00:03Tessa Coddington is racing to make up for lost time and her Wagga Wagga Run Club in
00:08regional New South Wales helps manage the stress.
00:11She claims her career as a property valuer has been stalled because the expensive three-year
00:16course she graduated from didn't have professional accreditation.
00:20These are pivotal years of your life and so much financial strain.
00:24To take a pay cut is one thing but to delay your career is also another.
00:28It's my day-to-day lots of time in the car.
00:31Instead of a lucrative career in regional real estate, Tessa Coddington says her $45,000
00:37hex debt has left her the lead plaintiff in a class action against the International
00:41College of Management, Sydney.
00:43I was kind of in disbelief, like I was like, what do you mean this property degree doesn't
00:49get me what it says it does and I think I was just really naive.
00:53Among the costs she's hoping to recover are fees to study the same subjects in a new diploma
00:59at a university that is professionally recognised.
01:02I've had to take a huge pay cut.
01:04It's just been a huge burden emotionally just to prepare yourself to have a full day of work
01:12and then go and study more or do a 7pm lecture.
01:15International student Yuvarasi Mutasami has joined the class action.
01:19She works in hospitality because she says the lack of accreditation left her unable to advance
01:25as a property valuer.
01:26She estimates spending almost $100,000 on the degree and tens of thousands more to move
01:32to Sydney.
01:33There was a bit of guilt because I already spent that much money and my parents paid the
01:37course so it came from them and some of them was alone.
01:41The International College of Management, Sydney declined an interview request but in a statement
01:46says it denies the allegations and is defending the proceedings.
01:50It says false claims on its website that the degree did have professional accreditation were
01:54an oversight that didn't impact the students and have been taken down.
01:58It also says professional accreditation isn't a legal requirement but its degree is recognised
02:04by the Australian Valuers Institute.
02:06The students though say they're prepared to fight to stop other students experiencing the
02:11same problems.
02:12The most difficult part is feeling like I shouldn't have to do this.
02:15My original degree should have been enough, it should have been recognised.
