General FAQs
Where can schedule of courses, intakes and course sessions can be found?
All course schedules, intakes, academic and non-academic events are displayed on the individual course calendars on the course page via this website.
The Envirotech front office team is always available to assist you with any enquiries, so feel free to communicate directly to your Envirotech office to receive any updates regarding your individual course schedule or other campus-related events. Envirotech publishes information on different non-academic events via our social media platforms.
Where can course details and fee information be located?
All course information details, inclusive of fees are located on the individual course pages on the website. Envirotech complete course price list booklet can be emailed as a PDF brochure by submitting a form on this page:
https://resources.envirotech.edu.au/studywithus
What is the Student Handbook and where can I get it?
The student handbook is essential to document students are required to read, understand and become familiar with. The Student Handbook is regularly being updated and it can be found as an electronic version at the start of this section. The Student Handbook is always available for our students to refer to on their e-learning platform account, as well as being available to download from our website http://envirotech.edu.au/en/about-us/forms/
Our Student Handbook contains important information for students about the Australian Educational Framework, Envirotech requirements, student rights and obligations, services provided, important community links and much more.
What is the Induction/Orientation day and why is it mandatory?
The Induction and Orientation at Envirotech are scheduled at the beginning of each course intake and is delivered during the first day of the induction when students are officially welcomed as Envirotech students. The duration of the Induction and Orientation may vary from one day to one full week, depending on the course of enrolment and the academic content that is required for the specific course of study.
What is the required attendance?
Vocational Educational Training (VET) students must attend classes at least twice per week according to the courses’ timetable.
Students are able to monitor their own attendance performance via their student portal.
What is the minimum academic grade to pass the course?
Envirotech assessments are competency-based. To be competent in the course, the students must successfully answer all assignments of each unit of competency. Students must complete all required units with a Competency grade to receive their national registered certificate.
How can I stay up to date with my students’ progress?
The Envirotech eLearning platform provides students with 24/7 access to their course materials and a student dashboard that is designed to support the students in staying up-to-date with their real-time academic progress and encourage them towards completion. Students can track their progress and completion report, and have an attractive colourful dashboard to engage them to achieve a ‘Green and Clean’ view (green for completion and clean from overdue assessment), the dashboard also contains all the information a student needs to easily navigate and understand what needs to be done. The dashboard is being covered on orientation day and is explained in further detail by the facilitator.
Domestic Student FAQ's
Does Envirotech team provide employment support services?
The short answer is YES. Envirotech Education provides several services to support, and develop, our students’ employment prospects. Follow this link to read more about the support provided. http://envirotech.edu.au/en/studentsportal/student-services/
subsidised courses?
YES. Envirotech Education offer Government-subsidised courses under the VET Investment Plan and various programs which include Certificate III Guarantee and User Choice. There are eligibility requirements for each funding stream. To find out if you are eligible, please contact our office on 07 5535 3766.
Certificate III Guarantee
The Queensland Department of Education launched an initiative to upskill the population of Queensland by supporting the completion of one Vocational Qualification at a Certificate 3 level or above. Eligibility criteria apply to complete a funded course.
Are you eligible?
· Are you an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or holder of a permanent visa?
· Are you a Queensland resident?
· No longer enrolled in school?
· Are you 15 years of age or older?
· Not enrolled in, or have not ever completed a post-school qualification, apprenticeship or traineeship at Certificate III level or higher?
· Do you currently hold a Pension or Health Care card issued by Centrelink?
To find out if you are eligible for Certificate III Guarantee funding, please contact our office on 07 5535 3766.
VET STUDENT LOANS FAQs
How does a VET Student Loan work?
If you are eligible, you can access a VET Student Loan up to a certain amount (called a loan cap) for a range of eligible courses. The Commonwealth has determined a FEE Help Limit of $100,879.00 per student ( as at July 1st 2017) to complete qualifications utilising the VET Student Loan scheme.
Envirotech Education receives your tuition fees from the Australian Government and you repay your loan through the Australian tax system. When your income reaches the repayment threshold, you start making repayments until you have repaid the whole loan amount.
A VET Student Loan is only for tuition fees, and doesn't cover additional study costs such as your text books, materials and accommodation, if applicable.
What are Loan Caps?
