Unresolved university complaint? How to prepare for the Student Ombudsman

An unanswered email about your course can quickly become a bigger problem when an assessment, enrolment decision or payment deadline is approaching. Knowing where to raise the issue helps, but so does having a clear account of what happened.

The National Student Ombudsman, or NSO, is a free, independent service dealing with complaints about higher education providers. For international students, it offers a place to ask about a problem that has not been resolved through the provider, or where approaching the provider is difficult.

It is not a replacement for every student appeal or another way to get an assessment remarked. Before preparing a submission, check that the issue falls within its role.

Check whether the service covers your complaint

The NSO's complaints guidance says it can consider matters involving higher education providers registered with TEQSA. Examples include enrolment, exclusion, special consideration processes, course changes and complaint handling. Current and former students, and people in the process of enrolling, can raise concerns.

Its exclusions matter. Complaints about VET courses and academic judgement, such as the grade awarded for an assessment, are outside its scope. A disagreement about the mark itself is different from a concern about how a complaint or procedure was handled.

If you are unsure which applies, describe the issue in your own words and ask the NSO. Avoid trying to force it into a category because the name sounds close. Explain what decision or action concerns you and what you want examined.

Start with a short timeline

The NSO's tips for making a complaint recommend setting out what happened in order, how you have been affected and what outcome you want. Relevant emails, forms, receipts and screenshots can help support that account.

A useful working document has four columns: date, event, supporting document and outstanding question. Start with the first relevant event rather than your full history at the institution. The reader should be able to follow the problem without searching through unrelated messages.

For example, a fictional timeline might record the date a student submitted a request, the acknowledgement they received, a later follow-up and the response that left a question unanswered. That structure makes a communication issue easier to explain without alleging motives you cannot establish.

Label a recollection as a recollection. If you remember a phone conversation but do not have a recording or written confirmation, say so. A careful account can distinguish what a document shows from what you understood at the time.

Describe the outcome you are seeking

There is a difference between saying that a process has been frustrating and explaining what would resolve the concern. You might want a written explanation, a response to information that appears to have been missed, or a review through the provider's stated procedure.

Write the outcome in one or two sentences. Then check whether it relates to the issue you have described. Asking for several unrelated changes in the same complaint can make it harder to identify the main problem.

This does not mean minimising the effect on you. Explain the practical impact separately: the decision you cannot make, the communication you are waiting for or the arrangements left uncertain. Use dates and documents where you have them, and avoid estimating losses as if they have already been verified.

Use the provider's process where you can

The NSO's guidance encourages students to approach their provider first when there are no barriers. Provider procedures can use different names, including complaints, grievances or appeals, and may set out timeframes and support options. Student services or a student advocate may help you understand the process.

Save the relevant policy and record when you accessed it. Keep your complaint reference number somewhere easy to find. After a call, write a brief note covering who you spoke to, the date and the next step you understood had been agreed.

If approaching the provider is not possible or feels unsafe, explain that when contacting the NSO. Do not assume you must repeat an unsuccessful interaction indefinitely before asking what options are available.

Prepare a readable evidence folder

The following is an editorial suggestion for organising your own records, rather than an NSO submission requirement:

• One short summary of the issue and requested outcome.

• A dated timeline with the key events.

• The decision or response you are questioning.

• Relevant correspondence, with clear file names.

• A list of questions that remain unanswered.

Keep the originals unchanged. If you add notes to a copy, make it obvious which words are yours. Do not upload unrelated personal information about classmates or staff merely because it appears in a long email chain.

Know what an escalation can and cannot promise

The NSO describes possible outcomes including recommendations that a provider explain, reconsider or change something. An escalation does not guarantee a particular result. Its introduction explains its role in working with students and providers to resolve complaints.

Keep other deadlines visible while the matter is being considered. If the issue also affects your visa, employment or another legal matter, seek advice through the relevant qualified service rather than treating a student complaint as advice on those matters.

A clear complaint does not have to sound like a legal document. It needs to explain the concern, show the relevant record and make the next question easy to understand.

Source check: 27 September 2026. This is a guide to preparing information, not advice on an individual complaint or visa.