How to Add a Student

Create a new student record with personal details and AVETMISS compliance data.

Last updated 16 Oct 2026

How to Add a Student

Adding a student creates their profile in RTObase, allowing you to track their enrolments, assessments, and compliance data.

Access required

Choose the task you are doing. Each row is a separate action.

Task	Required access
Open the student list	Students: View
Add a learner manually	Students: Edit

Bulk import is a separate reporting action. Reports and exports: Manage is not needed to add one learner manually.

When to add a student

Add a student when:

A new enquiry comes in and you want to track them
You're setting up existing students from another system
A student is ready to enrol in a course

Note

Students can also self-register through the public enrolment form on your website, which automatically creates their profile.

Adding a student manually

Navigate to Students

Click Students in the sidebar
Click the Add Student button in the top-right corner

Enter personal details

Fill in the student's basic information:

First NameRequired

The student's given name as it appears on official documents.

Last NameRequired

The student's family name/surname.

Middle Name

Optional middle name(s).

Title

Optional title (Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, etc.).

Date of Birth

Used for age verification and AVETMISS reporting. Format: DD/MM/YYYY

Gender

For AVETMISS reporting. Options: Male, Female, Other.

Enter contact details

Add how to reach the student:

Email

Primary contact email. Used for:

Portal login
Enrolment confirmations
Assessment result messages
Certificate delivery

Mobile Phone

Choose the country flag/calling code and enter the national digits. RTObase stores the number in E.164 format. SMS is available only for Australian (+61) numbers; international numbers remain available for contact and email workflows.

Home Phone

Alternative contact number.

Work Phone

Business contact number if applicable.

Address fields

Choose the student's Address country first. Australian addresses can use address search or manual entry. Overseas addresses always use manual entry so local address formats are not forced through an Australian lookup.

Building/Property Name

If the address includes a building name (max 50 characters).

Unit/Flat Number

Apartment or unit details (max 30 characters).

Street Number

House or building number (max 15 characters).

Street Name

Full street name including type (e.g., "Smith Street") (max 70 characters).

Suburb

Suburb or town name.

Postcode

4-digit Australian postcode.

State

For Australia, select a state or territory (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT). For an overseas address, enter the state, province or region in free text; it may be left blank where the country does not use one.

Save the student

Click Save to create the student record.

You'll be taken to the student's profile page where you can:

View their details
Add AVETMISS compliance data
Create an enrolment
Send communications

Note

If a USI and date of birth are provided, RTObase automatically verifies the USI against the national registry. See USI Verification for details.

AVETMISS data

AVETMISS fields are required for NCVER reporting but can be added later. See Understanding AVETMISS Student Fields for detailed guidance.

Tip

Don't let AVETMISS requirements slow down your enrolment process. You can collect basic details now and complete compliance data before your next AVETMISS submission.

Student status

Students have a status that controls their visibility:

Status	Description
Active	Default status for all new students
Archived	Hidden from main lists but data preserved

Warning

Students are never deleted to maintain audit trails. Use the Archive function to hide inactive students while preserving their records for compliance.

What happens next

After adding a student, you'll typically:

Create an enrolment: Link them to a class
Send a welcome email: If enabled, automatic welcome emails are sent
Collect AVETMISS data: Via the student portal survey or manual entry
Track their progress: Through the student profile and enrolment pages

Bulk import

Task	Required access
Import learners from AVETMISS files	Reports and exports: Manage

For migrating from another system, you can import students via AVETMISS NAT files. Go to Settings → Import and upload your NAT00080 (students) and NAT00085 (contacts) files. See the import page for supported file formats and conflict resolution.

Common issues

Duplicate students

If you try to add a student with an email that already exists, RTObase will warn you. Options:

View the existing student profile
Use a different email address
Merge duplicate records: see Merge Duplicate Students

Missing required fields

If Save fails, check that you've entered:

First Name
Last Name

All other fields are optional for initial creation.

Keep going

How to Edit a Student →

Update student details, contact information, and AVETMISS data.

Understanding AVETMISS Student Fields →

Complete guide to AVETMISS student data fields required for NCVER reporting.

How to Enrol a Student →

Create an enrolment linking a student to a class, with payment and compliance options.