On behalf of International House (IH) Sydney Training Services, the administrator has written to partners to inform them they will cease operations. The message says:
Dear Valued Agent Partners,
We regret to inform you that International House (IH) Sydney Training Services will cease operations from close of business on Monday 9 December 2024, with final classes to be delivered the same day. This decision has not been made lightly, and we deeply empathise with all those impacted, including our students, staff, and agent partners.
To ensure a smooth transition for our students and to honour our commitment to their education, we have arranged for all current and future IH Sydney Training Services students to be exclusively transferred to Greenwich College, effective immediately.
Greenwich College has been selected for their proven excellence and dedication to student success, similar course range, national campus locations, and we are confident they will provide the support and continuity our students need during this transition.
Our team will work closely with Greenwich College to ensure all students experience minimal disruption to their studies. Greenwich College has campuses in all IH locations, with the exception of Darwin, and will be able accommodate nearly all IH students.
Further details regarding the transfer process will be communicated directly to you and your affected students in the coming days. An FAQ is also at the bottom of this document.
What happens from here:
- IH will stop delivering classes effectively immediately. Students will receive a letter from IH notifying them of the situation. Please instruct your students to await communication from Greenwich College about their transfer to a new provider.
- IH will be retaining several admin and academic staff to provide transcripts and academic records to Greenwich College to facilitate the swift and efficient transfer of students. We expect the process to take approximately 2 weeks. Greenwich will send agents updated details on their enrolments.
- Greenwich College will be issuing new LOOs and COEs for affected students and providing details of courses and timetables.
o ELICOS students that have transferred will commence with Greenwich on 30th of December.
o VET Students that have transferred will commence with Greenwich on either January 13th or January 20th, depending on the vocational course they are enrolled in.
o All students on all visa types will be transferred over to Greenwich.
o
- Any student (except Darwin based students) who has paid money to IH and is currently studying or is yet to commence studies will have their enrolment transferred to Greenwich and their payments will be honoured by Greenwich College, with the exception of students who have had a visa refusal and are awaiting refunds – these cases will be managed by TPS.
- Where Greenwich cannot offer an exact match of course, students will be given the opportunity to transfer to a similar course, under very favourable terms to ensure the student is not financially disadvantaged. Students will be offered a similar course and will not need to pay any extra than what they owe IH for the remaining tuition.
- IH is in contact with TPS, who will ensure that affected students are not disadvantaged. TPS will ensure that
o Students are eligible for a visa renewal waiver, should they need to extend their visa to study with Greenwich College.
o Students awaiting refunds due to visa rejections have their funds reimbursed (note this the responsibility of TPS and is not the responsibility of Greenwich College).
Please refer to further FAQ’s at the bottom of this email.
We want to thank you for your unwavering support and partnership over the years. International House has always strived to provide high-quality education and meaningful opportunities to students, and this outcome is a deeply saddening moment for all of us.
If you have any questions or require assistance during this transition, please do not hesitate to contact Greenwich College directly at :
IHtransfers@greenwichcollege.edu.au
Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this challenging time.
Yours sincerely,
Glenn Franklin
Administrator on behalf of
International House Sydney Training Services
Roxana Ene
General Manager
Greenwich College
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How will students be transferred into Greenwich
Commencing immediately, IH admin staff will be producing academic records/transcripts for Greenwich College to facilitate the immediate transfer of students. Greenwich will map the course of studies into Greenwich Courses and issue new COEs to students/agents to confirm enrolments.
If a student has paid IH for their ELICOS /VET studies, they will not need to pay this amount again. Greenwich will host these students at their own cost to ensure students are not disadvantaged.
Our analysis shows 100% of ELICOS students can transfer without issue (excluding Darwin), and approximately 70% of VET students can transfer to an exact match of course at Greenwich.
New COEs will be issued by Greenwich and sent to students and agents when confirmed.
- What happens if Greenwich does not have an exact match of course for my student?
If Greenwich does not offer an exact match for the course, students will have the opportunity to transfer to a similar course under very favourable terms to ensure they are not financially disadvantaged.
Students without exact course matches will be offered the opportunity to study a full, similar qualification, and pay only the total amount they had remaining for the IH course.
Should the course duration at Greenwich be longer than the original course at IH, IH and Greenwich College will collaborate with the TPS to support affected students and seek that they are eligible for a visa renewal waiver as per TPS protections.
- My student has already paid their deposit, but has not commenced, what happens from here?
The student’s enrolment will be transferred to Greenwich and they will be issued a new COE. Under the agreement between IH and Greenwich, the students will not need to re-pay any previously paid tuition fees, but all future installments will be paid to Greenwich.
- My student is studying in Darwin, what will happen to them?
As Greenwich does not have a campus in Darwin, students will need to look for an alternate education provider. We encourage students to register their details with TPS at https://www.education.gov.au/tps/closures/ih-sydney-training-services-pty-ltd./ TPS will work with the student to select a new provider.
- IH owes my agency commission for current students, will that be paid?
Any outstanding commission claims owed by IH to agents will be managed by IH administrators during the liquidation process. Agent commission claims are treated as ‘creditor claims’ and will be managed during the liquidation process. Glenn Franklin from PFK consulting has been appointed as the nominated administrator (https://pkf.com.au/) and will be sending details out to all creditors. Please note that any outstanding debts from IH are not the responsibility of Greenwich College.
- What will happen to the tuition fees students have already paid?
Paid tuition fees will be retained by IH as part of the liquidation process, however a record of these payments has been kept. Greenwich College will be hosting these students ensuring they do not lose any tuition fees already paid. Students will only be required to pay for future installments of their courses.
- Will the tuition fees at Greenwich College be higher?
Greenwich will match the tuition fees offered by IH, so no students are disadvantaged.
- Will Greenwich pay my agency commission on transferred students?
Greenwich will pay commission on future installments for existing and future students at usual Greenwich commission rates. Existing Greenwich agents will receive commission according to their current Greenwich representative agreement, and agents who are not yet agents of
Greenwich will be paid for their transferred IH students once you are signed up as an official agent. As noted above, any existing or pending commission claims on previously paid tuition fees will be managed by PFK consulting in the creditor payout process
- I am not a current Agent of Greenwich College; how will that affect me?
Greenwich will be happy to bring IH agents into its representative network to ensure you are compensated for your recruitment of students. Please email IHtransfers@greenwichcollege.edu.au to request an agent agreement.
How will TPS be involved in this process
TPS has been notified that IH will be closing. They will soon send communications to affected students and agents. TPS is supportive of the transfer agreement to Greenwich as their goal is to ensure the seamless transfer of students.
All students will need to register with TPS to receive protection benefits including a refund on tuition fees if their visa application was denied.
Students will also be eligible for a free Visa Application Charge (VAC), should they need to secure a new visa. Details are here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/education-provider-default
Students and partners that work with other IH institutions, such as IH Brisbane ALS are not affected by this.