- A Loan Cap is the maximum dollar amount for the qualification which will be paid to the training organisation by the Commonwealth for the delivery and training of the respective qualification. There are three bands of Loan Caps, $5000, $10,000 and $15,000, which will apply irrespective of whether the course is being delivered face-to-face, online, or via mixed delivery modes. The Commonwealth sets the Loan Caps for each course.
- Training Providers can charge fees above the Loan Cap to deliver and train their qualification, which is NOT covered by the Commonwealth, and remains the responsibility of the student to pay directly to the training provider.
- If you are eligible for a VET Student Loan, you will be entitled for a loan up to the specified Loan Cap amount per course.
What is a CENSUS Date?
A census date is a set date after your class intake starts where you will accrue an amount under the VET Student Loan program, which will be paid to the education provider for the current Unit of Study you are enrolled in. It is the final date where you must have supplied all of your documents and the eCAF form.
It is the last date you are able to withdraw from the qualification without being charged a HELP Debt/Liability. Once this date has passed and you wish to withdraw from the qualification and do not have a "Compelling Circumstance" which you can explain to the education provider confidently as to why you should not be charged the course cost, you will still be required to pay this HELP Debt/Liability back to the Government.
See our Deferment, Suspension, Cancellation of Enrolment and Leave of Absence Policy for more detail.
What is a CHESSN?
Your CHESSN is your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number. It is a unique identifier/identifying number that stays with you for the whole of your student life. Your CHESSN helps providers and the Australian Government provide you with information about any Commonwealth assistance (scholarships or HELP loans) you may have used.
What is an eCAF?
An eCAF is an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form and you cannot obtain FEE HELP with completing one of these.
To apply for a FEE-HELP loan, you will need a tax file number (TFN) and a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form which will be sent to you via a link from us once you have completed the enrolment process and decided to use FEE HELP to complete the course. Before you sign and submit your form you must read the FEE-HELP information booklet. The form will ask you to provide your TFN. If you don't have a TFN, you can give us a Certificate of application for a TFN. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) after you have applied for a TFN. Contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for TFN information.
You must submit the signed and completed form to us before the census date or administrative date. If you do not submit your form on or before the census date, you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.
Note: You have six weeks from the census date of a unit to correct any errors on your form that would prevent you from being eligible for FEE-HELP.
International Students FAQs
What is a COE?
COE stands for Confirmation of Enrolment, a document summarising services Envirotech undertake to provide under agreement to an international student. The COE outlines course details, inclusive of start and end dates, course fees, representing agents, how much the student paid towards the course as deposit, the course location, etc.
The COE is required for the visa application of an international student and the student visa is in most cases granted for the course duration with an additional two months after the course end date.
Is an international student required to pay a deposit to get a COE?
Yes, a deposit is required in order to receive a COE*. Students on scholarship programs will have a ‘Nil’ deposit, and will receive their CoE representing that they made no payment towards their course of study. Please, contact our enrolments team for further information.
The deposit your will pay for your CoE will demonstrate your commitment to study, and is usually expected to be at least 25% from course fees.
How long will it take to get a COE from Envirotech?
Envirotech conducts a comprehensive pre-enrolment assessment and requires its prospective students to submit a set of forms, questionaries' and evidence of previous education and work experience as part of the enrolment process. As soon as all required documents are received, COE will be processed and sent electronically to the student and any representing agency. Depends on how quick you will provide all your information, your CoE will be issued.
How long will it take to get an Offer Letter from Envirotech?
Prospective students are required to complete Envirotech’s Online Enrolment Form and upload to the application relevant supporting documentation, such as their: CV, all previous educational certifications, health cover, English language testing scores, financial capacity, statement of purpose, passport data page, etc. Offers are normally being processed at the same day of the complete application being submitted and an enrolment officer will contact the prospective student to conduct a short telephone interview.
How long is the processing time for a Student Visa 500?
Once a student visa Subclass 500 is lodged, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) will process it in accordance with its level of risk. It is recommended that to allow at least one month for the processing of student visa applications from low risk level countries and for counties of higher risk level it is recommended that application is submitted to the DIBP three months prior to course commencement. Please, refer to the DIBP Website for more information regarding visa processing time. https://www.border.gov.au/Busi/Educ/simplified-student-visa
What OSHC provider does Envirotech work with?
OSHC stands for Overseas Students Health Cover, a mandatory medical cover designed to support international students during their entire stay in Australia as international students.
