Enrol

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) eligibility

• To be eligible for a course, students are required to meet all of the criteria at the entry point to that course.

• For the purpose of determining eligibility, speakers of dialects and variants of a language are considered to be speakers of the standard language.

Which course is right for you?

Before you enrol, use these charts to check which course is right for you:

1. Should I enrol in the Beginners or Continuers course?
2. Should I enrol in the Continuers or In Context course?
3. Should I enrol in the 100 hours or 200 hours Stage 5 course?

Beginners

Students are learning the language as a second (or subsequent) language. Students either have no prior spoken or written knowledge or experience of the language, or their experience is derived solely from, or is equivalent to, study of the language for 100 hours or less in Stage 4 or Stage 5.

• Students have had no more than 100 hours' study of the language at the secondary level (or the equivalent).
• Students have little or no previous knowledge of the language. For exchange students, a significant in-country experience (involving experiences such as homestay and attendance at school) of more than three months renders a student ineligible.

Continuers - European Languages

All students not eligible for Beginners courses. In languages where Extension courses are offered, the Extension courses are available to Year 12 Continuers course candidates only.

Continuers - Asian Languages

Students are learning the language as a second (or subsequent) language. Students typically have studied the language for 200-400 hours at the commencement of Stage 6. In languages where Extension courses are offered, the Extension courses are available to Year 12 Continuers course candidates only.

• Students have had no more than one year's formal education from the first year of primary education (Year 1) in a school where the language is the medium of instruction.
• Students have no more than three years' residency in the last 10 years in a country where the language is the medium of communication.

Language in Context

Chinese, Japanese and Korean in Context are offered at NSW School of Languages

Students typically have been brought up in a home where the language is used, and they have a connection to that culture. These students have some degree of understanding and knowledge of the language. They have received all or most of their formal education in schools where English (or another language different from the language of the course) is the medium of instruction. Students may have undertaken some study of the language in a community, primary and/or secondary school in Australia. Students may have had formal education in a school where the language is the medium of instruction up to the age of ten.

Students have had no formal education in a school where the language is the medium of instruction beyond the year in which the student turns ten years of age (typically Year 4 or 5 of primary education).

Conditions for enrolling in EAL/D via distance education

• Rural or regional NSW government school students only.
• The student has been educated in English for 5 years or less prior to Year 11, or the student is a refugee and or has had interrupted schooling.
• The student has reached Phase 2 level EAL/D – has completed the New Arrivals Program or has received instruction in English for at least one year with support from an EAL/D teacher.
• EAL/D is not offered at the home school.

Distance education enrolment procedures

NSW Department of Education policy on Enrolment in distance education procedures explains eligibility, quotas, acceleration and the responsibilities of home schools, supervisors, parents and students, as well as lists the distance education schools in NSW.

Supporting enrolment forms

• School agreement 2027

• Statutory declaration

• Recognition of prior learning

Enrolment how-to guides

• Digital signature quick start guide

• Instructions on how to download, sign, and save the NSL application form.

Other forms and information

• Course information brochure

• NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Course codes for Languages.
• Late or unforeseen and unique circumstances - NSW public schools
• Late or unforeseen and unique circumstances - NSW non-government schools

• Change of school form

NSW public schools

In NSW public schools, all financial contributions are voluntary. Every student has full access to the curriculum, regardless of whether contributions are made.

For more information, see Voluntary school contributions on the Department of Education's website.

NSW non-government schools

Payment of the management fee to NSW School of Languages is the responsibility of the school. Schools will receive an invoice from NSW School of Languages.

NSW Distance Education - single course access

Applies to all 2027 commencing and continuing single-course distance education enrolments for students who are not currently enrolled full-time in a NSW public school.

This includes the timeframe for student withdrawals and partial refunds.

Key information

Census Date: The final date by which a student may withdraw from a course and remain eligible for a refund. This aligns with 4 weeks after each course commencement date.

Management Fee: There is no fee for instruction in NSW Public Schools, including distance education. A course management fee applies to students who are not enrolled full-time in a NSW public school. This fee is charged by the distance education school once a year for each course.

Fee structure

Schools are invoiced:

• $340.00 for each student for each course for Years 9-10.

• $800.00 for each student for each course in Years 11-12.

Enrolment confirmation

• Full payment of the applicable fee is required before enrolment is finalised.

• Students may not receive course resources or instruction until payment is received.

Census dates apply to all enrolments

The final date by which a student may withdraw from a course and remain eligible for a refund.

Year level	Census date
Stage 5: Years 9-10	Friday, Week 4 Term 1
Stage 6: Year 11	Friday, Week 4 Term 1 (*for compressed courses: 4 weeks after the course commencement date)
Stage 6: Year 12	Friday, Week 4 Term 4 (*for compressed courses: 4 weeks after the course commencement date)

Refund eligibility

• A 50% refund is available if withdrawal occurs on or before the census date.
• Refunds will not be issued for withdrawals after the census date.
• Enrolments received after the census date will not be eligible for refunds.
• Extraordinary and/or extenuating circumstances may be considered by distance education schools on a case-by-case basis.

Refund process

• Eligible refunds will be expected to be processed within 30 days of course withdrawal.

• Refunds will be paid:

  — to the school from whom the original payment was received

  — wherever possible, by the original account and payment method.

For more information, please refer to the current Enrolment in distance education procedures on the Department of Education's website.