Unique Student Identifier (USI) and Student ID Policy

The College is required under government subsidised programs to confirm your eligibility and to retain on file copies of that evidence of eligibility. The College therefore will require you to provide ID of the sorts required, and will keep copies in secure files.

The College has the right to request any and further identification documents at any time during or after your enrolment in order to satisfy compliance obligations. By enrolling you are agreeing to providing this information. You are entitled to ask the reasons the information is required.

a) The following ID documents must be uploaded to Webclass when enrolling:

Medicare Card - showing your name and to be a colour copy showing that you have a green Medicare card

Drivers Licence - showing your name and address and date of birth

b) If you do not have the above - we can advise you on suitable alternatives.

c) You will receive emails and Webclass warnings until the required ID documents are submitted.

a) Students enrolled privately (i.e. not in a government subsidised course) may ask that their USI be validated and then used as the sole basis of identification.

b) Previous College students who have already provided these documents and who have not moved interstate can request that we use existing file copies where any funding program allows us to.

c) The College does not enrol overseas students. Note that while overseas students are exempt from the USI - they are still required to provide a suitable ID form to their educational provider.

To be eligible for a concession fee in a funded program, you must provide the College with evidence of your eligible welfare benefit or allowance. 

The evidence requirements are as set out in each specific funded program.

The evidence can be in the form of a current Department of Human Services (Centrelink) Income Statement or a copy of a current Pensioner Concession Card that has been witnessed by a JP or at the Post Office.

It must show that you are eligible for the benefit at the date you will commence training. You cannot commence training until this has been provided. 

You are usually only eligible to apply for the concession at the time of the enrolment, so it is important that you let us know then.

Once you enrol, you can upload the evidence of concession eligibility to our student study hub "Webclass". Your concessional enrolment cannot be approved until this has been done.

a) Provision of a valid USI is compulsory at enrolment. This requirement is to meet national data reporting requirements and for government funded or subsidised program eligibility confirmation, and other matters in accordance with the Authorisation in the Student Identifiers Regulation 2014.

b) Students are advised in the Enrolment Terms and Conditions that they are required to provide the College with their USI and to allow College access to their USI records including contact details, and to be able to verify a USI.

c) Webclass, email and personal reminders will be sent until a USI is lodged and it is able to be validated as matching your full name  and date of birth as held by the USI Registrar.

ACCM College does not accept enrolments from overseas students. 

a) USI rules state that students studying by distance overseas who are not Australian Permanent Residents or Citizens are exempt from providing a USI.

b) By not having a USI, the training record data will not be retained by the USI Register.

a) New Zealand citizens enrolled in College courses in Australia need to obtain a USI.

b) They cannot create a USI using their New Zealand passports until they have arrived in Australia and their passport has been registered with the Australian Department of Immigration.

The College is prevented from issuing you with a nationally recognised VET qualification or statement of attainment when you complete your course if you have not provided a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI).

a) Student consent is obtained in the Enrolment Application (or subsequently) for the College to provide and request personal information to the Student Identifier Registrar (via the USI website) and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) and the relevant state, territory or commonwealth Department of Education (or equivalent) (via data lodgement of student details and results).

b) Consent is also obtained in the Enrolment Application to the Student Identifier Registrar, NCVER and relevant state, territory or commonwealth Departments of Education (or equivalent) to access and use your personal information as indicated.

c) College enrolment is conditional upon this consent being given.

The Student Identifiers Registrar’s Privacy Policy is available at http://www.usi.gov.au/Pages/privacy-policy.aspx

It contains information about how the individual may:

• Access and seek correction of the personal information held about them; and
• Complain about a breach of privacy and how such  complaints will be dealt with.

Students are asked to go to the USI website http://www.usi.gov.au/ and create a USI.

Once the USI is created or if students already have a USI they are to

• Allow access to the College (Organisation ID 1441) to view your USI account.
• Update Webclass with their USI

Under some funded or subsidised training courses you will also be required to allow access to the relevant state Department of Education.

Students can permit others to obtain their USI for them, for example employers. To create a USI the following personal information is needed:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth - Country and City
• Details from one of the documents listed below

One of the following forms of ID is required. Important: The details you enter MUST match the details shown on your form of ID.

• Driver’s Licence 
• Medicare Card
• Australian Passport
• Visa (with Non-Australian Passport) for international students
• Birth Certificate (Australian) *please note a Birth Certificate extract is not sufficient
• Certificate Of Registration By Descent
• Citizenship Certificate
• ImmiCard

If the USI Document Verification Service sends you a message saying it cannot verify your document:

• You will need to check that the name you have entered in your USI form is the same as the one on your form of ID or 
• You can try again using  another document.

If you do not have one of the required forms of ID you must contact the College. The College will ascertain what types of ID you have and contact the Student Identifier Registrar to get permission to use them. 

The College will retain copies of ID documents that it requests as these ID documents are not solely obtained for USI purposes.

