Providers and partners

Student withdrawals and refunds

This page has withdrawal and refund information for students at a private training establishment.

Refunds depend on the type of student you are, and the length of your course. To decide which category applies, access the Student Fee refund Flow Chart (GIF, 50KB).

Courses less than three months in duration

For both domestic and international students, the following withdrawal periods and refund amounts for courses under 3 months applies:

Course length	Withdrawal period	Refund amount
For courses of two days or less	None	Any refund is at the PTE's discretion
For courses of more than two days but under five weeks	Up to the end of two calendar days of the course commencing	A minimum of 50% of the amount the student paid in respect of the course
For courses of five weeks or more but less than three months	Up to the end of five calendar days of the course commencing	A minimum of 75% of the amount the student paid in respect of the course

Course means a programme or micro-credential in which a student is enrolled.

Legislative references

For domestic students, the withdrawal periods and refund amounts are specified by NZQA, under section 357(3) of the Education and Training Act 2020.

For international students, the withdrawal periods and refund amounts are specified by NZQA, under section 529(1)(c) and (d) of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Courses longer than three months

If you are enrolled in a course that takes more than three months to complete, the withdrawal period and refund amount will depend on whether you are a domestic or international student.

Set out below are the minimum requirements. A private training establishment (PTE) may set a refund policy that allows for amounts greater than what is set out here.

To decide which category applies, access the Student Fee refund Flow Chart (GIF, 50KB).

Domestic students

Domestic students are entitled to a refund if they withdraw from a programme or micro-credential that is at least three months long, and the withdrawal occurs up to the end of the eighth day after the start of the course.

The PTE must refund an amount equal to the sum of the amount paid less a deduction of the lesser of 10 per cent of the fees paid or $500.

For domestic students, the withdrawal periods and refund amounts are specified by NZQA, under section 357(2) of the Education and Training Act 2020.

If the student stops participating in their course during the withdrawal period, and does not resume study later on, they are also entitled to be treated as if they had withdrawn in the withdrawal period (see Rule 4.2 of the Student Fee Protection Rules 2022).

International students

International students are entitled to a refund if they withdraw from a programme or micro-credential that is at least three months long, and the withdrawal occurs up to the end of the tenth working day after the first day on which the PTE requires the student to attend the establishment.

The PTE may deduct up to 25 per cent of the fees paid, provided the PTE incurred costs to this amount and can justify these costs.

As per section 529(1)(a) and (b) of the Education and Training Act and as set out in the Education (Refund Requirements for International Students) Notice 2012.

Withdrawing after the withdrawal period

If you are withdrawing after the withdrawal period, you are not automatically entitled to a refund.

Refunds will be in accordance with the PTE's withdrawal and refund policy.

If you wish to dispute the refund amount determined by the PTE, you can dispute this using one of the free dispute resolution schemes set up for students:

International students can contact iStudent Complaints.

Domestic students can contact Tertiary Education Dispute Resolution.