Q: I have no idea what course I want to do or where I want to go in life!
A: Learning Cloud offers free career coaching and counselling through our trained Career Coaches for this very reason! Get in touch with yours to help point you in the right direction.
Q: I’m sick of paying to read online PDFs, are you any different to other online education providers?
A: Yes! We offer an interactive online learning experience with integrated videos, self-assessments, multiple choice, fabulous graphics and a user friendly submission system. Of course, we still provide a wealth of information and knowledge as well.
Q: How do you differ from other education providers?
- The ability to use your studies here as well as taking them overseas
- Staff and faculty that have personality!
- No deadlines or due dates on the majority of study options
- 100% interest free payment plans
- No PDFs, no difficult site navigation, no template Moodle portal – our learning experience is tailor made and second to none.
- We offer free career services upon graduation such as coaching, interview assistance and resume writing
Q: Am I able to go through Studylink with Learning Cloud or get a student loan/allowance?
A: As our courses are self-paced rather than full or part time you will not be eligible for Studylink or government assistance. However, we offer our own affordable and interest free payment plans which mean you won’t be stuck with a large debt that has to be paid back at a percentage of your income! Even if you win the lottery – our set weekly repayments continue at the rate you signed up for.
Q: What happens if I fail an assignment?
A: We offer resubmissions at no extra charge and encourage multiple submissions to ensure our tutors give you the support needed to help your learning.
Q: Are there any additional costs involved other than the course fee displayed online?
A: We try to make our fees all inclusive. For the vast majority of the courses the fee you see displayed is the fee you will pay. Optional practical training costs apply as and when required. (Selected courses only). We will always fully inform you of any extra requirements or costs prior to enrolment.
Q: Are there any time limits on the courses?
A: Time and duration for each course is clearly displayed on each course listing. However, many courses have no time limits. Please ask our Career Coaches for more information.
Q: Can I pay my fees as I study?
A: In most cases the answer is yes and these start from as little as $22.50 a week! To enrol on a pay as you study basis you will need to secure placement with your deposit. To find out if you qualify for this option please contact our Career Coaches.
Q: I live outside of New Zealand can I still enrol with the college?
A: Yes of course! As long as you are a New Zealand permanent resident or citizen.
Q: Are there any age limits or restrictions?
A: We do recommend that students are aged 18 or above for the majority of courses. However we believe that education should be available to all and we try to impose no limits at all. If you are under 18 and want to study please contact us before you enrol as we will need to speak to your parent/guardian. We’ve had students from 11 – 80+ study with us!
Q: Is it possible to study more than one course at a time?
A: Yes. Look at the course duration on each listing and as long as you feel you can find the time you should have no problem at all. Discounts are available to students enrolling onto more than one course when paying in full upon enrolment.
Q: Do I need additional materials?
A: In most cases no! It is clearly listed in the course details if materials or books are required. If this is this case these will need to be purchased separately.
Q: What are the entry requirements for your courses?
A: These depend on which course you are looking at, to find out if you qualify please contact your Career Coach.
Q: When do the courses start?
A: The flexibility of home learning means that there are no term times at all. As long as we have availability open you’re welcome to enrol at any time. Once placements are full it is up to the next student to graduate or if we have a cancellation we get in touch with those on our waiting list. Due to the self-paced nature of the courses we are unable to give set time-frames on when placements would be available again. Please contact your Career Coach to find out availability.
Q: Are your courses recognised?
We’re recognised through the IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre) which is a global framework.
Q: Are the courses difficult?
A: A very common question that is not always easy to answer! Difficulty will vary on the chosen level of study. Certificate and Soft Skill courses tend to be the easier courses to complete whilst Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas would offer most a good challenge. This will also be determined by the student’s effort, discipline and ability. All of our courses are designed and written to be studied from home and are laid out in a simple, easy to follow manner. This will allow students to work through them at a reasonable rate without having to call in for continual support.
Q: How do I enrol?
A: The enrolment process is simple. Call your Career Coach who can complete it entirely over the phone.
Q: How do I submit my coursework?
A: We offer two ways of submitting coursework. Choose to use our student portal or simply email the work over to student support or direct to your tutor. This does vary course by course so please check the individual course details. Once received, we will forward your work for marking and assessment with the appropriate faculty. If you do not have access to email or internet facilities, we can sometimes arrange postal deliveries at your expense. Contact your Career Coach for further information.
Q: What kind of assignments will I have to complete?
A: These will vary course by course. As a general guide these range from multiple choice questions, one word answers, a few paragraphs all the way through to detailed essays.
Q: How long does it take to finish a course?
A: This will vary greatly dependant on the course taken. We try to display an average completion time within each course listing to use as a guide. We impose no restrictions on how quickly you complete. So if you are looking to complete in a short time this is achievable with the right attitude and application.