Any documents obtained solely for USI purposes will be securely destroyed after use. 

16. If you are under 18 you give the following consents and will act to obtain the same consents from your parent or guardian on your behalf.

17. For enrolments where employer details are provided you are authorising the College to discuss your enrolment with your employer, including providing course status updates and obtaining personal information from them that is necessary for your enrolment or course. This authorisation is irrevocable for that enrolment.

For enrolments where a traineeship program is being undertaken you are authorising the College to discuss your enrolment with your employer, host employer. Group Training Company, Australian Apprenticeship Centre, including providing course status updates, special support needs (such as LLN support or other needs driven by a learning, physical, mental or other medical need) and USI information. You authorise those parties to share information they have with the College in order to support your course and progression and traineeship. This includes sharing your USI details.

For school based enrolments you are authorising the College to discuss your enrolment with your school and school officials, including providing course status updates.

18. Privacy Act Consent: Nationally recognised training is governed by legislation requiring the College to collect, use and report data provided during the enrolment process and as you progress and complete your studies. You consent to the provision of your personal information as outlined in the Privacy Policy to various government agencies, parties to subsidised training programs, employers and apprenticeship centres as applicable, and other required agencies. Your personal information is not provided by the College to any third parties for the purposes of marketing.

19. Unique Student Identifier Privacy Consent and USI Provision: You agree to obtain and provide your Unique Student Identifier (USI). You agree to allow the College to verify your USI and to co-operate with the College to rectify any issues with your USI. You agree to allow the College to apply for a USI on your behalf from the Registrar if you do not have one and will refer to their Privacy Policy to ensure you understand the Terms and Conditions of the USI Registry System.  You agree to other parties providing your USI to the College and the College providing it to other parties as needed. The provision of a USI is a mandatory requirement for providers of nationally recognised qualifications. You declare that you have read and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as outlined in the Unique Student Identifier Privacy Notice below.

This consent allows for the collection and use or disclosure of your personal information by the USI Registrar and is also consent for the College to obtain and verify the USI details you provide on the USI website, amongst other actions. This involves confirming your personal information with the USI website.

Privacy Notice: You are advised and agree that you understand and consent that the personal information you provide in connection with your application for a Unique Student Identifier (USI):

• is collected by the Student Identifiers Registrar for the purposes of:

• applying for, verifying and giving a USI;
• resolving problems with a USI; and
• creating authenticated vocational education and training (VET) transcripts;

• may be disclosed to:

o Commonwealth and State/Territory government departments and agencies and statutory bodies performing functions relating to VET for:

•  the purposes of administering and auditing VET, VET providers and VET programs
• education related policy and research purposes; and
•  to assist in determining eligibility for training subsidies;

• VET Regulators to enable them to perform their VET regulatory functions;

• VET Admission Bodies for the purposes of administering VET and VET programs;

• current and former Registered Training Organisations to enable them to deliver VET courses to the individual, meet their reporting obligations under the VET standards and government contracts and assist in determining eligibility for training subsidies;

• schools for the purposes of delivering VET courses to the individual and reporting on these courses;

• the National Centre for Vocational Education Research for the purpose of creating authenticated VET transcripts, resolving problems with USIs and for the collection, preparation and auditing of national VET statistics;

• researchers for education and training related research purposes;

• any other person or agency that may be authorised or required by law to access the information;

• any entity contractually engaged by the Student Identifiers Registrar to assist in the performance of his or her functions in the administration of the USI system; and

• will not otherwise be disclosed without your consent unless authorised or required by or under law.

You can find further information on how the Student Identifier Registrar collects, uses and discloses the personal information about you in the Registrar’s Privacy Policy or by contacting the Registrar on usi@education.gov.au. The Registrar’s Privacy Policy contains information about how you may access and seek correction of the personal information held about you and how you may make a complaint about a breach of privacy by the Registrar in connection with the USI and how such complaints will be dealt with.

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner about an interference with privacy pursuant to the Privacy Act 1988, including in relation to the misuse or interference of or unauthorised collection, use, access, modification or disclosure of USIs.

20. NSW Smart and Skilled Privacy Consent: By ticking the authorisation box about agreeing to these terms, or by, at any time, verbally or in writing requesting Smart and Skilled subsidised training you consent to the following consent for the use and disclosure of personal information.

CONSENT TO USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

As part of your enrolment process you will tick a box in the Authorisation to Enrol section that indicates you have read the applicable terms and conditions.

Your agreement to the following consent statement is mandated by the NSW State government as part of your enrolment process.  Your name, address and date of birth will be recorded in your Enrolment Form to show that you have agreed to the applicable terms and conditions.

Please read the below carefully, as it pertains to how your personal information may be used and disclosed.

This information has been drawn directly (word for word), from the NSW Operating Guidelines as required by our contract.

