Student Rights and Responsibilities Statements

Purpose

The purpose of this statement is to outline the rights and responsibilities of students at Protégé School, in compliance with the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005. This ensures that students are aware of their entitlements and obligations, fostering a transparent and fair educational environment.

Scope

This statement applies to all students enrolled in vocational programs at Protégé School and covers all aspects of their educational experience, including enrollment, fee collection, refunds, and complaint procedures.

Rights of Students

Registration and Program Approval

Students have the right to attend a school that is registered and has its programs approved under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005. For a list of registered Ontario career colleges and approved programs, visit the Ontario.ca website at www.ontario.ca/page/search-career-college-ontario.

Formal Communication

Students have the right to formally communicate with the college regarding withdrawals, refunds, or complaints. Such communications must be in writing and delivered personally, by courier, registered mail, fax, or email. Copies of all written communications should be retained.

Contract

Upon enrollment, students will receive a copy of a written contract that includes:

The College’s legal name
The approved vocational program name.
Student’s address, telephone number, and email address.
Start and expected end date.
Language of instruction.
Admission requirements.
Schedule of hours of instruction and method of delivery for all the scheduled hours.
Location of instruction, and if instruction is to be provided online, the college will provide the website address and access to the online learning management platform (such as D2L – Brightspace) and the locations of any practicum, if applicable.
Fees in Canadian dollars with an itemized list of fees for any products and services including books, equipment, administration fees (such as processing applications or conducting admissions tests, if applicable)
Payment Schedules indicating the time and amount of each payment
Acknowledgment of receipt of this Statement of Students' Rights and Responsibilities, the college’s fee refund policy, student complaint procedure, expulsion policy, and sexual violence policy (the colleges will, without fee, provide appropriate accommodations for the needs of students who are affected by sexual violence).
Consent for the collection and use of personal information.
Statements confirming compliance with the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, and non-guarantee of employment.
Program disclaimer, if applicable

Fee Collection

Fees must be collected in Canadian dollars, and colleges can only charge or collect compulsory fees that are equal to or less than the fees approved by the Superintendent of Career Colleges and published on the Ontario.ca website.
No other fees are allowed to be charged or collected for a program that is not approved by the Superintendent of Ontario Career Colleges.
Receipts will be issued for all payments.
Before a contract is signed, the college can charge a fee of up to $500 to process the enrolment application and do assessments or admissions tests. These fees will be included in the enrolment contract at the time the student signs it.

Sale of Students’ Goods and Services

The college is only permitted to sell all goods the students produce or create, and/or services provided to the public or arrange for the delivery of such services if the sale is part of completing the program and/or to meet the program requirements. The college cannot profit from these sales; it can only charge an amount to recover its costs.

Fee Refunds

Students are entitled to fee refunds within 30 days of giving written notice of cancellation or withdrawal or expulsion, or if admission requirements are not met. Full refunds are provided under certain conditions such as program discontinuation or unqualified instructors. Partial refunds apply based on the portion of the program completed.
If a student does not attend the first 14 days of classes, the college can cancel the contract and must issue a refund within 45 days of the start of the program.
Only the compulsory fees published on the Ontario.ca website or the optional fees approved by the Superintendent of Career Colleges are covered by the refund policy. Students must return any goods they received under a contract in the same state they were in when supplied to them within 10 days of withdrawing to get credit for them. All refunds must be in Canadian dollars.
The college is prohibited from deducting any monies owed by the student for other services or non-vocational programs offered by the college from a refund that the student is entitled to for a vocational program.
The same refund policy applies when a student withdraws from a program or is expelled from the college in accordance with the college’s expulsion policy.

Cooling Off Period

Students can cancel a contract within two days of signing for a full refund, including any application fee.

