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Welcome 2025 Students: Student Support

Student Support

Student Support at AFTRS 

AFTRS is committed to providing an effective and supportive learning environment for students and we want you to have a rewarding experience during your studies here.  However there may be times that you are struggling or need some extra support.

You will be introduced to the Student Centre support network during Orientation and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions

Contact: studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au

Our friendly Student Engagement Managers and the AFTRS Counsellor can help. 

AFTRS Counsellors

AFTRS provides students access to free individual student counselling to support you with school-related or personal issues affecting your wellbeing.

Counselling is a supportive and confidential collaboration between a qualified counsellor and client (AFTRS student) to promote mental health and wellbeing, enhance self-understanding, and resolve identified concerns. Clients are active participants in the counselling process at every stage.

Counselling may be short or long term, such as:

  • A single session where a student discusses a current concern and does not feel they need regular ongoing sessions for support at this stage.
  • A series of weekly or fortnightly sessions to give a student the time and space to explore and process multiple concerns.

Students can make an appointment at any time during their studies.

Safe Conversation Officers 

Safe Conversation Officers (SCOs) are a network of staff have undertaken Mental Health First Aid training, and volunteered to be available for students who want to have a friendly and confidential chat about life, study and mental health concerns.

SCO’s will listen to you and help you access information about support and reporting. They are not counsellors but can provide an appropriate initial response to your concerns and guide you to the right services.

Reasonable Adjustments

ACCESSIBILITY

If you have indicated on your enrolment that you have a disability or medical condition which requires access support. a Student Engagement Manager will contact you.

It is essential that you register with us as soon as possible in order to receive additional help and support. Our aim is to ensure students requiring support realise their full academic potential. We are committed to the provision of reasonable adjustments, in consultation with you, within a reasonable time after notification of the need for adjustments.

Reasonable adjustments are measures taken to enable you to participate fully and equally in areas of the School’s operations on the same basis as a student without a disability. These include:

  • Admission and enrolment
  • Academic activities
  • Curriculum development, assessment and certification requirements
  • Physical access to buildings and facilities
  • Information access
  • A safe learning environment

 If you haven’t notified the Student Centre about your access needs, please complete the Student Access form located on the AFTRS website and send back to studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au.

There is also a link here for the AFTRS Health Practitioner Statement:  

  • The AFTRS Health Practitioner Statement 2 is one way you can provide supporting documentation. Alternatively, you may provide a letter from your Health Practitioner as supporting documentation. If your practitioner is providing a letter, AFTRS requires both the Registration and Medicare Provider numbers to authenticate the registration of the Health Practitioner.

A Student Engagement Manager will arrange a meeting with you and devise a Learning Access Plan if required which may include adjustments that support you in your course.

LEARNING ACCESS PLAN

AFTRS is committed to ensuring that all curriculum, classrooms, work areas, public areas, online environments such as Moodle and Library Search, and other tools and resources are accessible for any individual, including those with a disability or medical condition, that impacts an ability to study.

Students can disclose disability status to a Student Engagement Manager at any time.

  • Disclosures and requests may be made verbally in person or via the medical information received during enrolment.
  • Students with a disability or medical condition may identify themselves during the enrolment process and contact the Student Centre.
  • Students are not required to disclose their disability or medical condition unless they choose to.
  • There will be a certain level of disclosure needed when a student seeks reasonable adjustments, however, this information will only be to ensure suitable adjustments are offered and implemented.

Reasonable adjustments are recorded in an agreed Learning Access Plan (LAP).

Arriving at what is a reasonable adjustment for an individual student request involves consultation between Student Engagement Managers and the student.

  • Students can nominate a support person to assist them in the process of negotiating reasonable adjustments.
  • Approval for Reasonable Adjustments is approved by the Director of People and Culture.
  • Learning Access Plans are managed by the Student Engagement Managers, reviewed annually, and are in place for the duration of the student’s study at AFTRS. 

Travel Concession Card

TRAVEL CONCESSION CARD - OPAL NSW - FULL TIME STUDENTS ONLY

Only full-time students (3-4 enrolled subjects per semester) at AFTRS are eligible for a Concession Opal card to use for travel in the Opal network in NSW. 

You can apply for a concession card once you have been sent your AFTRS Student Number:  you need to fill in the Application form listed below and return the signed pdf to AFTRS. We will get Transport NSW verification and then let you know when you can go online to order a concession card. 

Travel Concession will not be valid until the start date of your course, and will be suspended if you withdraw or take Leave of Absence.

AFTRS Students can use their AFTRS photo ID card, which you will get during O-Week, as proof of entitlement when travelling with a Concession Opal card in the Opal network.

