Orientation
On the first day at Mercury College, you will attend an orientation session and be issued with a copy of the orientation presentation.   The orientation presentation contains detailed information covering all aspects of your course and living in Sydney. Remember that at Mercury College, we have a Student Services Officer to help you with any part of your stay to ensure that you are completely satisfied and happy studying with us. 

Accommodation and leaving expenses
Estimated living expenses for an international student are approximately A$12,000 to A$20,000 a year. This covers food, accommodation, travel, entertainment and clothing
Suggested weekly budget (Remember figures are in Australia dollars and accurate in July 2007):   
• Accommodation $100 to $150 (for a room in a shared house or apartment)
• Food A$50 to A$90
• Public transport A$30 to A$50

Accommodation options for students
Homestay
Our Homestay services provide an opportunity to stay with an Australian family and experience the Australian culture and lifestyle. If you need a homestay, you will need to complete homestay application form. We need at least 4 weeks before the arrival date to arrange homestay for you.  The minimum length of stay in homestay accommodation is four weeks.  For details of homestay fees, please refer to our pricelist.  Fees for homestay accommodation include meals, laundry, your own room and a student desk

Student House
Mercury College is able to book accommodation of its students in a student house, which is located 20 minutes away from the college. Facilities include free Foxtel, BBQ, DVD player, garden, tennis. To book student house we ask our students to fill out accommodation form at least 2 weeks before arrival date. Minimum Stay –2 weeks; for fees please refer to our pricelist.

Hostel
Hostel accommodation is a popular option for international students, especially in the first months of their arrival. A small, furnished room is provided with access to a shared bathroom, laundry, lounge and recreational activities. Some hostels also provide computer access. It is recommended that students considering Hostel accommodation options look at two or three properties prior to making a decision. Many hostels are privately run and as such come under the Rooming House Act.  Please note, if the student signs a lease, they are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act.

Apartment/Flat
Apartment/flat rental varies greatly in cost and conditions. Before making long term arrangements, it is strongly advised that the student becomes familiar with the suburb or area. For purposes of bond payment and moving arrangements the student must be available to sign agreements. For this reason international students are advised to secure short term accommodation upon arrival so that flat and apartment hunting may be started after they have settled in and begun to seek out areas they would like to live in.

Student Visa Requirements
All students should be aware of the following student visa requirements:
• you must be enrolled as a full-time student at all times (at least 20 hours per week)
• you must leave Australia when your studies are complete and/or when their visa expires
• you must make satisfactory academic progress and meet attendance requirements (at least 80%).
• you must meet the costs of Overseas Student Health Cover to for the period of their enrolment.
• you must provide Mercury College with their address in Australia and a local telephone number on which you are able to be contacted.
• you cannot transfer to another institution within the first six (6) months of your arrival in Australia, or if your program is of less than six month’s duration, you  must remain at Mercury College for the duration of their program.  (The Department of Immigration and Citizenship may approve in exceptional circumstances a transfer which does not meet this rule).
• you must ensure that any school-aged dependants accompanying you to Australia attend school.  Students will be required to pay full school fees for dependants enrolled in either a government or non-government school. Visit www.det.nsw.edu.au for more information.
• you must study a full-time course which is a minimum of 20 contact hours per week
For more information about visa conditions visit www.immi.gov.au or www.studyinaustralia.gov.au

Overseas Student Health Cover
All international visitors to Australia under a student visa are required by law to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).  Students are required to pay for this cover prior to arriving in Australia. Students are covered by the OSHC from the day they arrive in Australia, until the end date of their visa.
• On enrolment all international students must pay a fee for health insurance in accordance with the length of their course.
• Mercury College forwards payment and application on behalf of new students to Australian Health Management (for policy information please see www.ahm.com.au/7323/OSHC
• AHM can take up to 4 weeks to process applications and return student AHM Cards back to Mercury College.
• If you have any health problems before receiving your card you are still covered.  When you go to the doctor and pay for your consultation, you must ask for a receipt.  AHM will reimburse your money provided you produce the receipt.
Remember you are covered from the day you arrive Australia (even though you may not have your card).

ESOS Framework
The following is from information provided by Australian Education International (AEI) (www.aei.gov.au)
The Australian Government wants overseas students in Australia to have a safe, enjoyable and rewarding place to study. Australia’s laws promote quality education and consumer protection for overseas students. These laws are known as the ESOS framework and they include the Education Services for Overseas (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code 2007.

Protection for overseas students
As an overseas student on a student visa, you must study with an education provider and in a course that can be found on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) at http://cricos.deewr.gov.au. CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the education provider at which you study meet the high standards necessary for overseas students.
Please check carefully that the details of your course − including its location − match the information on CRICOS.

