Fees & Refunds
International Student's Tuition, Fees, and Charges
International students pay international student tuition fees which are different from domestic student tuition fees. All course fees are available on the individual course page.
Tuition Fees for commencing (new) international students must be paid as per the Letter of Offer terms, and before the issuing of the Confirmation of Enrolment. Tuition fees for continuing international students must be paid, as per invoice terms, by the first day of the term.
Course Tuition Fees
Course tuition fees will be subject to periodic increases. Tuition fee changes will be communicated to students through the website.
Failed and/or repeat units/subjects
International students will be charged for any units or subjects that are being repeated for any reason.
Fees by Instalment/Payment Extensions
International students will not be exempt from fees should they face financial hardship. But, and only in exceptional circumstances, international students may apply for an extension to their tuition fee due date or to pay their tuition fee by instalments as negotiate with the Institute. Any requests must be made before the fee payment is due and students will be required to attend a counselling session with Student Support.
Recognition of Prior Learning
International students, studying Vocational Education & Training (VET) courses are eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). It is preferred that students apply for RPL at the time of their initial application, but students may also do this after the commencement of their course, preferably within the first two weeks. The fee for RPL for international students is outlined in the Fees and Charges Schedule.
Additional/incidental Fees
Additional/ Incidental fees are additional to the international student tuition fee and maybe
- costs to purchase a good or service that is not essential for the student to complete the course of study.
- cost for a good or service that is essential to complete the course but is also made readily available at no additional fee (e.g. available in the library).
- a fee for an essential good or service that becomes the physical property of the student or for food, transport, and accommodation cost associated with, for example, field trips.
Students will be made aware of any additional or incidental fees before registration, and when these items will need to be purchased (for example, before commencement or after). Further details of additional fees will be provided during induction with the program area.
Fees and Charges Schedule
The Fees and Charges Schedule below is reviewed annually. It outlines all admission fees. and charges that students must pay in relation to Ironwood Institute services and processes.
Fees and Charges Schedule as of 1 January 2021
| Deferral Admission Fee | $0 |
| Recognition of Prior Learning Application Fee | 50% of unit cost |
| Assessment Resubmission |
If an assessment result is marked as Not Yet Competent (NYC) Resubmit in a unit of competency, students may be required to undergo re-assessment for the same unit and will be charged $100.00 per re-assessment. If the assessment result is marked as Not Yet Competent (NYC) Re-enrol in a unit of competency, students may be required to re-enrol in the same unit and may be charged the full unit’s fee calculated pro-rata from the course fee. |
| Re-issue of a qualification award and academic transcript | $30.00 |
| Re-issue of a Statements of Attainment | $20.00 |
| Re-issue of an Ironwood Student ID Card | $10.00 |
Exclusions: International Student Tuition Fees and International Student Tuition Refund Fees are not included in this Schedule. See the Refund Policy Overseas Students for the fees associated to refund requests.
Non-payment of Tuition and Other Fees
Students who do not pay against the Invoice Terms will be at risk of having their enrolment and registration cancelled for future study term, and having their Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) cancelled by the Institute.
Ironwood Institute will not allow international students with unpaid fees to re-enrol in any subsequent term unless alternative arrangements have been made (ie payment extensions).
International students with outstanding fees will have their results withheld and will not obtain an academic transcript or parchment from Ironwood Institute.
The Institute will follow the requirements of the ESOS Act in relation to unpaid tuition fees and cancelling COEs.
See also: Refunds of Tuition Fees
All refunds of tuition fees will comply with the International Students: Refund Policy and Refund Policy Table.
International Students Receiving Permanent Residency Status
Students, as at the date of the commencement of their term of study, who are still considered international students, but receive their PR status after the commencement, are not entitled to a refund of their current term’s tuition fee, as per the International Student: Tuition Fee Refund Policy.
Students who have paid for their term of study but have not yet commenced in that term of study will be entitled to a full refund of their tuition fee.
Overseas Student Health Cover
All international students must pre-purchase Overseas Student Health Cover as a requirement for their student visa.
It is a condition of student visas that international students and accompanying dependents must hold valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the entire duration of their study in Australia. The OSHC rate will vary depending on the personal circumstances and duration of stay in Australia. OSHC is a private health care arrangement, equivalent to Australia’s Medicare system, which helps cover the costs of medical treatments in and out of hospital, should you get sick or have an accident. Ironwood Institute recommends OSHC provider Allianz Partners. However, this recommendation does not restrict you from obtaining OSHC from a provider of your choice. A list of approved providers can be found on the Department of Health and Aging website If your education provider arranges your OSHC coverage, you will need to know the name of your health insurance provider, the date that your policy starts and finishes and should be aware of the terms and conditions of your policy. If you arrange OSHC coverage yourself, you will also need to know the policy number to include in the visa application.
Exceptions: You do not need OSHC if you are:
- a Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
- a Swedish student covered by Kammarkollegiet
- a Belgian student covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia.
If you are studying at more than one educational provider and both are arranging OSHC, you will have to ensure that there is no gap between policies. This means that as one policy expires the next commences immediately. If you have a child born after your arrival in Australia, and you only have a single OSHC policy you must change that to a family policy. If family members join you after your arrival in Australia, they will have to demonstrate that they have an OSHC policy for the duration of their visas.
International Student's Refunds
Ironwood Institute has adopted a refund policy that is fair to students who have valid reasons for requesting refunds and the refund processes for students are quick and streamlined. Ironwood’s refund policy observes the principles outlined in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), National Code 2018, and Tuition Protection Service (TPS).
Details concerning the scope of the Ironwood Institute Refund Policy are to be disseminated to prospective students before contractual arrangements being made. This dissemination is in the form of the Student Handbook, Application for Enrolment, and Letter of Offer.
Ironwood refund processes and the availability of complaints and appeals processes do not remove the right of the student to act under Australia’s consumer protection laws.
