Your rights and responsibilities

Student rights and responsibilities

The Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy outlines your rights, responsibilities and behavioural expectations. You should read it alongside the Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy and the Academic Integrity Policy.

If you are an international student, you have additional rights and responsibilities.

Student declaration

When you enrol at UTS, you sign the Student Declaration agreeing to certain responsibilities and acknowledging how UTS manages your information.

Student rules and policies

The Student Rules cover mandatory requirements for your time at UTS, including admissions, enrolment, assessments and examinations, and graduations. The rules also include details for student misconduct and appeals.

UTS also has many policies that apply to students. Visit Policies for all current policies and UTS Policy by classification: Students and learning for policies particularly relevant to students.

Rights and responsibilities for international students

As an international student in Australia, you have rights guaranteed by the Australian Government, as well as responsibilities set by UTS and the Australian Government.

For enquiries about your rights and responsibilities as an international student, or about your student visa, contact the UTS International student services team:

phone: +61 2 9514 1531
email: internationalstudent@uts.edu.au

Your rights as an international student

You have rights that are protected under the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) framework (opens an external site).

Under the framework, UTS must provide you with, or refer you to, accurate information about:

• Your course: including content, fees, entry requirements, duration, teaching methods and assessment, and the qualification or accreditation gained on completion
• The university: including the location of the campus and learning facilities
• Living in Sydney: including an indication of living costs and advice on school-aged dependants about payment of school fees
• Circumstances which may lead to your enrolment being suspended or cancelled: this information is provided in the Student Rules
• Support services: including information on orientation, accommodation, academic progress and further study, and information on counselling.

You will also be provided with a designated student contact officer from the UTS International student services team.

International students are also protected by the Tuition Protection Service (opens an external site) under the Australian Government legislation. The aim of this protection is to ensure that students receive the tuition they have paid for or, as a last resort, a refund.

Your responsibilities as an international student

As an international student, you must follow the conditions of your student visa. These conditions are governed by the Migration Regulations (opens an external site) and are enforced by the Department of Home Affairs.

Your responsibilities include:

Maintain enrolment and course progress

You must be enrolled in a full-time course for the full duration of your student visa. You are also expected to complete your course by the end date specified on your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). At UTS, this means:

• you must normally enrol in 24 credit points per teaching session or equivalent if you study onshore
• you can reduce your study load only in special circumstances if you are studying onshore, and
• you will be allowed to defer or take leave from your program only in special circumstances.

If you are identified as being at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress, you will be placed on early intervention following the release of results and you will receive an email notification to your UTS email account advising you to undertake certain activities to help improve your academic performance.

For more information, visit Academic progress and early intervention.

For information about how to apply to reduce your study load, visit Permission to reduce study load.

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

UTS can only issue you a new CoE (which is used to apply for a new student visa) in certain circumstances.

For more information, visit Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for international students.

Attend classes

You are expected to attend all scheduled lectures, tutorials and/or workshops. If you do not attend classes you may risk failing.

Achieve satisfactory results

All students at UTS are subject to rules and policies that govern satisfactory academic progress. UTS may terminate your enrolment if your academic progress is unsatisfactory. This will be a breach of the conditions of your visa, which has serious implications for your student visa and may affect future study in Australia.

Pay tuition fees on time

It is a requirement of your student visa that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and to pay for your studies in Australia. If you do not pay your tuition fees on time UTS may cancel your enrolment and notify the Department of Home Affairs for further action.

For information on paying tuition fees, visit Information about fees and costs.

Notify the university of any change of address

UTS and the Australian Government must be able to contact you while you are in Australia. You must notify UTS of your contact details (residential address, mobile number and email) and emergency contact via My Student Admin within 7 days of:

• your arrival in Australia, and
• any changes to these details while in Australia.

Other rights and responsibilities

There may be other conditions attached to your student visa that are not covered here because they do not form part of the ESOS framework. These include limitations on Working in Australia and requirements for health insurance.

It is your responsibility to comply with the conditions of your visa.

For further information, visit the Department of Home Affairs: Student visa (opens an external site).

Breaches

While it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with the conditions of your visa, UTS must also monitor your enrolment and notify the Department of Home Affairs of any breaches. This can lead to your visa being cancelled.

If you have any concerns, contact the UTS International student services team:

phone: +61 2 9514 1531
email: internationalstudent@uts.edu.au