Evocca College Questions & Answers

Neither Evocca nor their various entities exists anymore.

I’d suggest you contact the Dept of Education (www.dese.gov.au) or the Ombudsman (www.ombudsman.gov.au)

no I did counselling course 2014 did not get certificate still to this day no certificate unable to find out from anyone

Hey Rhi,

I don’t have any contact details for Evocca, but recommend you contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman external link .

They may be able to help.

The worst organisation ever. If you can even call them that. I myself studied with them and had no support. Their teachers were inadequate and I saw that they preyed on lot of the venerable people in the community that clearly would struggle. It was only so they could get the funding. I’ve gone to the ombudsman and submitted a complaint.

They are no longer exist anymore. They abused the system and got into the shit. And put me in debt of $18,000. Maybe look through your USI.

I'm in the same boat, I've just been smashed with a massive debt from the ATO because I earnt over $54000 this financial year. I was doing the youth work diploma back in 2014, back then I was just a useless drug addict on centre link! I was 2 months into the course & wasn't approved 4 a blue card (which is 100% required 2 complete the course let alone work in that industry) as I was on bail for drug charges! Evocca kept pushing me 2 continue the course anyway and they'd find a way to get it Approved and blah blah blah. I emailed a request to change courses and was emailed back to finish the first 2 assessments first then I could, my trainer then had had me fill out some paperwork to change courses. Within a wk of that I had to serve 6months jail, I advised my circumstances and why I would be absent, turns out they just kept of charging me that whole time anyway and hadn't even swapped me out of the youth work diploma anyway! I submitted a special circumstances submission as I was incarcerated so it was impossible to complete the course during that time, my trainer assured me this would remove any accumulated debt. Debt that I was never actually given an amount for, no documentation NOTHING! She even told me u only have to pay it back if u end up working in that industry!! I never went back yet I found a census email a few months later, God knows how much I've been charged and I'm still trying to gather all the info I need. No one can provide me any documentation or agreements I signed. I was in a vulnerable situation back then, no family, young girl, dv relationship and drugs, my trainer knew this too and Evocca completely took advantage of that. Now I'm paying of debt for something I didn't understand back then and was manipulated into. I fully understand now and am a completely different person that works very hard, I've emailed the dept of higher education requesting all my documentation and proof of participation, if this can't be provided I will be lodging an enquire with the ombudsmen for my help fees to be reversed. It's an absolute joke to expect someone to pay over $35000 for a diploma that means absolutely nothing in the real world, and that they knew from day dot was an industry I was legally illegible to work within at that time! I didn't even complete the first unit, I'll fight this till the end!!

Hello! Hello! i am in the same situation as you currently with the college and asked for everything to be stopped prior to the census date however was pressured into options i didn't want as there were events that occurred out of my power (i was also only 17-18)

i have a current complaint with the commonwealth Ombudsman who are investigating.

did you have any luck in disputing it?

im currently having to repay the 12,000$ however never got a certificate nor completed an assessment :(

any help would be great

Hi, this has also happened to me, i only found out this year with the new Mygov updates to their website, since then i have received emails that i owe the ATO money, i logged in and sure enough, it was from HELP initiative the government had in place with Evocca, i started the course, was told to finish the first few units to be fully accepted, however certain circumstances prevented me from continuing, apparently from my research, they push you to complete the first few units, then they get the money off the government, then we are screwed over and its now a tax office issue, i have recently been told i owe $28000, if you could respond on who you went about calling it would be much appreciated as this is all from 2015 for me and looking at what they are charging me its only going up due to interest, thank you, if i find out any further info i will be sure to update you guys as well

i did the counselling in 2014 finished the course did not get a certificate no one recognizes it , so I have debt with ATO and no certificate for all my hard work

Did you ever sort this out, ? In the same boat

Evocca will take your entire course fee as quick as they can. And you are stuck with the bill, my course was $23000.00 and as soon as they had it all they stopped offering support. DO NOT ENROLL WITH THEM

I feel the same way, The Liberal government has a lot to answer for, they let Evocca scam students putting us all in huge debt, then they acknowledge there was a problem and fix it with out taking their money back from them leaving us in huge debt still, how can they possibly justify this? It actually makes me sick looking at what diplomas cost now at 10k when we where all charged 25-30k by this money hungry college. Huge debt no training and wasted years, thank you Evocca College.

Maybe we students who were scammed should have a chat to a solicitor about a class action for not only refund of hecs debts but also compensation for the stress caused by their incompetence.

I am looking at trying to get mine over turned so if you have any luck please let me know. and ill do the same

Hi Emilee just wondering if you got anywhere with trying to over turn this situation as i'm in the same position just looked at my gov and found out i got a hefty 20k to pay back the the ATO

Im also in the same boat. I have two debts from them. I was quite young when it happened and definitely was not in the position to study (3 young children, husband left, on Centrelink, extremely low socioeconomic and it was pushed on me - the second course was not even something I wanted to do!!!) Im investigating through ombudsmen and I hope so badly its overturned because theres like $40,000 on there!