Consent to Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

I understand and agree that, under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Data Provision Requirements) Instrument 2020, The Australian College of Commerce and Management is required to collect personal information (information or an opinion about me), collected from me, my parent or guardian, such as my name, Unique Student Identifier, date of birth, contact details, training outcomes and performance, sensitive personal information (including my ethnicity or health information) and other enrolment and training activity-related information (together Personal Information) and disclose that Personal Information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER).

My Personal Information (including the personal information contained on my enrolment form and my training activity data) may be used or disclosed by The Australian College of Commerce and Management for statistical, regulatory and research purposes. The Australian College of Commerce and Management may disclose my personal information for these purposes to third parties, including:

• School - if I am a secondary student undertaking VET, including a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship;
• Employer – if I am enrolled in training paid by my employer;
• Commonwealth and State or Territory government departments and authorised agencies, including the NSW Department of Education (Department);
• NCVER;
• Organisations (including the Department) conducting student surveys; and
• Researchers.

Personal Information disclosed to NCVER may be used or disclosed for the following purposes:

• issuing a VET Statement of Attainment or VET Qualification, and populating Authenticated VET Transcripts;
• facilitating statistics and research relating to education, including surveys;
• understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information; and
• administering VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation.

I may receive an NCVER student survey which may be administered by an NCVER employee, agent or third party contractor. I may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.

The Department may disclose my Personal Information to other Australian government agencies, including those located in States and Territories outside New South Wales.

The above government agencies may use my Personal Information for any purpose relating to the exercise of their government functions, including but not limited to the evaluation and assessment of my training, the determination of my eligibility to receive subsidised training or for any Fee Exemptions or Concessions. My Personal Information may also be disclosed to other third parties if required by law.

I also acknowledge and agree that the Department may contact me by telephone, email or post, during or after I have ceased subsidised training with The Australian College of Commerce and Management  for the purposes of evaluating and assessing my subsidised training.

I declare that the information I have provided to the best of my knowledge is true and correct.

I consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my Personal Information in the manner outlined above.

- End of Consent Statement

Again, your consent to this will be digitally recorded in the Authority to Enrol section of your ACCM College Enrolment form and will capture your name, address, date of birth and date of agreement.

21. National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER) Privacy Notice and Consent:  Under the Data Provision Requirements 2012,  the College is required to collect personal information about you and to disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER).

Why we collect your personal information

As a registered training organisation (RTO), we collect your personal information so we can process and manage your enrolment in a vocational education and training (VET) course with us.

How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to enable us to deliver VET courses to you, and otherwise, as needed, to comply with our obligations as an RTO.

How we disclose your personal information

We are required by law (under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth) (NVETR Act)) to disclose the personal information we collect about you to the National VET Data Collection kept by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER). The NCVER is responsible for collecting, managing, analysing and communicating research and statistics about the Australian VET sector.

We are also authorised by law (under the NVETR Act) to disclose your personal information to the relevant state or territory training authority.

How the NCVER and other bodies handle your personal information

The NCVER will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the NVETR Act. Your personal information may be used and disclosed by NCVER for purposes that include populating authenticated VET transcripts; administration of VET; facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage; and understanding the VET market.

The NCVER is authorised to disclose information to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), Commonwealth authorities, State and Territory authorities (other than registered training organisations) that deal with matters relating to VET and VET regulators for the purposes of those bodies, including to enable:

• administration of VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation
• facilitation of statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage
• understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information.

The NCVER may also disclose personal information to persons engaged by NCVER to conduct research on NCVER’s behalf.

The NCVER does not intend to disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients.

For more information about how the NCVER will handle your personal information please refer to the NCVER’s Privacy Policy at www.ncver.edu.au/privacy.

If you would like to seek access to or correct your information, in the first instance, please contact your RTO using the contact details listed below.

DESE is authorised by law, including the Privacy Act and the NVETR Act, to collect, use and disclose your personal information to fulfil specified functions and activities. For more information about how the DESE will handle your personal information, please refer to the DESE VET Privacy Notice at https://www.dese.gov.au/national-vet-data/vet-privacy-notice.

Surveys

You may receive a student survey which may be run by a government department or an NCVER employee, agent, third-party contractor or another authorised agency. Please note you may opt out of the survey at the time of being contacted.

Contact information

At any time, you may contact ACCM to:

• request access to your personal information
• correct your personal information
• make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled
• ask a question about this Privacy Notice

Student Declaration and Consent - By ticking the authorisation box about agreeing to these terms:

You declare that the information you have provided to the best of your knowledge is true and correct.

You consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Notice above.

Students are able to access transcripts of study on the USI website. You can find more information here.

Concerns about incorrect College data should be immediately advised to the College. Email or phone call is sufficient.

Your concerns will be referred directly to the CEO to investigate. You may be required to allow us permission to view your transcript.

Please note the following restrictions to the USI Transcript Service:

• It will only show studies completed from 2015 onwards.
• Data is lodged at the end of each calendar year, and so the current years data of subjects will not list.