Reply from ESOS – standard useless response
Dear student,
Please direct all emails about your enrolment into Meridian to:
meridian [at] deewr [dot] gov [dot] au
There is no need to send your same email to the ESOS Mailbox. Any email you send to the ESOS Mailbox can only be forwarded to the Meridian mailbox.
Updates regarding provider closures can be found on the ESOS website at:
http://aei.gov.au/esos . Attached is an update regarding the Meridian closure for your information that may answer some of the questions you have.
Your email has been forwarded to the correct email address (meridian [at] deewr [dot] gov [dot] au) and will be looked at by the people administrating that email box.
regards,
Belinda
ESOS Mailbox
International Quality Branch
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
This email document, including any attachments, is intended only for the use of the addressee. It may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. Any unauthorised use, transmission or disseminating of its content is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, or you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the email from your system.
DEEWR provides general information and assistance to providers and students on the National Code 2007 and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act. However such information or assistance should not be relied on as legal advice or as a substitute for legal advice. Students and providers should seek independent legal advice as appropriate.
PDF (184kb) – pretty much the same thing we got before
Still persisting
I sent this email earlier this afternoon
Hi ACPET
Any word on what’s in store for remaining students without a relocation offer? I have yet to receive one.
Thanks
And got a reply from them:
Thank you for your email. Please remain patient whilst we finalise your letter of offer. It should be coming to you shortly.
Kind regards,
ACPET Team
www.acpet.edu.au
PO Box 551, East Melbourne. VIC 8002
E: meridian.mel@acpet.edu.au Fax. 61 3 9416 1895Creating futures
For information from the ACPET website regarding this closure please copy and paste the link below into your Internet Browser:http://www.acpet.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6308&Itemid=403
The ACPET website will be updated on a regular basis.
Emailed ESOS 2 days ago and so far no reply
Shame on you, Australia.
Hi ESOS
I was one of the students affected in the Meridian Group college collapse (International Design School) which happened on the 1st week of November. It is now January and I still have not received any letter from them. Does this mean I won’t be able to continue my studies this February? What’s going to happen, do I just stop studying indefinitely?
Thanks
ACPET is a joke
5 days ago I emailed ACPET and copied ESOS
Hi
I still haven’t received any offer from ACPET. It’s been about 7 weeks now and I know you have a lot of students to relocate but it’s getting late and if you can’t find a college for me soon, I will have to enrol myself in a new college and at this point, I’m running out of time to send applications for the next intake (Feb/Mar). I’m supposed to wait on you to make your offer and as time passes, I’m running out of options and my hands are tied. Just tell me if you’re helping or if you’re just waiting for me to get fed up. I’m getting increasingly frustrated by how this whole situation is being handled. I just wanted value and quality education for the money that I have already paid. It doesn’t help when all you send are dehumanishing and canned scripts and email templates. It isn’t my fault that your country can’t regulate education providers properly, stop treating me as if I’m inconveniencing you.
To which they replied on the same day:
ACPET are still processing letters of offer. Letters are sent via email and post so please keep an eye on your emails and remember that the hardcopy (postal) letter of offer will take a few extra days to arrive.
It should arrive by Tuesday, 22nd of December.
We ask that you are more considerate of the work that ACPET have been doing. You are not an inconvenience, but you are one of 3000 students, all with individual circumstances. We have to send out email templates because we simply cannot address each email personally and be efficient. There are hundreds of emails sent to different email accounts across the country.
Please note the following regarding enrolling yourself:
Not all colleges are ACPET Members. If you decide to enrol yourself in another college without ACPETs assistance, you will disadvantage yourself in the following ways:
- ACPET cannot negotiate a credit-free tuition period for any money you may have lost as a result of your college closing.
- You may be waiving your rights under the Legislation to claim a refund from the ESOS Assurance Fund.
- The new college is entitled to charge full fees as per a normal student enrolment which means you may pay for the same qualification twice.
It is highly recommended that you wait for ACPETs relocation offer.
ACPET also request that you keep all communications with this office friendly and professional at all times.
Failure to do so will force ACPET to record this behaviour as a permanent record on your file, report you and cease all communications with you immediately.
Kind regards, ACPET Team www.acpet.edu.au PO Box 551, East Melbourne. VIC 8002 E: meridian.mel@acpet.edu.au Fax. 61 3 9416 1895 Creating futures For information from the ACPET website regarding this closure please copy and paste the link below into your Internet Browser: http://www.acpet.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6308&Itemid=403
The ACPET website will be updated on a regular basis.
So, yesterday I emailed them:
Hi
I still haven’t received any offer from ACPET. It’s been about 7 weeks now and I know you have a lot of students to relocate but it’s getting late and if you can’t find a college for me soon, I will have to enrol myself in a new college and at this point, I’m running out of time to send applications for the next intake (Feb/Mar). I’m supposed to wait on you to make your offer and as time passes, I’m running out of options and my hands are tied. Just tell me if you’re helping or if you’re just waiting for me to get fed up. I’m getting increasingly frustrated by how this whole situation is being handled. I just wanted value and quality education for the money that I have already paid. It doesn’t help when all you send are dehumanishing and canned scripts and email templates. It isn’t my fault that your country can’t regulate education providers properly, stop treating me as if I’m inconveniencing you.
Email from ACPET today:
If you are still waiting to receive your Letter of Offer, please note this process is still underway so do continue to check your emails and mailboxes this week and in January 2010 for your Letter.
