Universities and TAFEs

Universities and TAFEs provide higher education and training after high school. There are about nine public universities and a dozen TAFE institutes in Victoria. Some ‘dual sector’ universities also provide TAFE courses.

What is our role?

We can consider most complaints about Victorian public universities and TAFEs.

We encourage you to complain to your university or TAFE first. All universities and TAFEs have internal complaint and grievance procedures. You can contact your university or TAFE for more information about this.

If you’re not happy with how the university or TAFE responds to your complaint, we may be able to help.

We can take complaints from domestic and international students. If you are an international student and the decision made by the university or TAFE affects your visa status, you should tell them about your complaint to us. This is not something we will do on your behalf.

What type of complaints can we take?

If you have completed the complaints process at your university or TAFE (including any appeals available) and this has not resolved the issue, you can contact us.

We can take complaints about a range of issues, for example:

• enrolment and exclusion
• applications for special consideration
• changes to course structures
• disciplinary, complaint and appeal procedures
• remission of HECS debt
• recognised prior learning.

We will generally look at how the university or TAFE has responded to your complaint, including whether you have been treated fairly during the process. We do not conduct appeals or merit reviews of decisions.

We are unable to take complaints about private universities. If you are an international student and have a complaint about a private university, you can contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

We are also unable to take complaints about privately funded Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). These can be made to the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority or the Australian Skills Quality Authority, depending on which body the RTO is registered with.

Useful links

Information for people complaining about RTOs registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority

Information for people complaining about RTOs registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority

For international students complaining about private schools, colleges, institutes and universities, see the Commonwealth Ombudsman