Envirotech has an agreement with NIB, which is an approved OSHC provider in Australia.
The OSHC policy is a mandatory requirement for the application of a student visa in Australia. Envirotech will organise its prospective students with a medical coverage policy for the entire course duration plus two months after the course end date. In the case that students have their own medical cover preferences, they are required to send a copy of the policy covering the duration of the selected course plus two months to receive the COE.
What documents should be submitted when applying for a Student Visa 500?
There are certain documents that are mandatory for making a valid student visa application, this includes your passport data page, the Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
According to your country of risk, you will have to submit additional specific evidence. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) provides an online tool where you can see what evidence you will be required to submit with your student’s visa application. The DIBP is entitled to ask you for additional evidence if the case officer deems so to be necessary.
Envirotech recommends that student visa applicants will submit the same evidentiary requirements that were required by Envirotech for the student admission assessment.
The DIBP maintains an online tool that supports prospective students to assess their level if application risk and which documents they should submit with their application. This is mainly influenced by their country of residence and choice of course study. You can access the tool here. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/500-
What are the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Criteria?
Envirotech assesses students against the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) and Genuine Student (GS) criteria during the admission process to determine students’ genuine intentions towards their course of a student, educational journey in Australia and intention to comply with their course and for international students, visa requirements.
Assessment factors that are included in the application, include:
- Reason for choosing to undertake the intended course at Envirotech
- Reason for choosing to study in Australia and on the Gold Coast/Byron Bay rather than in your home country
- Relevance of the course to your previous studies and/or work experience
- Your future career and educational plan
- Your incentives to return to your home country upon completion of your studies in Australia
- History of compliance with previous overseas stays and previous academic pathways
The situation in country of residence
We request prospective students to submit Envirotech with a statement of purpose addressing the above questions to demonstrate that they would meet the GTE assessment criteria.
Using an Education Agent for the Admission Process
Only Envirotech registered Education Agents are permitted to support your admission application to study with Envirotech. Envirotech maintains an updated list of Registered Agents on the website. You can access a list of approved education agents for different countries and nationalities on the Envirotech website: http://envirotech.edu.au/en/agents/registered-agents/
How long is the processing time for a Student Visa 500?
Once a student visa Subclass 500 is lodged, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) will process it in accordance with its level of risk. It is recommended that to allow at least one month for the processing of student visa applications from low risk level countries and for counties of higher risk level it is recommended that application is submitted to the DIBP three months prior to course commencement. Please, refer to the DIBP Website for more information regarding visa processing time. https://www.border.gov.au/Busi/Educ/simplified-student-visa
Does the student need to make a deposit to get a COE?
Yes, a deposit is required in order to receive a COE*. Students on scholarship programs will have a ‘Nil’ deposit and receive their CoE without any payment. Please, contact our enrolments team for further information.
http://envirotech.edu.au/en/about-us/contact-us/
*Confirmation of Enrolment
How long will it take to get a COE from Envirotech?
As soon as all required documents are received, COE will be processed in a timely manner.
How long will it take to get an Offer Letter from Envirotech?
Once you complete the Online Enrolment Form, please send us an email identifying yourself as the student’s representative so we can direct all correspondence to you. Offers are normally being processed at the same day of the complete application being submitted
What are the visas Envirotech works with?
Envirotech has vast experience dealing with Student/ Working Holiday/ Partner visa holders and offshore applications.
What are the refund and cancellation policies?
The Envirotech team is always on the move to provide Agencies and Students with the best customer service and experience. Each situation is assessed on a case to case basis. Please, refer to our refund policy in our Forms section.
How do I get the details about the schedule of courses my students will take?
You can access the details of the course via this website, as well as our marketing materials. Our office team is always available to assist you with any enquiries, so feel free to communicate directly to your Envirotech point of contact to receive any updates regarding your students’ schedules. We will endeavour to keep you updated about our programs.
Where can the student find information about course details and fees?
Students can find all the details about the course of interest on the website by clicking here - http://envirotech.edu.au/en/faculties/
Do I have to speak in English with the Envirotech team?
While it is highly beneficial for all parties that communications, especially written are conducted in English, this is not a strict requirement. We have qualified multicultural staff, most of which are fluent in at least two languages. This enables us to offer a high level and personalized customer service in more than ten languages. Your regional international enrolment officer will most likely be able to talk with you in your language.