Your rights
The ESOS framework protects your rights, including:
• Your right to receive, before enrolling, current and accurate information about the courses, fees, modes of study and other information from your provider and your provider’s agent.   If  you are under 18, to ensure your safety, you will be granted a visa only if there are  arrangements in place for your accommodation, support and welfare.
• Your right to sign a written agreement with your provider before or as you pay fees, setting out the services to be provided, fees payable and information about refunds of course money.  You should keep a copy of your written agreement.
• Your right to get the education you paid for. The ESOS framework includes consumer protection that will allow you to receive a refund or to be placed in another course if your provider is unable to teach your course.
The ESOS framework sets out the standards Australian education providers offering education services to overseas students must obey. These standards cover a range of information you have a right to know and services that must be offered, including:
• orientation and access to support services to help you study and adjust to life in Australia
• who the contact officer or officers is for overseas students
• if you can apply for course credit
• when your enrolment can be deferred, suspended or cancelled
• what your provider’s requirements are for satisfactory progress in the courses you study and what support is available if you are not progressing well
• if attendance will be monitored for your course, and a complaints and appeals process.
One of the standards does not allow another education provider to enrol a student who wants to transfer to another course, but has not completed six months of the final course of study you plan to undertake in Australia. If you want to transfer beforehand you need your provider’s permission.
If you are under 18, to ensure your safety, you will be granted a visa only if there are arrangements in place for your accommodation, support and welfare.

Your responsibilities
As an overseas student on a student visa, you have responsibilities to:
• satisfy your student visa conditions
• maintain your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the period of your stay
• meet the terms of the written agreement with your education provider
• inform your provider if you change your address
• maintain satisfactory course progress
• if attendance is recorded for your course, follow your provider’s attendance policy, and
• if you are under 18, maintain your approved accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements.

Contact details

Facilities
At Mercury College, courses are designed to provide intensive training for career success in a professional learning environment that is both challenging and motivating.   Our classrooms are modern, well lit and insulated against outside noise or interference from other classes, air-conditioned and have windows. 
General facilities for students include:
• computer lab
• care and counselling
• social programs
• help with accommodation
• free Wireless internet access
• language Assistance
• student lounge

Campus Location and Contact Details
Address:   
              Business campus:  Level 3, 3 Waverley St, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022 Australia
              ELT campus:        86 Ebley Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022, Australia
Telephone (main):              +61 2 8263 1200 
Website:                          www.mercurycolleges.nsw.edu.au  
Facsimile:                          +61 2 8263 1238
E-mail:                               This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
24 Hour Contact:               +61 4 38 878 423 

Deferral, Suspension or Cancellation of Enrolment Policy
Under certain limited circumstances, a student’s enrolment may be deferred, suspended or cancelled.  A student’s enrolment can be deferred, suspended or cancelled by Mercury College, or by the student. Deferral means to delay the commencement of a course.  Suspension means the temporary postponement of enrolment during a course.  Cancellation means termination of enrolment in a course

Deferral, suspension or cancellation by a student
Students who wish to defer, suspend or cancel enrolment can apply to do so only if the course in which they were enrolled is unavailable, their visa is delayed or there are compassionate or compelling circumstances. Compassionate or compelling circumstances are usually beyond the control of the student and have an impact on the student’s course progress or the student’s well-being.  Compassionate or compelling circumstances include:
• serious injury or illness, supported by a medical certificate which states that the student was or will be unable to attend classes bereavement of close family members such as parents or grandparents
• major political upheaval or natural disaster in the home country, requiring emergency travel which has had an impact on the student’s studies
• traumatic experiences such as the being a victim of, being involved in, or witnessing, a serious crime

Effect of deferral, suspension or cancellation of enrolment on a student’s visa
Deferral, suspension or cancellation of an enrolment is likely to have an effect on a student’s visa.  Students should contact the nearest DIAC office or refer to www.immi.gov.au for further information. All deferrals, suspensions and cancellations of enrolment are notified to DIAC via the PRISMS system and all documentation about the deferral, suspension or cancellation of a student is filed in the student’s file.

Deferrals, suspensions or cancellations by Mercury College

Deferral
Mercury College may defer the commencement of a course if the course is not offered.

Suspension
Mercury College may suspend a student for misconduct, under circumstances where the student
• has been in breach of an Mercury College’s rule
• is in breach of enrolment conditions
• is assessed as providing a threat to the well-being of other students or staff
If the suspension of a student’s enrolment will result in the student being unable to complete the course within the course duration as specified on the eCoE, the student must apply for a course extension using the application for course extension.  The student will be advised to check with the nearest DIAC office for information about the impact of the extension of the course on the student’s visa.

Cancellation
Mercury College may cancel the enrolment of a student if the student:
• is in breach of enrolment conditions
• has been in breach of an Mercury College’s rule
• is assessed by the Principal as providing a threat to the well-being of other students or staff
• has being assessed as behaving in a way such as to constitute serious misconduct
• fails to meet the requirements of the course progress policy
• fails to pay tuition fees
• fails to re-enrol

Notice of intention to defer, suspend or cancel enrolment
Where a suspension is initiated by Mercury College, the student will receive a notice of intention to suspend enrolment.  In each case, the notice will clearly identify that the student will be given 20 working days to access the Mercury College’s internal complaints and appeals process.   If an appeal is lodged, Mercury College will maintain the student's enrolment until the internal appeals process is complete.   Mercury College reserves the right to not provide learning opportunities during this process should it be deemed appropriate.