How to Apply

In order to enable access to apply for a concession card, you will need to: 

  1. Complete this link to an editable pdf  Application for a Tertiary Student Concession form. The form gives consent for AFTRS to share your contact details with Transport for NSW.
  2. Your details must match your legal name details as provided on your application/enrolment.
  3. Return the form to Student Centre, either by email to Studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au or in person at the Student Centre.
  4. Wait for Student Centre to advise you of when you can apply for a Concession Opal card via the Opal website. Once you have applied it will take 7-9 days before you receive your card in the post.

You cannot apply for a concession card without submitting a completed form to the Student Centre. 

If you require any further information please go to the Opal website Concessions page.

TRANSPORT ENTITLEMENT CARD

You may also apply for Transport Concession Entitlement Card at the same time.

This is an official concession card issued by Transport for NSW used to prove concession entitlement when travelling with a Concession Opal card but also allows eligible students to prove their eligibility to travel on a concession fare outside the Opal network including:

  • Many rural and regional buses 
  • NSW TrainLink Regional services

What is the difference between Opal card and Transport Entitlement Card

Having an Opal card does not prove that you are entitle to concession for the fact that the Opal card is not personalised.  So a student could have picked up this card from the ground and start using it. 

Transport Officers when inspecting will check to see that the Concession Opal card is current and they will ask for the student to prove concession entitlement in the form of a Student ID (if your institution ID card has been approved) or the Transport Concession Entitlement card.

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As listed in the T&C’s, your Transport Concession Entitlement Card is valid for up to 15 months after it is issued, subject to you continuing to meet the eligibility criteria. The expiry date is printed on the back of your Transport Concession Entitlement Card.  If you are still an enrolled student after 15 months then you will need to update the card before it expires.

LOST YOUR CARD? 

What you need to do is to apply for a replacement Opal concession card:

  • Logg into your Opal account via opal.com.au and apply for a replacement card. 
    • This is the account you set up when you first applied for your concession card
  • Once received your replacement card, you can transfer the balance from the lost card to the new card.

For more information visit Transport NSW Manage your Opal card pages

AFTRS Library

The Jerry Teoplitz Library 

AFTRS has a fantastic and extensive library with physical and online resources to support your studies.  

To help get you started the Library team have put together a guide to introduce you to the AFTRS Library and all of the services and benefits you will receive once you become a student.

Click Here to enter the AFTRS Library.

You will need to activate your Student Account with the Library staff on campus or via email to "The Jerzy Toeplitz Library" <Library@aftrs.edu.au>

Once that is done, you will be able to borrow from the library. 

The AFTRS library access hours are Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm.

What can the Library do for me?
Research: Help you locate information for your assignments.
Request resources: Request study related items to be purchased for the Library collection.
LibGuides: Comprehensive subject guides compiled by your lecturers and library staff
Searching and Referencing Skills: Experienced Library staff will show you how to search for information and reference your assignments correctly

- Curated Collection: Monthly themed displays assembled by our creative Library staff.
- New Titles: A fortnightly display of new additions to the Library collection.
Staff Picks: Library Staff recommendations from the Library collection.
- First Nations Display: A selection of Library materials by First Nations storytellers.
- Events: Keep a look out for celebrations taking place in the library such as our Annual Oscar Day Screening and Halloween festivities.
 

Headspace for Students

HEADSPACE APP FREE FOR AFTRS STUDENTS

AFTRS have partnered with Headspace to offer all students free access.

From waking up to exercising, eating to sleeping, Headspace has 1,000+ hours of exercises to help you live your whole day mindfully — not just when you’re sitting to meditate

Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to help people stress less, focus more, and sleep soundly, and Headspace is your personal guide. With hundreds of guided exercises for meditation, sleep, focus, and movement, we’ll help you start and end your days feeling like your best self.

Here’s what you’ll find:
• Guided meditations for stress, focus, productivity, and more
• Sleepcasts and bedtime audio for restful nights
• The Wake Up: bite-sized videos for daily inspiration
• Focus: music and meditations designed to get you in the zone
• Move Mode: quick workouts and guided cardio for body and mind

Click here to Join for Free. 

You can sign up once you have been sent your AFTRS Student Number and email 

  1. Create a new account
  2. Enter your studentnumber@student.aftrs.edu.au email address
  3. Create a password for your Headspace account  (do not use your AFTRS student password)
  4. Enter your email again to verify your access 
  5. You will be sent an email from Headspace to confirm

If you run into any issues signing up, please let the Student Centre know

DOWNLOAD THE HEADSPACE APP ON YOUR PHONE 

 

 

Need some extra guidance?

Watch this Launch webinar to learn all about the Headspace approach to meditation and mindfulness, and tips for using the app.

Watch now

Use password: helloheadspace