Only VRQA approved Overseas Secondary Student Exchange Organisations can provide Secondary Student Exchange Programs in Victoria

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1 (Additinal Infrmatin Page) Secndary Student Exchange Prgrams in Victria The Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Prgram in Victria is a state specific prgram enabling students frm anther cuntry t study as full-time students in a Victrian secndary schl fr a perid ranging frm 29 days up t a maximum f ne year. Under reciprcal arrangements, Victrian students are able t undertake full-time study prgrams in secndary schls verseas. Only VRQA apprved Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Organisatins can prvide Secndary Student Exchange Prgrams in Victria There are 27 VRQA apprved Overseas Student Exchange Organisatins, including registered gvernment, Cathlic and independent schls, cmmunity rganisatins such as Rtary Internatinal, and private nt-fr-prfit rganisatins. A list f all VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatins is available n the VRQA website Student Exchange Prgrams are different frm the full-fee paying Internatinal Student Prgrams ffered at Victrian schls registered n CRICOS t prvide curses t internatinal students. Students participating in an fficial Student Exchange Prgram enter Australia n a subclass 571 Student Visa thrugh dcumentatin generated by VRQA (an AASES frm) issued nly t apprved Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Organisatins. Official exchange students d nt pay schl tuitin fees, and hst families prviding accmmdatin t exchange students d s n a vluntary basis. All VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatins must maintain an equal balance f the number f in-bund and ut-bund exchange students n a student/mnth basis. Student Exchange Prgrams d nt include schl grup study turs, r shrt term cultural r private visits by students hlding Visitr Visas (such as private arrangements initiated by parents hsting relatives r family friends). internatinal students n Visitr Visas seeking temprary enrlment in Victrian schls must pay tuitin fees if enrlling in a Victrian Gvernment schl (fr further details g t the DEECD Internatinal Divisin website at may be required t pay tuitin fees if enrlling in a Victrian Cathlic r independent schl (fr further infrmatin cntact the schl directly).

2 Frequently Asked Questins (FAQs) Infrmatin fr Schl Principals and Administratrs What is an Exchange Student? Exchange Students are internatinal secndary students wh: are undertaking an exchange prgram f between 29 days and 1 year arranged by a registered schl r an rganisatin apprved by VRQA as an Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Organisatin, hld a subclass 571 (Schls) Student Visa, and present an Advice and Acceptance f a Secndary Exchange Student frm - (AASES frm) t the schl n arrival. Can a parent f a student at my schl arrange a private exchange prgram fr a relative verseas, and enrl the child as an exchange student at my schl? N. Parents, and schls, clubs r rganisatins that are nt VRQA apprved Overseas Student Exchange Organisatins, cannt arrange private student exchange prgrams int Australia. Parents and rganisatins seeking t enrl internatinal students hlding Visitr Visas in Victrian schls fr shrt perids f up t 12 weeks f tuitin are able t apply fr schl enrlment, but: must pay tuitin fees if enrlling in a Victrian Gvernment schl (fr further details g t the DEECD Internatinal Divisin website at may be required t pay tuitin fees if enrlling in a Victrian Cathlic r independent schl (fr further infrmatin cntact the schl directly). Nte: Only internatinal students participating in exchange prgrams prvided by VRQA apprved Overseas Student Exchange Organisatins are Exchange Students.

3 Des a Principal need t seek apprval t enrl an Exchange Student? N. The Victrian Department f Educatin and Early Childhd Develpment supprts the Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Prgram and values the cultural educatin and glbal learning that exchange prgrams bring t individual students and their schl cmmunities. Schls need t check that the request t enrl an Exchange Student is frm a VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin. Is a schl bliged t accept an Exchange Student? N. The decisin t accept r decline the enrlment f an exchange student remains at the Principal's discretin. Principals may take int cnsideratin schl based issues such as the availability f student places, apprpriate timing f the prgram, the supprt required and resurces available t ensure that a satisfactry prgram can be ffered befre accepting an exchange student. Hw d I knw if the rganisatin that is prpsing the exchange is apprved? Schls shuld nly accept the enrlment f Exchange Students frm a VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin. There are 12 nn-schl rganisatins apprved by VRQA t prvide student exchange prgrams in Victria : AFS Intercultural Prgrams (AFS) Assciatin f German Teachers f Victria (AGTV) Australian Institute fr Internatinal Understanding (AIIU) IndAustay Australia Ltd Nacel Australia Rtary Yuth Exchange Victria Schlarships fr Australian-German Student Exchange (SAGSE) Suthern Crss Cultural Exchange STS Student Exchange Student Exchange Australia New Zealand Ltd Wrld Educatin Prgram (WEP) Yuth Fr Understanding (YFU) If Principals r schl staff have cncerns as t whether an rganisatin seeking t enrl an Exchange Student is apprved by VRQA they shuld cntact the VRQA Manager-Schl Prjects n (03)

