As a currently enrolled student, you can be sponsored (i.e. have your course fees paid) by your employer or by a third party organisation that agrees to meet your financial responsibilities.

Related

Sponsorship agreements

The student and the sponsor must submit a completed External sponsorship agreement form.

Sponsorship agreements can be submitted from the time of enrolment, up to the relevant HE census date or VET/TAFE census date. They can be submitted either:

Signing these forms indicates entry into a third party contract between the sponsor, student and Victoria University.

Validity of sponsorship agreement

Each sponsorship agreement is valid for the period stated on each form.

When this period ends, the student and sponsor will need to submit a new agreement.

The sponsor is liable for all specified fees incurred up to the end of the sponsorship agreement or at the point of termination of the agreement, if it is terminated early.

Definitions

Census date refers to the last day which a student can withdraw from a unit without being financially liable for that unit. VU refers to Victoria University.

General

  1. Each student must complete a separate sponsorship agreement.
  2. Any extension of a sponsorship beyond the term of the sponsorship will require the completion of a new agreement.
  3. The sponsor will advise VU in writing of any change of its name, address or other contact details as soon as is practicable.
  4. VU may perform credit checks on a sponsor.

Termination of sponsorship by the sponsor and the student

  1. The sponsor must advise VU by emailing sponsorships@vu.edu.au if it wishes to withdraw its sponsorship during the term of the sponsorship.

Refunds

  1. The sponsor will only be entitled to a refund of course fees pertaining to a sponsored unit/course if either of the following occur by the census date:
    a. VU receives an email from a sponsor stating that the sponsor wishes to withdraw its sponsorship for that unit/course.
    b. the student submits to VU a withdrawal form for that unit/course; or
    c. After the census date, if VU receives an email stating that the sponsor wishes to withdraw its sponsorship, the sponsor will remain liable for all incurred fees as at the census date. The student will be liable for fees incurred for such subsequent study periods
    d. Where the student chooses to withdraw from a sponsored unit of study or the sponsored course before the census date, the withdrawal will result in a credit being raised against the sponsor.

Amendments to enrolment

  1. Where VU chooses to cancel a unit of study before the commencement of teaching, VU will withdraw the student from the cancelled unit and contact the student to select a replacement unit that contributes to the sponsored course.
  2. Unless the sponsor has indicated that its sponsorship does not cover such units:
    a. the sponsor will be liable for fees relating to such replacement units; and
    b. a new invoice will be issued to the sponsor for payment where the addition of such replacement units results in an increase in the student’s overall sponsored fees.
  3. Where the student chooses to enrol in a unit that does not contribute to the sponsored course, an invoice will be generated and issued to the student for payment.

Student obligations

The student:

  1. Is personally liable for any fees which the sponsor has not agreed to pay.
  2. Is personally liable for any fees which the sponsor has agreed to pay, but does not pay, by the due date.
  3. Is responsible for obtaining the sponsor’s approval for any extension to the term or scope of sponsorship.

Victoria University responsibilities

  1. VU will advise the sponsor and student if the sponsorship has not been accepted.

Payment terms

  1. The sponsor must pay invoices within 30 days from the date of their issue. If payment in full is not received in time, then from that date the student and sponsor are jointly and severally liable for the invoiced amount and VU can pursue the student or sponsor or both for the invoiced amount.

Consequence of payment default

If the sponsor has defaulted on payment, VU may:

  1. refuse to accept any further sponsorship enrolments with the sponsor in relation to the student or other students; and
  2. withhold any results from both the student and the sponsor until all outstanding fees are paid.

Related

A sponsor invoice that list all fees owing for each sponsored student will be issued to the sponsor once the agreement has been processed.

Payment

Sponsors must provide full payment of the sponsored fees by the specified due date on each invoice.

Where full payment is not received by the due date, an encumbrance will be placed on each outstanding student’s record. This encumbrance will prevent the student from:

  • receiving their assessment results
  • enrolling into additional units
  • graduating.

Internal sponsorship for VU staff members

If you are currently employed at Victoria University and believe that you should be sponsored for your course, please contact sponsorships@vu.edu.au directly for more information.

Your sponsor can complete the internal sponsor agreement form (A89).

Contact sponsorships@vu.edu.au for a student acknowledgement letter template.