Eighteen students of James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Queensland, are demanding compensation in a class action.
The students say that they discovered their course was useless because it wasn’t accredited.
Sam Boon who pursued a degree in business and commerce told A Current Affair that he was “quite distressed, annoyed, disheartened.”
“I’ve just spent three years studying with no real opportunity at the end to become a financial adviser. It was something I was passionate about. I did like finance and I like numbers and I like helping people.”
However, Boon claims that JCU failed to get the course accredited and added:
“I spent two and a bit years basically not being able to start my professional year, which was needed to be a financial adviser.”
Another student, Blade Stark told ACA that he almost had a job but lost it because the course was not accredited.
“I ultimately lost my job because of this accreditation issue with JCU.”
A spokesperson for the university told ACA in a statement that its Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Advising) has been accredited since 1st July 2022.
It is reported that JCU advertised this financial advising major course in a video:
“The financial advising major will be an accredited major and has largely been developed because of changes in the regulatory requirements in the financial services sector.”
Solicitor Duke Myrteza, who is representing 18 former students in this class action against JCU, told ACA that even if the course is now accredited it has caused “enormous mental anguish.”
“A course must not be advertised, or a course of study must not be represented as accredited when it’s not, and it’s essential that no statements are made to students that are false or misleading.”
