Joint sector alert issued for overseas student transfers
TEQSA and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) have issued a joint sector alert relating to compliance concerns about overseas student transfers.
Both agencies are concerned that some advertising by registered providers appears inconsistent with the intent of the ban on the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore transfers.
The ban’s intent is to remove incentives for unscrupulous education agents to facilitate unnecessary onshore transfers that may not be in a student’s best interests. This measure supports quality and transparency in the international education sector and helps protect Australia’s reputation for high-quality education.
TEQSA and ASQA expect providers to take active steps to ensure their arrangements, practices and controls meet their obligations, and are consistent with the intent of this ban. We expect all higher education and VET providers to review the sector alert, apply focus to the expectations outlined and undertake a check of their current processes and practices.
Providers who are not adequately managing these risks or meeting the relevant standards may be subject to a compliance assessment and/or regulatory action. Our expectation, in any subsequent compliance assessment or regulatory action that is undertaken, is that providers will have taken action, as outlined in this sector alert.