Last week, it was announced that IH Sydney had been placed into voluntary administration, citing the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the ESOS Amendment Bill, the impact of Ministerial Direction 107, and the rising costs of visa fees as contributing factors.
Now, it has been revealed that the VET and ELICOS provider has ceased operations, as of December 9, with its schools in Sydney, Bondi, Darwin, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Adelaide closing their doors.
Greenwich College, part of the publicly listed NextEd Group (ASX: NXD), has acquired exclusive rights to communicate with students impacted by the closure of IH Sydney.
Greenwich College has been appointed by the administrator as the preferred partner to ensure students can continue their studies with “minimal disruption”, NextEd said in a statement.
“This is an incredibly challenging time for students, and we are committed to providing the stability and support they need to continue their educational journeys,” said Roxana Ene, general manager of Greenwich College.
This is an incredibly challenging time for students
Roxana Ene, general manager of Greenwich College
Greenwich College is collaborating with PKF Australia Pty Ltd, the external administrator of IH Sydney, on the transition process for students. Students will be able to transfer to one of Greenwich’s campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, or Perth without having to re-pay any previously paid tuition fees.
“Our collaboration with PKF Consulting ensures a smooth process, allowing students to focus on achieving their goals without interruption. We are honouring all payments made to IH [Sydney], which means we will be taking on hundreds of students at significant cost to Greenwich College, as we want to ensure all students who have paid fees are able to access a quality education.
“We want to ensure no student is left financially disadvantaged by this event, and we are proud that we can house IH [Sydney] students across our national campuses,” she continued.
Greenwich can accommodate all students except TESOL and junior programs, it said in a statement, while Greenwich College’s campuses are available in all IH locations, except Darwin.
Most students will be able to transfer into courses that match their original enrolments, preserving their educational timelines and goals, according to the statement. For students whose courses do not have an exact match, alternative courses will be offered “under extremely favourable terms”.
“These students will only need to pay the remaining tuition fees they would have owed to IH [Sydney], ensuring they are not financially disadvantaged,” NextEd clarified.
Tuition fees already paid to IH Sydney Training Services will be fully honoured by Greenwich College. Students who transfer to Greenwich will be required to pay the outstanding balance of their IH fees to the new provider.
Students affected by provider default may be eligible for a free visa application charge should they need to extend their visa due to the transition.
Meanwhile, agents who are not yet representatives of Greenwich College will be offered an opportunity to sign a representative agreement.
Classes for the former IH ELICOS students at Greenwich College are scheduled to commence on December 30 2024, while vocational courses will begin on either January 13 2025 or January 20 2025, depending on the program.
IH Sydney has messaged all students and agents about their closure and directed all enquiries to Greenwich College. Selected IH Sydney staff will remain employed to ensure the transfer process can be completed in a timely manner, according to NextEd.
Other IH institutions, such as IH Brisbane ALS, remain unaffected.
Commenting on the challenges faced by the sector, Emma Hoyle, managing director of IH World, stated: “Over the past four years, our affiliates have navigated a series of significant challenges and this is the latest example.
“Factors such as stricter visa regulation for overseas students have collectively limited international student mobility and created hurdles for many businesses within the education sector.”
Despite the events of the past week, which saw International House Edinburgh also close its doors, Hoyle reaffirmed: “Our network of 125+ schools globally remains resilient and continues to provide exceptional educational experiences to students around the world.
“While losing these long-established affiliates is sad for all concerned, the IH network continues to grow internationally with an increase in membership in the past 12 months and new schools to be announced in January.”
