Discount on Internal Programmes/Courses - OPBD Procedure

To provide guidelines and procedures for full-time and proportional Otago Polytechnic Business Division/Te Pūkenga (OPBD), staff members (kaimahi), their partners, their dependants, and Alumni wishing to receive a discount for student tuition fees for course(s)/programmes of study at OPBD that are funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).  Kaimahi from other Te Pūkenga business divisions are also covered in this policy.

For non-TEC Levels 3-10 funded courses and OPBD events e.g., self-funded course(s)/programmes of study, such as night classes, short courses, micro-credentials, EventBrite courses such as Art night class, Automotive Warrant of Fitness course), please refer to clause 7.1.

1. Subject to the conditions listed throughout this policy, qualifying OPBD kaimahi (refer to clause 3) their partners and dependants, and current and registered Alumni are entitled to a discount on OPBD tuition fees in accordance with the Discount Schedule (Appendix 1). Kaimahi from other Te Pūkenga business divisions are entitled to the same discounts subject to the conditions in clause 6.
2. The Executive Director or delegate may, at the request of the college/academic area, exempt any course(s)/programme of study from this policy or adjust the rate of discount outlined in the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Schedule.

2.1 The Executive Director or delegate may, at their sole discretion, apply any level of fee discount to any person, even if not otherwise covered by this policy if it is deemed strategically important to do so.

3. Qualifying OPBD kaimahi are any permanent kaimahi and any kaimahi employed on a fixed term contract of one (1) year or more (not casual), and who are employed at 0.4 FTE or more. Kaimahi includes an employee of Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus (OPAIC) Limited Partnership, an employee of Moana House Training Institute or an employee of Kōkiri Training Centre.

3.1. Other OPBD kaimahi with less than 0.4 FTE (i.e., part-time, casual) may qualify for a discount if they are required by OPBD to undertake role-specific education/training with approval from the Executive Director or delegate.

4. If OPBD kaimahi has accessed funding for kaimahi development or a kaimahi discount and has subsequently resigned from employment with OPBD, any such funding or discount will cease at the end of the current enrolment. Special circumstances are to be referred to the Executive Director or delegate. If a kaimahi ceases to be employed by OPBD, there will be no discount(s) applied to enrolments occurring after the cessation of the employment relationship.
5. Kaimahi who would be classified as international learners, based on their visa type, must first discuss this with their Formal Leader before enrolling in a programme of study.
6. Kaimahi of other Te Pūkenga business divisions are eligible for the kaimahi discount outlined in this policy. This policy does not apply to partners and dependents of Te Pūkenga subsidiary or business division kaimahi, nor does it apply to Alumni of Te Pūkenga business divisions. 
7. Conditions - for all Types of Discounts

7.1. Discount only applies to TEC OPBD programmes of study/course(s) from Levels 3-10. There is no discount for self-funded programmes of study/course(s).       7.1.1.    An exception can be made if such study is specified as required in a kaimahi Individual Performance Plan (IPP), or specifically negotiated with their Formal Leader in consultation with People and Culture. This reason must be noted on the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form (Appendix 2).

7.2. Discount applies only to the tuition portion of the learner fees and excludes components such as Otago Polytechnic Student Association (OPSA) and New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) fees.

7.3. Where the delivery fee includes significant resource costs (textbooks for example), these will be excluded from the discounted portion.

7.4. Discounts cannot be applied for retrospectively.

7.5. A new Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form must be completed every year for all types of discounted enrolment.

7.6.  Where the progression through the course(s)/programme of study is not satisfactory, no further discount will be approved.

8. OPBD Staff/Kaimahi Discount

8.1. Kaimahi who enrol in a course(s)/programme of study and receive a discount under this policy will not be eligible to access their annual allocation of professional development funding for the duration of the discounted course(s)/programme of study.  This is effective as of 1^st January 2023.

8.2 OPBD compulsory training courses such as Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) workshop for all kaimahi and Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education (GDTE) do not require a Staff/Kaimahi Discount Enrolment Form – instead, the process will be facilitated by OPBD People and Culture in conjunction with OPBD Academic Registry.

8.3. All mandatory/priority kaimahi development activities must be in their approved IPP (IPP criteria and priorities are detailed in the OPBD Discount Schedule (refer to Appendix 1), Staff Development policy and should be referred to in relation to this policy.

