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3.1 – Grievance procedures
Providers must have a grievance procedure for dealing with complaints about non-academic matters from both students and persons who seek to enrol with the provider.
Providers must also have a grievance procedure for dealing with complaints about academic matters from students [HESA paragraphs 19‑45(1)(a) and (b)].
Non‑Table A providers grievance procedures must comply with the requirements of the HEP Guidelines [HESA subsection 19-45(2)].
This includes, but is not limited to, having at least three stages in the grievance process (i.e. formal complaint, internal review of complaints, external review of decisions made following the internal review process), allowing complainants to be accompanied and assisted by a third party if desired and keeping records of all grievances for at least five years. Grievance procedures must be published and made publicly available [HESA subsection 19-45(6)].
3.2 – Review procedures
Providers must have review procedures for dealing with review of decisions made by the provider [HESA paragraph 19‑45(1)(c)], for example:
- decisions about re-crediting a person’s HELP balance [part 43]
- decisions that undertaking a unit of study will impose an unreasonable study load on a student [HESA section 36-12] [part 20.3 and 43]; and
- decisions that special circumstances apply to a person [HESA section 36-20] [part 43]
A full list of decisions which can be subject to review is available at HESA section 206-1. The review procedures must comply with the requirements of the HEP Guidelines [HESA subsection 19‑45(3)] and be published and made publicly available [HESA paragraph 19‑45(6)]. A provider must also publish information about all other complaint mechanisms students may use to complain about the provider’s decisions [part 43.1] [HESA subsection 19-45(7)].