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Pilot courses on hold during audit

Enrolments in aviation courses with Box Hill Institute are believed to be on hold during an ASQA audit.

Disgruntled students at Moorabbin Airport Picture: Stuart McEvoy
Disgruntled students at Moorabbin Airport Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Enrolments in aviation courses with Box Hill Institute are believed to be on hold as the TAFE college responds to an audit by the Australian Skills Quality Authority.

As The Australian revealed last week, 15 former students of Box Hill and Soar Aviation were seeking refunds of their VET loans because they were unhappy with the training they received. That figure has grown to 35 students, including 30 from Melbourne and five from Sydney.

It followed revelations more than 400 students were enrolled in two-year commercial pilots’ licence courses at Box Hill in 2018, which had received $11m in loan payments in return.

Department of Education figures showed only six people had graduated from the diploma course but Soar Aviation CEO Neel Khokhani said the figure was as high as 61. Box Hill CEO Vivienne King confirmed ASQA had audited aviation delivery at the institute and it was currently responding to the audit report as requested.

Robyn Ironside

Robyn Ironside
Robyn IronsideAviation Writer

Robyn Ironside is The Australian's aviation writer, and has twice been recognised by the Australasian Aviation Press Club (in 2020 and 2023) as the best aviation journalist. She has been with The Australian since 2018, and covered aviation for News Corp since 2014 after previously reporting on Queensland state politics and crime with The Courier-Mail.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/pilot-courses-on-hold-during-audit/news-story/a729a3f4cba32a0285db66edec0b5a24