8.4. For all other course(s)/programme of study discount requests the kaimahi requesting the discount and their Formal Leader will complete the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form (refer to Appendix 2) and forward it to OPBD Academic Registry.

8.4.1. It is expected that kaimahi have discussed their enrolment intentions with their Formal Leader prior to enrolment and before completing the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form (refer to Appendix 2).

8.4.2. Fee discount(s) are contingent on satisfactory progress and meeting all requirements of the course(s)/programme of study. It is expected that kaimahi will provide evidence of outcomes of any other course(s)/programmes of study enrolled in as a kaimahi at OPBD having been the recipient of a kaimahi discount.  Special circumstances are to be referred to the Executive Director or delegate.

8.4.3.   Where the Formal Leader cannot independently verify a kaimahi FTE (e.g., due to working across multiple departments at OPBD or Te Pūkenga business divisions), confirmation should be sought prior to signing and returning the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form to OPBD Academic Registry.

8.5. Wherever possible kaimahi will be accepted without being waitlisted for courses that are identified in their IPP.

9. Discounts for OPBD Partners, Dependants* and Alumni only.

9.1. Discounts are available to OPBD partners, dependants, and Alumni as per Appendix 1, and subject to the conditions noted in clauses 7.1 - 7.6.

9.2. For kaimahi partner/dependants discount, the Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form must be signed by the kaimahi, along with kaimahi’s FTE verified by People and Culture, if the Formal Leader cannot independently verify the kaimahi’s FTE (refer to clause 8.4.3).

9.3. Acceptance into a multi-year programme of study on a discount basis does not automatically mean the discount will apply for the duration of the programme of study (refer to clause 11 Failure to Complete a Course(s)/Programme of Study). A new Staff/Kaimahi Discount Enrolment Form is required every year (refer to clause 7.5)

9.4. If a kaimahi having accessed partner/dependent discount ceases employment, the discounted fees cease at the end of the current enrolment. Any further enrolments will have the relevant full fees charged to the individual.

9.4.1.    Special circumstances are to be referred to the Executive Director or delegate.

*  Dependant is a child or stepchild of kaimahi, including those for whom a legal arrangement such as adoption or guardianship is held, and who is under the age of 25. It does not include children’s partners or their children.

10. Discount for Registered OPBD Alumni

10.1 When a registered Alumni enrols in another full qualification programme of study (2) years or more after completing the previous qualification, a 15% discount applies to the tuition fees only.

10.2 Alumni discounts cannot be used in conjunction with an OPBD scholarship. Ākonga who are eligible for both an Alumni discount and an OPDB scholarship will be awarded whichever discount is of higher value.

10.3. Evidence of Alumni Registration is verified in the OPBD Student Management System (EBS) by an Academic Registry team member at the time of application/enrolment.

Note: Learner levies and Learner ID cards are not included.

11. Failure to Complete a Course(s)/Programme of Study.

11.1 Where the recipient (i.e., OPBD kaimahi, partners/dependants of OPBD kaimahi, OPBD Registered Alumni and kaimahi from other Te Pūkenga business divisions) of any discount identified in this policy fails or fails to complete a course(s)/programme of study for which discount(s) have been applied by OPBD, future discounts will not be provided for repeat study, nor for alternative study.

11.2. In exceptional circumstances the Executive Director or delegate may waive this requirement. This provision applies to all recipients of kaimahi discounts.

Policies:

• Learner Fees policy
• Staff Development policy

Levels 3-10: Certificates, Diplomas, Post-graduate Diplomas and Undergraduate Degrees:

 Kaimahi with a proportion less than 0.4FTE may qualify for a kaimahi discount if they are required to undertake role-specific education/training with approval from the Executive Director or delegate.

The level of discounts for tuition fees is set as per this schedule and can only be adjusted by the Executive Director or delegate.

Work-Based Learning Programmes:  

Note: This applies to OPBD kaimahi and kaimahi from other Te Pūkenga business division only, not partners and dependants.

Note: Failure to complete a course(s) within a programme of study in the Work Based Learning College, within the occurrence period, will result in a fee reimbursement being sought of fifty percent (50%) of the fees that would have been due.

Policy Version: V13; Previously Coded: MP0454

OPBD Staff/Kaimahi Discount Form - downloadable