If you are not satisfied with your university or higher education provider you can submit a complaint. All providers are required to have a grievance procedure for dealing with academic and non-academic complaints.
Always keep written records about your complaint in case you need them as proof later. The first step is to talk to the student administration area of your provider to resolve the complaint.
After this, if you wish to make a formal complaint, it must be submitted to your provider using their official form. Contact your provider and ask them about their process.
A formal complaint requires a response or decision in writing from your provider.
If you have exhausted your provider's grievance procedures and are still not satisfied with the outcome, you can contact the Ombudsman or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Appealing your complaint decision
If you are studying with a public provider (i.e. a TAFE or most universities) you can lodge an external appeal with the Ombudsman in the state or territory where your provider is located.
The contact details for these Ombudsman offices are:
- ACT Ombudsman
- NSW Ombudsman
- NT Ombudsman
- TAS Ombudsman
- WA Ombudsman
- QLD Ombudsman
- VIC Ombudsman
- SA Ombudsman
If you are studying at a private provider, you can lodge your complaint with the ACCC. The ACCC will only investigate complaints that are in breach of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
I have a complaint about the quality of teaching
If your complaint is about your higher education course or tutor, you can contact the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) to submit a complaint.
TEQSA does not respond directly to complaints. It will record your complaint as part of its quality assurance and compliance.
I am a VET student
You can make a complaint about your VET FEE-HELP or VET Student Loans provider.
I am an international student
Overseas students studying at a public university or TAFE can submit their complaint to their State Ombudsman.
Overseas students studying at a private training provider can submit an external complaint with the Commonwealth Overseas Students Ombudsman.