Q: What If I want to cancel my course?
A: All students have seven days from the date of receipt at the registered address to cancel their course if they feel the course is not right in any way. All requests for cancellation must be put in writing to our head office within 7 days (Email is acceptable). This complies with local regulations. View our terms and conditions on our website or speak to your Career Coach.
Q: Can I swap courses if I change my mind?
A: Unfortunately once a student has received their course and the cooling off period expired we are unable to offer any course exchanges.
Q: I need to stop my course due to my circumstances changing, what happens?
A: In these instances this is beyond the control of the college. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and manage their time within the allowed duration of their course. Extensions can be arranged at an additional cost if required allowing students more time to complete.
Q: Are there any discounts as I’m unemployed?
A: Unfortunately no discounts are available to unemployed students through Learning Cloud. Try contacting your local government body for assistance, which is usually on a case by case basis.
Q: Can I obtain a scholarship to study with Learning Cloud?
A: Scholarships are not provided to study with the college, however the college can accept scholarships through an outside funding body.
Q: Do I need to attend any classes or lectures?
A: In the majority of cases the answer to this question is simply “no”. Most of our courses can be studied entirely from home. Be advised some courses do require external examination and practical training. See individual course listing for details.
Q: If I do a shorter course first can I get credits towards a Certificate or Diploma later?
A: Yes. We will assess previous studies to give you appropriate credits. This is usually a good option if it’s been some time since you last studied or if it’s a brand new field of training for you.
Q: How long does a certificate take to complete?
A: Commonly around 6-9 months, if studying full time, or around two years if studying part time. With dedication, part time students can complete a certificate in one year.
Q: What is the likelihood of employment upon completion of studying through Learning Cloud?
Virtually all students who successfully study through Learning Cloud gain employment upon completion. We rarely hear of graduates having difficulty getting a job. Keep in mind that an employer will make their choice based on presentation in an interview, communication skills, problem-solving skills, networks the person has developed, knowledge of their industry as well as their educational background. In other words, what you have learned and how you have been able to apply your learning is just as important as your qualifications!
Q: Do you offer discounts for enrolling in more than one course?
A: Yes! To gain a 5% discount on payment plans or upfront prices please contact your Career Consultant as this offer is not available through our website.
Q: How on earth is practical work done via distance learning?
A lot of people find it hard to understand how a distance education course can be anything more than reading and answering questions. Some are, and if that’s your experience with distance education in the past, this is really unfortunate! In reality, distance education has a great deal of flexibility and today can be more practical and relevant to real life than classroom education.
There are a few things to consider:
1. New technologies (internet, video, digital photography, cheaper & mobile telecommunications etc.) make it possible to overcome many of the isolation and communication problems that used to exist with distance education.
2. Funding pressures that have often resulted in a decrease in quantity and quality of practical components in traditional classroom education.
3. People today are better networked than ever, and more exposed to visual images than ever (e.g. In the past if someone was studying an animal they had never before seen, the options to see an image of that animal would be virtually nil, unless supplied by their teacher in the classroom. Today people are bombarded by images of virtually everything they could imagine through cable TV, YouTube, web sites, magazines, etc.
4. Be aware that no course will ever teach you everything! Wherever you study, your course should lay a foundation and framework for you to build on. It should open up opportunities for further learning –to further develop your practical skills, problem solving skills, knowledge, networking, communication abilities etc.; within your field of study. Some courses focus heavily on the information; some on assessment more than learning, others focus heavier on the problem solving, and others perhaps on the practical, etc.
5. No course can have its emphasis on everything; because to emphasise one thing is to de-emphasise something else.
6. Our courses are “experiential” learning (i.e. a concept in education that focuses on learning through experience). Over more than 2 decades, these courses have been developed using feedback and suggestions from both staff and students to create a variety of different ways of building all sorts of learning experiences into the courses. Some are integral and compulsory experiences within a course, others are optional facilities (such as student interaction through our online Learning Portal), which some students use, while others do not use.
7. We get our students to do all sorts of hands on and observational tasks throughout courses.
Examples may be:
- To visit a farm and observe things (for students who have a problem with a real farm, they might take a “virtual tour” on a web site or using a video).
- To study the anatomical structure of a bone or piece of meat obtained from a butchers shop.
- To collect pieces off a plant, and from those pieces, create and propagate cuttings.
- To undertake a well-structured PBL project. (NB: PBL is a highly structured, tried & proven learning system based on dealing with hypothetical problems. This system is widely used world-wide in medical schools, and increasingly in other disciplines.)
- To undertake a role play.
- To interview someone from industry.
- To video or photograph things performed or created by the student.
…There are of course many other things that could also be added to this list.
Technical Requirements
The following is an overview of the basic technical requirements that you will need.
