International Agents & Partners

Builders Academy Australia values the professionalism and hard work of its International Education Agent Network.

Please contact the International Team at BAA  for details of our excellent support packages, and terms and conditions for Education Agents: email us at Agents@buildersacademy.com.au.

Download our list of agents here. 

An Ombudsman is an independent person who can investigate and resolve complaints.

Australia has an Ombudsman especially for international students who have complaints about private education providers.

If an international student you are working with has a problem with their Australian private education provider, they may be able to use the services of the Overseas Students Ombudsman. The Overseas Students Ombudsman is a special service of Australia’s Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Their services are free, independent and impartial—they do not take sides, and they will not advocate for the student or the provider.

The Overseas Students Ombudsman works with education providers to resolve complaints. If the Ombudsman is not able to assist, they will tell the student about other organisations that may be able to.

A private education provider is not owned by the government.

In Australia, most schools and universities are government owned (public providers), but some are privately owned.

Privately owned providers are run by individuals, partnerships, companies, or not-for-profit organisations. They include:

• independent primary and secondary schools and schools run by religious groups
• most colleges and institutes offering vocational and English training (not TAFEs), and
• some independent higher education providers, including some universities and higher education institutes.

They can make a complaint to the state or territory Ombudsman for the state where the provider operates. For example, if the student’s provider is based in Sydney, they would contact the New South Wales Ombudsman, and if the student’s provider is based in Melbourne, they would contact the Victorian Ombudsman.

General information about the Overseas Students Ombudsman can be found here:  https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/How-we-can-help/overseas-students

The Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman. Information about this role, which includes investigations into Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) complaints, can be found here: https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/How-we-can-help/private-health-insurance.

The best way for students to make a complaint to the Ombudsman’s Office is using the online form. They can also call on 1300 362 072. If an interpreter or the National Relay Service is required, further information on how to access these services is available here: https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/contact.

In most cases, students will need to first make a formal complaint with their provider or insurer before contacting the Ombudsman. Further information on the complaint process can be found here.

Students may also find this page on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) useful. This page includes links to a FAQ document translated into several languages.

 The Overseas Students Ombudsman has published fact sheets on common complaint issues:

 Attendance – This fact sheet is about maintaining satisfactory attendance to meet the conditions of a student visa.

Course progress – This fact sheet is about maintaining satisfactory course progress.

Education agents – Many international students who choose to study in Australia use the services of an education agent. This fact sheet is about education agents and what students should do if they think something is not right.

Fees and refunds – This fact sheet includes answers to common questions we receive from international students when they disagree with their education providers about fees and refunds.

Transferring between education providers – This factsheet is about transferring between education providers and includes some information students should know and consider before applying to transfer to another education provider.

Written agreements – The written agreement is a legal contract between a student and the education provider. This factsheet provides some basic information to students about written agreements. Written agreements (also called ‘enrolment agreement’ or a ‘letter of offer’) are a legal contract between the student and provider.

Overseas Student Health Cover – Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a type of insurance policy which covers international students for certain health-related expenses while they are in Australia. This can include doctor’s visits and some hospital expenses. This factsheet provides an overview of student rights and responsibilities.

Grades and assessments – This factsheet is about making a complaint if you are unhappy about your mark, grade, exam result or other measure of competency.

You may also find the following links helpful.

• The Fair Work Ombudsman provides advice to employers and employees on Australian workplace laws and investigates potential breaches of these laws. They can assist with issues including pay and entitlement disputes.
• Fair Trading Laws. This website provides information to the Australian business community. It lists the fair trade departments in all states and territories which can assist with consumer law disputes.
• A comprehensive list of other complaint handling services can be found here.