Full Refund

In any of the following circumstances, the student has a choice of canceling a contract and making a written request for a full refund of fees paid for a program or accepting the shortcoming and continuing their training with the college:

The college collects any fees for the program before the college is registered or before the program is approved under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.
The student is expelled from the college in a manner or for reasons that are not permitted under the college’s expulsion policy.
The college collects more than 20% of the total fees for the program to a maximum of $500 before signing a contract with the student.
A total of more than 10% of the program is taught by unqualified instructors.
The contract does not include all the mandatory terms required (refer to the “Contract” section).
The college, while still operating, discontinues the program before the student can complete the program.
In addition, the student also may seek a full refund if the college or its representative makes certain types of untrue statements for the purposes of convincing the student to enroll in the program and the statements constitute a fundamental breach of the contract. The categories of inappropriate statements include: a false or misleading statement, a statement that guarantees admission to or successful completion of the program, employment after graduation or the right to enter Canada or receive a student visa.
If the student does not make a request for a full refund within a reasonable time of finding out about the shortcoming, the student may lose their right to make a claim for a refund.
If the college charges or collects any compulsory fee that is not published on the Ontario.ca website or that is higher than what is published, the student is entitled to a full refund of the unpublished fee or the difference in amount between what is published and what was collected. The same applies if the college charges or collects any optional fee that is not approved by the Superintendent of Ontario Career Colleges.

Partial Refund Before a Program Begins:

Students are entitled to a refund of fees paid for a program, except that the college is allowed to retain 20% of the total fees for the program or $500, whichever is less if:

The student withdraws from the program before it begins;
The student does not meet the program’s admission requirements before the program begins;
The college cancels the contract for the program within 45 days of the start of the program because the student does not attend the first 14 days of classes.

Partial Refund After a Program Begins:

If the student withdraws from a program after the program begins, the student may be entitled to a refund of fees paid for the program, depending on how much of the program has been delivered by the college. In most cases, the college is allowed to retain 20% of the total fees for the program or $500, whichever is less, plus the fees paid with respect to the portion of the program that has been delivered by the college.

Transcripts and Credentials

Students have access to their transcripts for 25 years and will receive a credential within 60 days of the end of a program of study, provided all fees are paid.

Student Complaint Procedure

Protégé School has a procedure in place to resolve student complaints, which must be followed before filing a complaint with the Superintendent of Ontario Career Colleges.
If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint with the college, the student can request the Superintendent of Career Colleges to review their concern or complaint by submitting it using the ministry's Program Approval and Registration Information System (PARIS). At the first visit, the student will be asked to create a student account, or they can email their concern or complaint to pcc@ontario.ca.

Qualified Instructors

Instruction will be provided by qualified instructors outlined in the OCC Act, 2005, with a maximum of 10% of a program being taught by unqualified instructors on a temporary basis.

Insurance and Safety

The college maintains insurance for student accidents occurring in class or during offsite placements. Injuries must be reported immediately.

Midway Evaluation

The college is required to provide the student with the result of at least one evaluation of the student’s academic progress before the student completes half of the total length of a program that is 12 months or shorter. If the program is longer than 12 months, for each 12-month period, the college is required to provide the result of at least one evaluation before the student completes half of the period, i.e., 6 months.

International Students

For international students attending or planning to attend the college under a student visa, some special rules apply.

Fee Collection:

The internation students should make sure that you are familiar with the rules mentioned in the “Fee Collection” section. The college is allowed to charge special international student fees in relation to a vocational program, but these fees cannot be higher than what are published on the Ontario.ca website. Only the compulsory fees published on the Ontario.ca website or the optional fees approved by the Superintendent of Ontario Career Colleges are covered by the refund policy.

Effective October 18, 2006, after the internation students sign a contract, the college is allowed to collect no more than 25% of the total fees for a program from the international students before the program begins.

Fee Refund:

International students can cancel a contract with the college or withdraw from a program for any reason. The same refund policy for domestic students also applies to international students, and any written notice of cancellation or withdrawal is acceptable.

In addition, a special rule applies to international students if they are unable to obtain a student visa to enter Canada. As long as the international student delivers written notice of this fact to the college before half of the portion of a program has passed, the international student is entitled to a refund of fees paid for the program, except that the college is allowed to retain 20% of the total fees for the program or $500, whichever is less.

Responsibilities of Students

Adherence to Policies

Students must adhere to all school policies, including those related to attendance, behavior, and academic integrity.

Fee Payments

Students are responsible for timely payment of fees as per the agreed schedule.

Participation

Active participation in all scheduled classes, practicums, and evaluations is expected.

Communication

Students must communicate any issues or concerns promptly and in writing, retaining copies of all correspondence.

Return of Goods

Any goods provided under the contract must be returned in the same condition within 10 days of withdrawal to receive a refund, if there is a deposit paid for refund when return.

Protégé School is dedicated to ensuring that every student is aware of their rights and responsibilities, promoting a positive and productive educational environment.

Printer Friendly