VET Student Loans (External Dispute Resolution Scheme) Specification 2017

I, Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training, make the following legislative instrument.

Dated   23 May  2017

Simon Birmingham

Minister for Education and Training

Contents

1  Name 

2  Commencement

3  Authority

4  Definitions

5  Specification of external dispute resolution scheme

6  Specification of external dispute resolution scheme operator

1  Name

  This is the VET Student Loans (External Dispute Resolution Scheme) Specification 2017.

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences on 1 July 2017.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 42A of the VET Student Loans Act 2016.

4  Definitions

  In this instrument:

approved course provider has the same meaning as given in the VET Student Loans Act 2016             

Commonwealth Ombudsman means the office established by the Ombudsman Act 1976

HESA means the Higher Education Support Act 2003

VET FEE-HELP Assistance has the same meaning as given in the HESA

VET provider has the same meaning as given in the HESA

VET student loan has the same meaning as given in the VET Student Loans Act 2016

VSL Act means the VET Student Loans Act 2016  

VET Student Loans Ombudsman means the office established by the amendments to the Ombudsman Act 1976 as set out in Schedule 1 of the Education and Other Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2017

5  Specification of external dispute resolution scheme

(1)    For subsection 42A(1) of the VSL Act, I specify the VET Student Loans Ombudsman as the scheme that provides for investigation and resolution of disputes relating to:

1. VET student loans
2. compliance by approved course providers with the VSL Act
3. VET FEE-HELP assistance
4. compliance by VET providers with the HESA.

6  Specification of external dispute resolution scheme operator

 (1) For subsection 42A(2) of the VSL Act, I specify that the person who holds the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is the operator of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman scheme.