Required Settings
- Javascript must be enabled
- Cookies must be enabled
Supported Browsers
FIREFOX 3.6, 4 – 11
Firefox 4 to 11 are supported and highly recommended. 3.6 is supported.
CHROME 8-16
Chrome 8 to 16 are supported and highly recommended. Other WebKit browsers (e.g. Safari or Konqueror) may have a similar experience to Google Chrome.
OPERA 10, 11
Opera is partially supported. However, the following features are unavailable in Opera due to Opera’s lack of support needed to implement these features:
- Does not support dragging and dropping files into editor.
INTERNET EXPLORER 9
Internet Explorer 9 is supported. However, the following features are unavailable in IE due to IE’s lack of support needed to implement these features:
- Does not support dragging and dropping files into editor.
Partially Supported Browsers
INTERNET EXPLORER 8
IE8 is functional, although we highly recommend using a more modern browser, especially for editing content. Lite courses should not have any problems when viewed in IE8, but rich courses will have problems.
Additional Requirements
- Security Settings on Medium-Low
Why do we only partially support IE8?
- Does not support content-rich elements of HTML5 and related APIs, thus it will never be able to support our content-rich courses.
- Poor support for web standards.
- Very poor content editing functionality.
INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Additional Requirements
- Security Settings on Medium-Low
IE7 is functional, although we highly recommend using a more modern browser, especially for editing content. Lite courses should not have any problems when viewed in IE7, but rich courses will have problems.
Why do we only partially support IE7?
- Does not support content-rich elements of HTML5 and related APIs, thus it will never be able to support our content-rich courses.
- Very poor support for web standards.
- Very poor content editing functionality.
Unsupported browsers
INTERNET EXPLORER 6
Why do we not support IE6?
- IE6 support is dropping across the web.
- Does not support content-rich elements of HTML5 and related APIs, thus it will never be able to support our content-rich courses.
- Very poor support for web standards.
- Very poor content editing functionality.
- Would require much more development resources to support and would greatly slow the development of new features.
Q: Sounds great! Where’s the paperwork and how do I enrol?
A: No paperwork! Give your Career Consultant a call and we complete it entirely over the phone for you in about ten minutes. Once enrolled you’ll be up and running in around 48 hours!
Terms and Conditions of enrolment with Learning Cloud.
Upon enrolment, students are entering into a legal agreement under common law, in which they agree to abide by the conditions of enrolment (including meeting stated payments) in exchange for the service offered by Learning Cloud. Upon enrolment, it is presumed that the student has read & understood Learning Cloud’s refund policy below.
Students have advised us that they are a New Zealand Permanent Resident or Citizen.
Notification of withdrawal from a course must be received in writing within 7 days (5 business days) of course commencement. Unless otherwise agreed, the course commencement date is the date a student is issued with a username and password for online access.
If a student withdraws before commencement of the course, a full refund will be granted however, a $100 deposit will be withheld to cover administration costs.
Students have 7 days (5 business days) to ensure the course meets their requirements from the day of course commencement. During this time the student must ensure they do not submit any assessments for marking, or view more than 20% of the course content. If the student adheres to these conditions, they are eligible for a refund, minus their $100 deposit – which will be withheld to cover administration costs.
If a student does not adhere to these conditions, they will be liable for the percentage of the course content they have viewed. If any assessments are submitted, the student will be liable for the full cost of the course. (This includes students who have selected to go on a payment plan).
If cancellation is sought outside the 7 day (5 business day) cooling off period, the request will be reviewed on its merit, and the student must submit the following in writing:
A detailed outline of extraordinary circumstances A medical certificate or legal document to verify extraordinary circumstances Any other documentation supporting the situation In such cases, a response will be dispatched in writing within 7 days of receiving the cancellation request submission. If approved, the student may incur fees.
Learning Cloud can, at its discretion, issue a Statement of Attainment for any successfully completed unit of competency when cancellations are approved. A Statement of Attainment will not be issued if payments have not been met, or the unit is not successfully completed.
In lieu of cancellation, a student may have the option to either change course, defer study or reduce weekly payment instalments. This will be offered to the student at Learning Clouds discretion.
Should a student fail to pay agreed tuition fees, Learning Cloud and our payment partner DebitSuccess will endeavour to contact the student on at least three occasions. This can include telephone calls, texts, emails and letters to the nominated postal address. It is the responsibility of the student to update administration should any contact details be changed while studying with Learning Cloud.
If the student has not contacted our administration or DebitSuccess to either make payment or alternative arrangement after the third attempt, the account will be forwarded to an external debt collection agency to collect payment on Learning Clouds behalf.
Please note that, should this occur, the student will be removed from their course until full course and debt collection fees have been paid and returned to administration. This can also affect your credit rating and ability to enrol in further study with Learning Cloud.