a student enrolled in a course of study with a VET student loan scheme provider; or

a prospective student, or a former student, in relation to such a course.

(a) an approved course provider within the meaning of the VET Student Loans Act 2016, including a body that has been (but is no longer) such a provider; or

(b) a VET provider within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003, including a body that has been (but is no longer) such a provider.

to conduct investigations, and make recommendations and other reports, under this Part in relation to the following:

VET loan assistance;

(ii) compliance by VET student loan scheme providers with the VET Student Loans Act 2016, the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and any legislative instruments under either of those Acts;

to give VET student loan scheme providers advice and training about the best practice for the handling of complaints made to them by VET students in relation to VET loan assistance;

to develop and promote, and to review from time to time, a code of practice relating to the following:

the provision of services to VET students by VET student loan scheme providers in relation to VET loan assistance;

the handling of complaints made by VET students to VET student loan scheme providers in relation to VET loan assistance;

to perform any other function conferred on the VET Student Loans Ombudsman by this Act or another Act, or a legislative instrument made under this Act or another Act.

VET student loan scheme providers;

vocational education and training industry groups;

vocational education and training student bodies;

Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies and other bodies with responsibilities in relation to vocational education and training, including the following:

(i) the Department responsible for the administration of the VET Student Loans Act 2016;

(ii) the National VET Regulator within the meaning of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011;

State and Territory bodies with responsibility for registering vocational education and training providers.

(a) a VET student loan within the meaning of the VET Student Loans Act 2016; or

(b) VET FEE-HELP assistance within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

inform himself or herself on any matter in any way he or she thinks fit; and

consult with anyone he or she thinks fit; and

receive written or oral information or submissions.

in relation to a complaint made under section 20ZP; or

on his or her own initiative.

by a VET student; or

on behalf of a VET student.

give notice to the complainant of the referral; and

give the other body any information or documents that relate to the complaint and that are in the possession or under the control of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman.

the complaint is frivolous or vexatious, or was not made in good faith; or

the complainant does not have a sufficient interest in the subject matter of the complaint; or

an investigation, or further investigation, of the action is not warranted having regard to all the circumstances; or

the complainant has not yet raised the subject matter of the complaint with the VET student loan scheme provider; or

the action came to the complainant’s knowledge more than 3 years before the complaint was made; or

the complainant has, or had, a right to cause the action to be reviewed by a court or by a tribunal constituted by or under an enactment but has not exercised that right.

(a) the definition of authorized person in subsection 3(1) (interpretation);

(b) section 7 (complaints);

section 7A (preliminary inquiries);

section 8 (investigations), other than:

paragraph (7A)(b); and

subsections (8) to (12);

section 8A (investigations by Commonwealth and State Ombudsmen), other than subsections (1A) to (1D);

section 9 (power to obtain information and documents), other than:

paragraphs (1AA)(ab) and (ac); and

paragraph (4)(ab);

section 11A (powers of Federal Court of Australia), other than subsections (1) and (5);

section 12 (complainant and Department etc. to be informed);

section 13 (power to examine witnesses);

section 31 (staff), other than subsection (2);

Part IV (miscellaneous), other than the following:

subsections 34(1) to (2C) (delegation);

paragraph 35(1)(e) and (f) and subparagraph (3)(b)(ia) (officers to observe confidentiality);

subsection 35A(3) (disclosure of information by Ombudsman).

a place that is occupied by a VET student loan scheme provider; or

a place that is occupied by a VET student loan scheme officer of a VET student loan scheme provider predominantly for the purposes of:

carrying out the officer’s powers, duties and functions as an employee in the provider’s service, or a member of the provider’s staff; or

performing services for or on behalf of the provider.

is employed in the service of the provider; or

is a member of the staff of the provider, whether or not the person is employed by the provider; or

performs services for or on behalf of the provider.

in disclosing information, or making a statement, under subsection 35A(1) (disclosure of information by Ombudsman); or

in referring to an investigation in a report under section 20ZX (annual and other reports by the VET Student Loans Ombudsman).

an investigation under this Act into action taken by a VET student loan scheme provider has been completed; and

the VET Student Loans Ombudsman is of the opinion that the action taken:

appears to have been contrary to law; or

was unreasonable, unjust, oppressive or improperly discriminatory; or

was otherwise, in all the circumstances, wrong; and

the VET Student Loans Ombudsman is of the opinion that:

some particular action could be, and should be, taken to rectify, mitigate or alter the effects of the action taken; or

a policy or practice on which the action taken was based should be altered; or

reasons should have been, but were not, given for the action taken; or

any other thing should be done in relation to the action taken.

must include in the report his or her reasons for the opinions specified in the report; and

may also include in the report any recommendations he or she thinks fit to make.

the report; and

any comments given under subsection (5).

the report; and

any comments given under subsection (5).

the VET Student Loans Ombudsman has given a report under section 20ZV to a VET student loan scheme provider (together with any comments by the provider under that section); and

action that is, in the opinion of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman, adequate and appropriate in the circumstances is not taken with respect to the matters and recommendations included in the report within a reasonable time after the report was given to the VET student loan scheme provider.

(a) give a copy of the report and any comments to the Minister administering the VET Student Loans Act 2016 (if not already given to that Minister under 20ZV(7)); and

request that Minister to cause copies of the report and any comments to be laid before each House of the Parliament.

on the operations of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman during a part of a year; or

in relation to any matter relating to, or arising in connection with, the exercise of the powers, or the performance of the functions, of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman.

section 19 of this Act; or

(b) Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013;section 46 of the

set out the number of complaints received by the VET Student Loans Ombudsman under this Part during that period; and

if the VET Student Loans Ombudsman has investigated any matters under paragraph 20ZO(a)—set out:

the number of such investigations started during that period; and

the number of such investigations completed during that period; and

if the VET Student Loans Ombudsman has investigated any matters under paragraph 20ZO(b)—set out:

the number of such investigations started during that period; and

the number of such investigations completed during that period; and

set out:

the number of times the VET Student Loans Ombudsman has made a requirement of a person under section 9 during that period; and

the circumstances in which each of those requirements was made.

details of the circumstances and number of occasions during that period when the VET Student Loans Ombudsman decided, under section 20ZQ, to refer a matter to another body; and

details of recommendations made during that period in reports under section 20ZV; and

statistical information about actions taken during that period as a result of such recommendations; and

details of action that the VET Student Loans Ombudsman took during the period to promote best practice in dealing with complaints; and

details of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman’s observations during the period regarding:

any trends in complaints; or

any broader issues that arise from investigations.

gives information to the VET Student Loans Ombudsman (other than in accordance with a requirement under section 9); or

gives a document or other record to the VET Student Loans Ombudsman (other than in accordance with a requirement under section 9).

section 20ZV (reports to VET student loan scheme providers);

section 20ZW (Minister to table reports about VET student loan scheme providers in Parliament);

section 20ZX (annual and other reports by the VET Student Loans Ombudsman).

(b) if the VET Student Loans Ombudsman is an approved external dispute resolution scheme operator—the VET Student Loans Ombudsman or a member of the staff of the VET Student Loans Ombudsman (see Ombudsman Act 1976); orPart IIE of the

in any case—a person who performs services for or on behalf of an approved external dispute resolution operator.

the scheme is taken to be operated by the VET Student Loans Ombudsman; and

all approved course providers are taken to be members of the scheme.

for the financial year starting on 1 July 2016—$744,363,000; and

for the financial year starting on 1 July 2017—$746,852,000; and

for the financial year starting on 1 July 2018—$736,179,000; and

for the financial year starting on 1 July 2019—$747,812,000.