BC Private Career Training Institutions Agency Statement

Overview

All private institutions that provide career training programs to students of more than 40 hours/week and over $1000/tuition must be registered under the Private Career Training Institutions Act. The Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) is responsible for establishing basic education standards and providing consumer protection for students enrolled with a registered career training institution, and for standards of quality for accredited career training institutions. A list of registered / accredited institutions can be found on PCTIA's website.

PCTIA also manages the Student Training Completion Fund which provides tuition refund protection to students in the event a registered institution ceases to operate, or if a student is found to have been misled by an institution.

For further information about PCTIA and the services it provides, students may contact PCTIA at:

300 - 5172 Kingsway, Burnaby B.C. V5H 2E8
Tel. (604) 660-4400 or 1-800-661-7441 Fax. (604) 660-4400
http://pctia.bc.ca or info@pctia.bc.ca

Important Information

Before you begin studies at a registered institution you must sign a student enrolment contract. The institution is required to provide you with a signed copy of your enrolment contract and to maintain a copy in your student file. Under the Personal Information Protection Act, you are entitled to access your student file. Further information about storage and access to your student file is contained in the institution's Privacy Policy.

Before you sign an enrolment contract, there is important information you need to know:

Required Information

The institution must provide you with written copies of its: Dispute Resolution / Grade Appeal Policy, Dismissal Policy, Admissions Policy, Privacy Policy, Attendance Policy, and Tuition Refund Policy, plus a copy of the Program Outline for the program you are taking. Ensure you have understood this information before you sign an enrolment contract.

Your enrolment contract must include the institution's tuition and fee refund policy which sets out the amount of tuition that will be retained in the event you withdraw or are dismissed from the program. The institution's tuition and fee refund policy must comply with the minimum requirements established by PCTIA's Bylaws, as set out below:

Refunds in Cases of Withdrawal or Dismissal

1. Refund Policy
1. All institutions must have a refund policy which is described, in full, on the student enrolment contract. The minimum policies acceptable to the Agency appear below. Institutions are free to adopt a policy that is more generous to the student.
2. Written Notice
1. A written notice of withdrawal or dismissal must be provided:
1. By a student to the institution when the student withdraws, or
2. By the institution to the student where the institution dismisses a student.
3. Refund Entitlement
1. Refund entitlement is calculated on the total fees due under the contract, less the applicable non-refundable application or registration fee. Where total fees have not yet been collected, the institution is not responsible for refunding more than has been collected to date and a student may be required to make up for monies due under the contract.

REFUND POLICY FOR STUDENTS

1. Refunds before the program of study begins:
1. If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution less than 7 calendar days after the contract is made, and before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract, the institution may retain the lesser of 10% of the total tuition and fees due under the contract.
2. Subject to subsection 24. 11) a) i), if written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution 30 calendar days or more before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract, the institution may retain the lesser of 10% of the total tuition and fees due under the contract.
3. Subject to subsection 24.11)a) i), if written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution less than 30 calendar days before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract, the institution may retain the lesser of 20% of the total tuition and fees due under the contract.
2. Refunds after the program of study starts:
1. If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution or a student is dismissed before 10% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, the institution may retain 30% of the tuition and fees due under the contract.
2. If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution, or a student is dismissed, after 10% and before 30% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, the institution may retain 50% of the tuition and fees due under the contract.
3. If a student withdraws or is dismissed after 30% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, no refund is required.

Your student enrolment contract must include a copy of the B.C. Private Career Training Institutions Agency Statement (Appendix "A") and an Authorization for Indirect Collection of Personal Information (Appendix "B".)

Prohibitions:

• The institution is prohibited from guaranteeing a student or prospective student employment, income, or eligibility for a work permit;
• Program admission requirements for your program of study cannot be waived;

Authorization for Indirect Collection of Personal Information

In order to comply with its mandate of establishing quality standards and providing consumer protection, the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) may collect and use personal information about students enrolled in private career training institutions in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

I hereby authorize Seabird College to provide my name, contact information, personal identification information, details about my program of study, and amount of fees and tuition paid, directly to PCTIA for the purpose of:

Advising me of my rights under the Private Career Training Institutions Act, Regulation or PCTIA Bylaws,

• Administering the Student Training Completion Fund, and / or
• Establishing and monitoring PCTIA standards for career training institutions.

The personal information on this form consisting of the student name, date of birth, gender, and postal code of the last known permanent address may be used to verify or assign a British Columbia Personal Education Number (PEN) to students. The main use of the PEN is to measure participation of the population in the post-secondary sector and for program research or evaluation.

Other uses of personal information may include purposes of identification, statistical reporting, investigating student complaints, determining tuition refund entitlements, measuring program performance, or other regulatory requirements. For research purposes, any information disclosed will be in a non-identifiable form.

I understand that I may withdraw my consent to the release of personal information by informing the institution in writing.

Upon completion of the program of study or other termination from the program, my academic record consisting of my transcript and diploma if issued, and this contract, will be stored for the purpose of maintaining an academic record archive in accordance with the PCTIA Bylaws.