Kind regards,
ACPET Team
www.acpet.edu.au
PO Box 551, East Melbourne. VIC 8002
E: meridian.mel@acpet.edu.au Fax. 61 3 9416 1895Creating futures
For information from the ACPET website regarding this closure please copy and paste the link below into your Internet Browser:http://www.acpet.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6308&Itemid=403
The ACPET website will be updated on a regular basis.
They’re absolutely useless.
Relocation offer from ACPET
Has anyone received theirs yet?
Frankly, I’m not really all that interested anymore as I’ve decided to go with a school that’s awesomely agreed to taking me in and letting me start in the second year of the course even if I haven’t completed the first year.
I don’t know if ACPET is truly doing their damnedest best to help the students, cos I sure as hell did not feel the love.
They replied straight away
I guess most of the students have either been offered relocation, have enrolled themselves in new colleges or are just plain waiting on ACPET’s decision. It sure this taking a long time. They did say it was going to take a month. They’ve got another week to come up with something.
Regarding my question about whether it’s possible to negotiate one’s own transfer to a new school, ACPET pretty much tells you to get fucked if you can’t wait for their offer.
Here is the information regarding enrolling yourself in another college without ACPET’s assistance: Not all colleges are ACPET Members. If you decide to enrol yourself in another college without ACPETs assistance, you will disadvantage yourself in the following ways:
- ACPET cannot negotiate a credit-free tuition period for any money you may have lost as a result of your college closing.
- You may be waiving your rights under the Legislation to claim a refund from the ESOS Assurance Fund.
- The new college is entitled to charge full fees as per a normal student enrolment which means you may pay for the same qualification twice.
It is highly recommended that you wait for ACPETs relocation offer.
Kind regards, ACPET Team www.acpet.edu.au PO Box 551, East Melbourne. VIC 8002 E: meridian.mel@acpet.edu.au Fax. 61 3 9416 1895 Creating futures For information from the ACPET website regarding this closure please copy and paste the link below into your Internet Browser: http://www.acpet.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6308&Itemid=403
The ACPET website will be updated on a weekly basis.
ACPET is busy this summer
I’m one of the hundreds (probably thousands) of students that are still waiting for a relocation offer.
On the ACPET website:
Meridian, MelbourneEMAILS:ACPET is currently managing over 3000 students across Australia who have been affected by the Meridian Group college closures.
ACPET anticipate it will take up to 48 hours for a detailed response to be sent to your email in response to you query, as this will enable ACPET to ensure we are giving you the correct information. ACPET apologise for any inconvenience this delay may cause you.
Note: Please make sure in your emails you tell us which school you attended (e.g. Meridian International Hotel School) so we can assist you appropriately.
But having said that, I did receive a response from them straight away when I emailed earlier. I wanted to know if I could facilitate my own transfer to an ACPET-affiliated school and whether that still makes me eligible for ACPET’s assistance in qualifying for the credit-free tuition period.
ACPET relocate students to a new college when a college has failed to provide the course before its completion. ACPET relocate students to a suitable alternative course at a new college. In the case of a college closure if a student has prepaid tuition fees for tuition not given, the student will be given a credit-free tuition period at a new college under the Tuition Assurance Scheme.
If you have money owing to the closed college you will be required to pay this outstanding money to your new college.
ACPET will also certainly relocate you to a college which is affiliated with ACPET
Kind regards,
ACPET Team
www.acpet.edu.au
PO Box 551, East Melbourne. VIC 8002
E: meridian[dot]mel[at]acpet[dot]edu[dot]au
Fax. 61 3 9416 1895Creating futures
For information from the ACPET website regarding this closure please copy and paste the link below into your Internet Browser:
http://www.acpet.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6308&Itemid=403
The ACPET website will be updated on a weekly basis.
Another one bites the dust
Looks like the college collapse nightmare is not over. Maewill English College in NSW and Queensland closed last week.
UP to 200 international students are thousands of dollars out of pocket after an illegally operated Gold Coast English college they were studying at was shut down by the Federal Government.
ACPET’s board members own or manage their own private schools
ALL of them own or are directors of private schools and colleges. I guess when one school shuts down, they stand to benefit by relocating those displaced students to their own schools. Seems like it’s less a tuition assurance scheme for students, and more of an insurance company for private schools in Australia.
KAYE GANLEY
National Chair
Director representing Queensland since 2002
CEO, Charlton Brown
JOHN MARTIN CASS
Deputy National Chair
Director Representing NSW since 2008
Director, JMC Academy
LARRY DAVIES
Director representing WA (since 2007)
CEO Directions
TRACY EDINGTON-MACKAY
Director representing Tasmania since 2008
National Business Development Manager, Australian College of Training
MARK LUCAS
General Board Member since 2008
Managing Director, iAE Global Ltd
JULIE MOSS
General Board Member since 1998
Managing Director, Photography Studies College
JULIANA STACKPOOL
Director representing Victoria since 2009
Executive Officer, Headmasters Advanced Academy Training
RICHARD TEO
Director representing NT since 2008
Chief Executive of Seafood & Maritime Industries Training Ltd
TANYA VISCARIELLO
Director representing SA since 2008
CEO, International College of Cosmetic Technology and Business Studies
RUSSELL WELCH
General Board Member since 2008
Director, John Paul International College (Qld)
How sad is that?
ACPET rejected proposal to allow students to complete the last 2 weeks of term
Full article here.
A number of Meridian staff members were reported as having kindly offered to voluntarily run the courses for 14 days, so that students will be able to complete the remaining two weeks of the year. However, this proposal has been rejected by ACPET.
Why??
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