otherwise, no refund.

less 10% or

$500,

whichever is

the lesser of

the two, if withdrawn within the refund period.

No academic record

All enrolments

At any time.

Failure to Achieve

$Nil.

N/A

Academic record stands

All enrolments:

compassionate reasons

After the early withdrawal /refund period.

Compassionate

Amount approved by the delegated authority

N/A

Academic record stands

All enrolment

Within the 10% or 20 working

days of the length

of the programme

enrolled, whichever

is lesser.

Early withdrawal

(Not started)

100% if withdrawn within the refund period; otherwise, no refund.

less 10% or

$500,

whichever is

the lesser of

the two, if withdrawn within the refund period.

 

No academic

Record

All enrolments

After the last date for withdrawal with a refund but before 80% of the component duration is completed.

Normal Withdrawal

(SDR Withdrawal)

$Nil.

N/A

Withdrawn

All enrolments

After 80% of the component duration is completed.

Any withdrawal from a programme will not be processed in the SMS

$Nil.

N/A

Did Not Complete (DNC) or Grade attained

All enrolments

Result entered or programme

Completed.

Any withdrawal from a programme will not be processed in the

SMS

$Nil.

N/A

Result or Grade attained

All enrolments:

withdrawal due to academic progress or disciplinary procedures

After the programme start date and the refund period

 

Exclusion / suspension

$Nil.

N/A

Did Not Complete (DNC) or

grades attained

All enrolments

The Institution ceases to be a provider, cancels or postpones a programme/

component

At any time.

N/A

100% refund or credit to another programme for

components not delivered.

N/A

N/A

 

Programme Length / Category

Date of Advice of Change

Classification

Refund Due amount

(of tuition fees paid or payable less scholarships/ discounts)

Less Administration Charge

Academic Result

< 5 weeks

Up to the end of two calendar days after the programme start date.

Refund period

(Not started)

75%

25%

No result recorded

≥ 5 weeks < 3

Months

Up to the end of five calendar days after the programme start date.

Refund period

(Not started)

 

75%

25%

No result recorded

3 months or more

Up to the end of the 10th working day after the programme start date.

Refund period

 

75%

25%

No result recorded

All enrolments

Notification of visa/permit having been declined.

Early withdrawal with a refund (A visa or visa extension is not granted)

 

100%

$Nil.

No result recorded

For enrolments where a student has a visa for less than the academic year.

Notification of a visa/permit having been declined after the 10th working day of the programme start date.

- Withdrawal for components that have started, and - Early withdrawal for components that have not started

(A visa or visa extension is not granted)

 

$Nil for components that have started.

 

100% for components that have not started.

$Nil.

No result recorded

Multi-year enrolments where a student has a visa for one academic year but less than the total duration of the programme.

Notification of a visa/permit having been declined after the 10th working day of the programme start date.

- Withdrawal for components that have started, and - Early withdrawal for components that have not started

(A visa or visa extension is not granted)

 

$Nil for components that have started.

 

100% for components that have not started.

$Nil.

No result recorded

All enrolments

A student wishes to transfer to another institution

Notice is received by the Registry team before the programme start date.

Early Withdrawal

(Not started)

75%

25%

No result recorded

All enrolments

No show/contact.

Early Withdrawal

(Not started)

$Nil.

N/A

No academic record

All enrolments

At any time.

Failure to Achieve

$Nil.

N/A

No academic record

All enrolments: Programme/ Component transfer within the Institution

When the delegated programme lead approves the transfer.

Transfer

Difference between the programme and course fees, if applicable

N/A

Academic record stands

All enrolments

Deferral up to 10

working days

after

programme

start date.

Deferral

No additional cost

N/A

No academic record

All enrolments:

withdrawal due to academic progress or disciplinary procedures

After the programme start date.

Exclusion / Suspension

$Nil.

N/A

Did Not Complete (DNC) or

grades attained

All enrolments:

fraudulent information supplied by the learner

At any time.

Exclusion / Suspension

75%

25%

No result recorded

All enrolments

Compassionate reasons

At any time.

Compassionate

Amount as approved by the delegated authority

N/A

Academic record stands

All enrolments

After the refund period but before 80% of the  component duration is completed.

Withdrawal

$Nil.

$Nil.

Withdrawn

All enrolments

After 80% of the  component duration completed.

Any withdrawal from a programme

will not be

$Nil.

$Nil.

Did Not Complete (DNC) or

Grade

Attained

All enrolments

Final result entered or programme completed

Any withdrawal from a programme

will not be processed in the

SMS

$Nil.

$Nil.

Result or Grade attained

All enrolments

FSA ceases to be a provider and/or signatory, cancels or postpones a programme/

At any time.

Not started

100% refund or credit to another programme for

components not delivered.

N/A

N/A