Hi All, sorry, I only just saw all these responses today 15th Dec. So, my daughter and I did an IT course, and I got all non successfully completed units overturned at the tribunal. We were left with a less debt, as some units were completed until it got ridiculous........ The steps I had to take was to use the Evocca complaint channel first, the from there you can use the ombudsman (which after my queries changed and focused more on rorting providers) I then took the Evocca to the AAT (costs $800+ or free if can pass there criteria) and within documents between my daughter and I found, where an Evocca Teacher, head of dept mentioned..."How she felt for my situation and how we supposed to teach when there are failures within the system" in other words. I was lucky to find that and a bit more, as I had to prove 3 criteria for the tribunal to over turn debt. Those documented Teachers words were a GOLD STAR in my case. The Tribunal felt for our situation and praised me on how thorough I put my case across. Tho they can only apply decisions based on the legislation. Thus I was the first case to take to AAT and win, having all non completed units overturned....My daughters debt went from $28,000 to $14,000 and I had about $3000 taken off my debt.......I have looked at ways to over turn the rest, but seems impossible. I will just have to pay off as it accrues every year and can affect your credit rating......I swear when we first got conned and signed up, that we were only supposed to be hit with 20%, not that plus indexation....so that sux knowing debt is constantly growing "equal to real time value" grrrr ......There are time frames for dispute, your best bet is to try the Commonwealth Ombudsman, and I will try and find my case within Tribunal to share.......Best of Luck

No. If you leave the course you don't get to keep the laptop. If you stay and finish the course, then it's yours. However, if you want more info, please message me or provide me with a means of messaging you.

I kept the laptop as well as people i know and they didn't do anything about it.

Steven: did you withdraw?

I quit half way through the course and my friend got the laptop and didn't hand in one bit of work. Both laptops started screwing up 2 years later, coincidence?

Legally as they are not a credit provider they cannot do anything should you choose to keep it.

Hi, before you consider returning the laptop be aware that this college is a massive money scam, once they sign you up and you past the first census date they get the full costing of the course from the government vet fees. They have no need, incentive or intention on giving you good training because they don't need to, they already have all the money.

Once i found out that i was in debt for the full course fees after dropping out half way through their pathetic sub standard course i kept the laptop and they still had the nerve to send me return postage items expecting it back, what i found funny was they didn't ask for it back when i left the course they asked for it back when the course date ended.

I guess they kept me on their books for the full duration of the course to justify receiving the full amount of the course costs. (you might want to check this out)

I still have the laptop several years later, if i had my time again I'd sell the laptop asap and gain some money back for the huge debt i was put in from this scam college, also the dell laptops don't last long before they start getting problems.

The education department, complain the the education department. That gets things done and you are very deserving of that diploma

Thank you

complaints@evocca.edu.au is the email address, after that you can escalate it to ASQA via external link . I'd also recommend contacting Scott Ryan who has the Vocational Education portfolio for the Government and has commented on how repugnant Evocca is before (not in those words but it comes though clearly).

Hey! from the information they sent me, you return the item on completion or withdraw , any damages caused to the items must be paid for as well.

When I enrolled in the course I was told that I was allowed to keep the laptop I got when I graduated...yay! I got to keep it... but for new students past april 2015/16 the rules have changed. contact evocca for clarrification

A lot of people have been in the same situation, they lure you into the course with things like devices then want them back after ripping you off with poor course structure, training and support. I quit half way through the course and got charged the full course fees of like 27k so i kept the device.

It depends on when you enrolled. The old policy is that you keep the laptop or tablet if and when you successfully complete the diploma, whereas the new policy is that you have to return it when you're finished. I believe it changed some time in 2015.

Hi there,

This is a lie, they send you a device but whether you complete it or not the device must be sent back. Not worth wasting your time.

HI Kristin, thanks for getting in touch! The best thing to do is email social.media@evocca.edu.au with your full name so we can look into your questions. Thanks!

There is good quality online training institutes out there, Evocca college is not one of them stay clear.

tutors are very disrespectful one of them literally told me to F off and that they are not there to help the students as this is a do it yourself course???!!!

No books are supplied it's all done online no support either you have to do it yourself

I received one book and two unit handbooks ever. Funny how they started off sending hard copies and stationary and other crap then just stopped lol

I don't know what you are talking about! I'm doing my diploma of counselling through Evocca, now the Change Academy, online & by distance education, have a wonderful tutor & have received all my learner guides & textbooks. did you ever ring or email the college about not having received them??

Hi Lisa, if you enrolled in an Evocca College course after April 1st 2015 you must return the student device. As agreed on in your student device policy, the laptop remains the property of Evocca College. Please see point 10. of the student device policy; external link 

I enrolled February 2014.

Keep it because they will put you in debt for the full price of the course plus what the laptop would of costed.

it'll become a debt, same way a phone contract does if you stop paying it, but if your credit history isn't great anyway then it doesn't really matter; bad credit is taken off your credit rating after 7 years anyway

Nothing will happen if you do not return the laptop i kept mine after withdrawing haf way through the course and i got to keep it.

Hey ;) What so what do you mean exactly? Like attend both schools? If so, why pay two lots of school fees ect. Also I'm 3/4 of my way through but just say I started Tafe in December what I've already completed at Evocca gets marked off at Tafe. I'm pretty sure Tafes diploma is similar but maybe some different units too. Hope I've made some sense. Let me know.

stay away from this college, they are about making money not teaching you.

I would check with the website but I'm sure I payed around 15 000 but although you don't have to pay anything back if you decide to sign up it rises with indexation price each year you don't pay anything. I'm telling you this because that's how vet-fee works

Do you reckon it's worth the price? I'm still contemplating if I should go through with it I'm 18 I'd really love to do community services but it's so expensive as I work part time. Not sure wether it's worth it

You end up with a debt to the federal government that stays with you forever. Once you start working and earning approx $54000 you have to start paying it back. The only ones who laugh all the way to the bank are the Directors of Evocca who all drive luxury cars, including one board member who's kids who own an Evocca kiosk drive Lamborghinis!

i was charged $15,000 for Youth Work and there's an additional 20% interest, it's a total rip-off. Tafe offers the same thing for a fraction of the price, though you need to pay upfront.