Email to AE staff

Dear CEO Craig Jones,

I am writing today to give a voice to hundreds of affected students.
We received your email yesterday regarding the suspension of the Community Work Australia (CWA/ACWA) accreditation for the Bachelor of Community Services. Following this, many students contacted Acknowledge Education campuses, including the Perth campus where I study, seeking clarification and support. Unfortunately, students have not received further information beyond being told that “the CWA accreditation has been suspended and we are working on it.”
As international students, we chose Acknowledge Education not only because it offers Australian qualifications accredited by TEQSA, but because the CWA accreditation of the Bachelor of Community Services was a crucial factor in our enrolment decisions. Many students enrolled in this course specifically because it provided a recognised pathway towards professional recognition and skills assessment for migration purposes.
Given the lack of answers and the fact that many of us are already in the LAST TRIMESTER of the course, students reached out directly to Community Work Australia to ask whether we would still be considered graduates of an accredited qualification. We received the following response:
“Please be advised that where a course loses professional accreditation prior to a student completing all course requirements, including placement and graduation requirements, the student will generally not be considered to have completed a Community Work Australia accredited qualification. This applies regardless of whether the student is nearing course completion, has outstanding placement requirements remaining, or has not yet commenced studies despite already being enrolled in the course.
Students may wish to review their circumstances carefully, particularly if professional accreditation was a significant factor in their enrolment decision.”
I emphasise that the CWA accreditation was indeed a major factor in our enrolment decisions. However, how are students in their final trimester realistically expected to “review their circumstances” after investing years of study, substantial tuition fees, emotional sacrifice, and planning their professional and migration futures around this qualification?
Do we have any protections? If so, from whom, and how?
We urgently need answers and meaningful support. At present, Acknowledge Education Student Support does not have answers, and campus staff themselves appear to have no information to provide students. We need clear communication.
This situation is already having a serious impact on students’ mental health and wellbeing. We have students crying and expressing deep distress about the uncertainty surrounding their futures. One student shared the following:
“I have worked extremely hard to build a future in the community services sector. I have sacrificed a lot financially, emotionally, and mentally to continue my studies while also working to support myself. Hearing about the suspension of accreditation has caused me so much stress and uncertainty about my future, career, and visa pathway. To make it worse, this is happening in my final year. What am I supposed to do? All the money I’ve invested to pay for this course and now this? So unfair. I hope students are supported fairly and that our voices, efforts, and sacrifices are taken seriously.”
Another student stated:
“Many of us invested our time, money, and future plans into this pathway with the goal of helping communities and building a career in the sector. Sudden changes can affect confidence, professional recognition, and future opportunities. Students deserve clear communication, support, and fair solutions so our hard work and commitment are protected.”
Many more comments can be read in our petition, demonstrating how this uncertainty and lack of clear answers are affecting students emotionally, financially, and mentally.
Dear CEO, we are talking about students who struggle financially to pay tuition fees, families with limited budgets who supported their sons and daughters, and people who have spent years building professional and migration plans based on the accredited status of this course.
We need protection, transparency, and urgent support. Please hear us and support your students, because we genuinely want to continue trusting in Acknowledge Education.

Best regards, 

AE students