If students have a concern or complaint about an individual student/staff/ educator / BTI administration, in the first instance, students are encouraged to resolve the issue at the level it occurred with the person concerned. If not resolved, direct it to your Cohort Mentor/Programme Lead, then to the Head of School. If the issue is still not resolved, or if you are not satisfied with the outcome,  you can make a formal complaint to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

Please thoroughly read and understand this policy before submitting your concern or complaint.

Student Concerns and Complaints Policy

Student Concerns and Complaints Flowchart

External Complaints

Please raise any concerns or make a formal complaint to BTI first before engaging with external complaints processes.

Learner guide to complaints

Study Complaints  (For financial and contractual disputes) 

If you are an international student or a domestic tertiary learner and you have an unresolved complaint (financial or contractual dispute) about a New Zealand education provider, you can contact Study Complaints.   

They can assist with:

• Financial matters
• Contractual matters
• Redress claims.

Students can contact the service on:

Phone: 0800 00 66 75
Email: help@studycomplaints.org.nz
Visit: www.studycomplaints.org.nz

Making a complaint to NZQA

Your complaint should be about a specific process or practice that your education provider did that was unfair or inequitable – and as such, might need to be improved to be compliant with NZQA regulations.

NZQA is not a dispute resolution service and generally cannot help you get a refund or a specific solution. There is an online form if you would like to get advice about your concerns about an education provider.

Tips for making a complaint

Make your complaint as soon as you can. It is hard for NZQA to look at a complaint if it happened more than a year ago.

• what process you went through and want to complaint about
• why you think it is unfair
• what the education provider has said about your complaint.

You need to show:

• Documents about your complaint e.g. letter and emails to/from your provider
• Anything else you think NZQA needs to see about your complaint, e.g. advertising material, your enrolment contract.

Tell NZQA what you would like to happen to fix your complaint.

To make a formal complaint to NZQA:

1. Download the formal complaints form and put in all the details of your complaint.

   Make sure you give contact details for everyone who is covered in the complaint.

2. Collect evidence for your complaint.  Include evidence that will support your complaint and let NZQA fully investigate it.

3. Send the form and your evidence to NZQA. You can email it all to: risk@nzqa.govt.nz or

Post it all to:
Risk Management, NZQA
PO Box 160
Wellington, 6140

For more information, go to the NZQA website at:

https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/complaint/education-provider/#e10198_heading1

Pastoral Care Code compliance complaints

If you believe that BTI is failing to meet the outcomes or requirements of the Pastoral Care Code, you can make a complaint to NZQA as the administrator of the Code

Other complaint bodies that may be able to help

Student loans and allowances:                                                                   StudyLink

Fees free or government funding for your course:                                         Tertiary Education Commission

Acts and decisions:                                                                                    Ombudsman

How information about you has been stored or used:                                   Privacy Commissioner

Someone’s safety being at risk

For emergencies, call 111 immediately. For non-urgent matters, call 105.         New Zealand Police

Health and safety concerns about your campus or work placement:              WorkSafe New Zealand

Discrimination, racism and harassment:                                                      Human Rights Commission

Other Support

Legal advice -if you would like legal advice, you can contact your local Community Law office or Citizens Advice Bureau.