I’m pretty sure there were a few more…noticed Melbourne International College isn’t on there. This might be just the most recent ones.

Dear Student,

ACPET must advise that after a long investigation of Meridian records provided to us we have been unable to locate all student transcripts.

This means that if you have not:

a.       Received an academic transcript by post by end of March 2010

b.      Received an academic transcript by email by end of March 2010

c.       Been advised by your new college that they have an academic transcript in your name then your transcript is not obtainable through ACPET.

As we are not a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and do not have academic records to verify your studies at Meridian we cannot issue new transcripts.

If you require further assistance with transcripts you will need to contact the state accreditation and regulatory body.

For Victoria:

VRQA: Tel: (03) 9637 2806 or http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/contact.htm

For other information regarding this closure please visit the ACPET website. The ACPET website will be updated regularly.

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

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 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.

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

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 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.

They’re absolutely useless.

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.

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.

On the ACPET website:

Meridian, Melbourne

EMAILS:

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 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.

Details on the ACPET website

Gold Coast news

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.

Manly Daily news
Details on the ESOS Assurance Fund website