Exceptions to standard VoS processes

Blank Verification of Study (VoS)

Education providers have the ability to send through a VoS response where they have not received an immediate request from StudyLink.

This is known as a Blank VoS (or Provider Initiated VoS). It is also sometimes referred to as a Manual VoS.

If StudyLink has never issued a VoS request for a student for a particular period, then the education provider cannot submit a Blank VoS for that period. If StudyLink has not requested fees information for that period previously, then the education provider cannot submit a Blank VoS with fees information included.

A blank VoS can be used for a number of reasons, such as where:

• the student has dropped or picked up papers
• the student has withdrawn from study
• the student's study dates or vacation dates have changed
• the student is studying an approved overseas programme of study
• there are additional fees that need to be paid.

Secondary schools

Secondary school students are only eligible for Student Allowance payments, not Student Loan payments.

For secondary schools, StudyLink requests the following information:

• Academic Year Level - the year/form the student is enrolled in for the calendar year
• Start Date and End Date - the dates, in the year required, that a student started and is expected to finish study
• whether a student is full-time (at least 20 class contact hours per week)

Education provider matching

Education providers are able to individually select how they determine a valid match.

There are three possible identifiers that an education provider can match on:

• Student ID number
• Full name
• Date of birth

The minimum requirement is that an education provider matches on at least two of these identifiers.

Where any one identifier is not matched, the education provider needs to declare this by setting the ‘status’ field in the VoS response to indicate which identifier has not been matched (Mismatch DOB for example). This is not a requirement for education providers that only match on two out of three identifiers.

If there is more than one identifier that does not match, the education provider must send through a ‘not known’ VoS response.

Where the provider is only set up to match on two out of three identifiers, and they send through a mismatch status, the resulting VoS will still be a confirmed response.

However, where a provider is set up to match on three out of three identifiers, and they send through a mismatch status, the resulting VoS will not be confirmed.

The parameter that determines the match is called “Ignore Mismatch” and further information about this can be found in the Parameters section.

ReVoS

A ReVoS is where StudyLink sends the education provider a new VoS request after the VoS cycle had closed.

A ReVoS can be sent for a number of reasons, including:

• the student has contacted StudyLink and advised that they have changed their enrolment.
• the student has contacted StudyLink and advised that they have withdrawn from study.
• the student has contacted StudyLink and advised that their study dates or some other information has changed.
• a refund is received from the education provider (a ReVoS is sent to determine if the student has withdrawn from some or all of their papers).

A ReVoS will generally use the original VoS study start date of the original VoS request. However, a StudyLink Officer may request a VoS response for a specific period, in which case this date would be different.

If an education provider has changed a student’s study details they should send through a Blank VoS rather than requesting a ReVoS from StudyLink.