Can the VRQA investigate my type of complaint?
The VRQA does not investigate every type of education-related complaint. The information on this page will help you decide whether the VRQA or another agency is the right organisation to handle your complaint.
Complaints the VRQA does not investigate
- Refunds
- Complaints about apprenticeships or traineeships
- Personal disputes between trainers and students
For advice on other common student problems such as getting results and certificates, transferring colleges, and enrolment cancellation and visa issues, see: Student Problems
Complaints against the VRQA
If you are unhappy with the decision the VRQA has made about your complaint (including a decision not to investigate), you can request an internal review of the VRQA’s handling of your complaint. For more information, see: Having a complaint reviewed
Complaints the VRQA does investigate
The VRQA does investigate breaches of Registration Standards.
Schools must meet the minimum standards for school registration. For more information, see: Minimum standards and other requirements for school registration
Colleges that are registered training organisations providing vocational education and training in Victoria only must meet the standards in the Australian Quality Training Framework and the VRQA Guidelines for VET providers (PDF - 195Kb).
Student Exchange Organisations approved by the VRQA must meet the VRQA Guidelines for Student Exchange (PDF - 806Kb).
If you believe a school, registered training organisation or student exchange organisation is not meeting one or more of these responsibilities, the VRQA can investigate your complaint. The VRQA's powers of investigation are outlined in Part 8, Regulation 82 of the Education and Training Reform Regulations, 2007.
The next step
If you are sure that the VRQA is the right agency to investigate your complaint, you can find out about making a complaint to the VRQA.