4 Wh is respnsible fr the accmmdatin and welfare f an Exchange Student? Schls enrlling an Exchange Student have respnsibility fr the student while they attend schl, schl activities and excursins, as per their bligatins t all enrlled students. The VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin arranging the exchange prgram is respnsible fr arranging suitable accmmdatin, supprt and general welfare fr the Exchange Student thrughut the prgram, including during schl vacatins. All VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatins are required t have lcal crdinatrs in Victria t supprt Exchange Students and t liaise effectively with schls. All schls enrlling an Exchange Student shuld ensure that they retain a mbile telephne cntact number fr the student s lcal crdinatr fr use in an emergency. Student Exchange Organisatins are respnsible fr recruiting, selecting and screening lcal hst families fr Exchange Students, and fr mnitring and supprting students and hst families during the exchange prgram. What is an AASES frm? AASES stands fr 'Acceptance Advice f Secndary Exchange Student'. The AASES frm is the fficial dcument generated by VRQA and issued t each Exchange Student thrugh their Overseas Secndary Student Exchange Organisatin. The AASES frm is used fr the prcessing f Student Visas and fr the enrlment f Exchange Students in Victrian schls. Withut an AASES frm a student cannt be cnsidered a bna fide Exchange Student, and therefre shuld nt be enrlled under this categry. Immediately fllwing the enrlment f an Exchange Student, the Principal must cmplete and sign Part D f the AASES frm. A cpy f the cmpleted AASES frm must then be kept with the student's schl file and a cmpleted and signed cpy returned directly t the exchange rganisatin. The AASES frm is evidence that the student s parents have authrised their child s participatin in the exchange prgram and enrlment at the schl, and that the Student Exchange Organisatin has accepted respnsibility fr the welfare f the Exchange Student while they are in Australia. All AASES frms issued by VRQA bear the VRQA lg and a unique AASES number (eg V14/1234).

5 What is the prcess fr accepting and enrlling an Exchange Student? The rganisatin facilitating the exchange prgram will make direct cntact with the schl requesting permissin frm the Principal t enrl an Exchange Student fr a specific exchange prgram (advising f the prpsed start and end dates). Where a schl agrees t an enrlment fr that perid, the rganisatin will frward the relevant infrmatin abut the Exchange Student, the student s hst family in Victria and the cntact details fr the rganisatin s lcal crdinatr. On arrival at the schl, the Exchange Student (and/r the representative f rganisatin) will prvide a cpy f the student s AASES frm (Acceptance Advice f Secndary Exchange Student). The schl cmpletes Part D f the AASES frm, keeps a cpy f the AASES frm n the student s schl file and prvides a cpy t the exchange rganisatin. D Exchange Students pay fees? N. Official Exchange Students d nt pay tuitin fees as the Cmmnwealth Gvernment and state / territry gvernments accept the enrlment f fficial Exchange Students as per lcal students. Apprved Student Exchange Organisatins are required t balance the number f in-bund and ut-bund students n a student/mnth basis. This means that ver the curse f the year, the numbers f Victrian secndary students are undertaking exchange prgrams are balanced with the number f Overseas Secndary Exchange Students studying in Victria. Exchange Students shuld pay any lcal schl levies r charges relating t special subjects, schl materials r resurces that the student will retain, and any fees assciated with schl camps r excursins. These fees r charges shuld be discussed with the Student Exchange Organisatin at the time enrlment is discussed. The Exchange Student has a Student Visa -Subclass aren t they regarded as fee paying students? N. The Department f Immigratin issues Subclass 571 (Schls Sectr) Student Visas t internatinal students undertaking curses r prgrams f full time study in a schl. The 571 Student Visa is fr the entire schls sectr, and is issued t bth fullfee paying internatinal students and fficial Exchange Students. The prf that a student is an fficial Exchange Student is the AASES frm.

6 Are Exchange Students eligible fr Student Travel Cncessin Cards? Yes. In Victria, fficial Exchange Students can btain Victrian Student Transprt Cncessin Cards in the same manner as lcal students. (This entitlement des nt apply t full-fee paying internatinal students). Wh can I cntact if I have an issue with a Student Exchange Organisatin? If a Principal r schl staff member has a cncern regarding a VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin that cannt be reslved with the rganisatin they shuld cntact the VRQA Manager Schl Prjects at the VRQA n (03) My schl has an verseas sister-schl. D I need t becme a VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin t hst students frm ur sister schl? N if the students frm yur sister-schl are undertaking a shrt term cultural visit t yur schl, and hld an Australian Visitr Visa, yu nt need t becme a VRQA apprved Student Exchange Organisatin where: a sister-schl visit t a Victrian Gvernment schl is fr less than 28 days (fr further details cntact the DEECD Internatinal Divisin website at a sister schl visit t a Victrian Cathlic r independent schl is fr less than 12 weeks f tuitin (fr further infrmatin cntact the schl directly). Schls that have an established sister-schl relatinship with an verseas schl may wish t seek VRQA apprval as a Student Exchange Organisatin. VRQA apprval enables Victrian schls t expand their schl-t-schl exchange prgrams and ffer pprtunities fr students exchanges f up t ne year in duratin. Infrmatin n applying fr VRQA apprval is available at the VRQA website at r frm the VRQA Manager Schl Prjects at the VRQA n (03)