About Us

What is TEQSA?

We’re Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. Our purpose is to safeguard student interests and the reputation of Australia’s higher education sector by assuring the quality of higher education providers through a proportionate, risk-reflective approach to regulation.

Our work is underpinned by encouraging, supporting and recognising effective quality assurance and enhancement in Australian higher education providers.

In carrying out our regulatory work, we evaluate the performance of higher education providers against the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 which aims to safeguard the interests of current and future students.

When was TEQSA established?

In 2012 after a review of Australian higher education (the Bradley Review), it was recommended that an independent national regulator for all types of higher education be established.

The Australian Government’s response to the Bradley Review was a landmark reform package for higher education, which expanded the system and created new opportunities for all Australians to reach their education potential.

How does TEQSA operate?

As a standards and risk-based regulator. Our standards based regulation is centred on the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 that all providers must meet, and continue to meet, in order to be registered with TEQSA as an Australian higher education provider.  

Operating as a risk-based regulator allows us to ensure that our resources are directed to areas of higher risk, based on quality intelligence about a higher education provider’s operations.

What is the legal framework that governs Australian higher education?

• The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) which calls for TEQSA to regulate higher education using a standards-based quality framework and principles relating to regulatory necessity, risk and proportionality.
• The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) which applies to all higher education providers. Set by the Minister for Education, on the advice of a panel with expertise in the delivery of higher education, they are the minimum level of achievement that a provider must meet (and maintain) to be registered to deliver higher education courses of study.
• The Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) which applies to providers offering higher education courses of study to students in Australia on student visas. These include:
  
  • higher education courses
  • Foundation Programs
  • English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) programs delivered by higher education providers.
• The National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code 2018) provides nationally consistent standards for the conduct of registered education providers and the registration of their courses. The National Code also identifies the roles and responsibilities of the Australian, state and territory governments in discharging their regulatory functions.

What is the National Register of Higher Education Providers?

Also known as the National Register, it’s the authoritative source of information on the status of Australia’s higher education providers. You can search for registered higher education providers and their accredited courses of study. More information is available from our National Register of higher education providers

What is the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021?

A legislative instrument, also known as the HES Framework, set by the Minister for Education on the advice of a panel of experts in the delivery of higher education. The HES Framework consists of two parts:

• Part A: Standards for Higher Education – which represent the minimum acceptable requirements for the provision of higher education in or from Australia.
• Part B: Criteria for Higher Education Providers – which enables categorisation of different types of provider and whether a provider is responsible for self-accreditation of a course(s) of study it delivers. 

The Standards in the HES Framework are intended to be useful to higher education providers as a framework for internal monitoring of the quality of their higher education activities.

About higher education

What does the higher education sector consist of?

It consists of higher education providers, Australian universities, Australian universities of specialisation and overseas universities.

You can search for a higher education provider, or their courses, on our National Register of higher education providers.

What is a higher education provider?

All providers of higher education registered by TEQSA, through meeting the requirements of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework), become ‘higher education providers’. This title signals that the provider is a bona fide provider of quality higher education in Australia.

What is a higher education qualification?

Higher education qualifications span Australian Qualifications Framework levels 5-10, and include:

• undergraduate awards
  
  • bachelor honours degrees
  • bachelor degrees
  • associate degrees
  • advanced diplomas
  • diplomas.
• postgraduate awards
  
  • higher doctoral degrees
  • doctoral degrees
  • masters degrees (by research)
  • masters degrees (by coursework)
  • masters degrees (extended)
  • graduate diplomas
  • graduate certificates.

How many students study in Australian higher education?

Around 1.5 million in 2017. For more information on sector statistics, view our Statistics report on TEQSA registered higher education providers from the publications section of our website.

The Department of Education collects data on all higher education providers approved under the Higher Education Support Act. To view these statistics visit the Department of Education’s Student Data web page.

For students

For enquiries about Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, or Registered Training Organisations (RTO), contact the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). 

Higher education and VET provider numbers, codes and names

The Australian Government’s Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) website includes a list of higher education and VET provider codes and names. If you have any enquiries regarding the list, please contact the TSCI team in the Department of Education.

Overseas providers and qualifications

TEQSA is unable to advise whether your degree is recognised in Australia. For information on recognition of foreign qualifications, we suggest that you consider visiting the Australian Government’s International Education website and note the information regarding the recognition of foreign qualifications.

The Department of Education can provide information about the status of an Australian institution and information about an Australian qualification to third parties. Please email qualsrecognition@education.gov.au with your request.

Study courses

TEQSA does not offer courses of study. For information about studying in Australia please consider information available from the Study in Australia website.

Scholarships 

TEQSA does not provide or advise on scholarships. Scholarships are offered by a range of organisations including the State and Federal departments of education and higher education providers, who can provide information about their scholarships or other assistance directly.

International students – study and/or scholarships 

TEQSA does not have a role in advising on courses of study or scholarships available. For information about studying in Australia, we suggest that you consider information available from:

• Study in Australia website
  This is the official Australian Government website for international students. The website is the trusted source of information for prospective international students, their families and agents to learn more about Australia as a place to study.
  It contains carefully curated, practical and reliable information to help students make informed decisions about where they'd like to study in Australia, which course and institution best suits their needs, and what the experience can be like when they live and study here.
  It also sets out to reassure prospective students about the laws, legislations and specialist services in place in Australia, which ensure every individual feels safe, welcomed, supported and protected while in Australia.
  Study in Australia helps students to understand their rights and responsibilities on issues as diverse as visas, employment, and tuition fees, and is committed to looking after students every step of their study journey.
• ComparED / Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website
  This website is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education. You can find information for prospective students about Australian higher education institutions, from the viewpoint of recent students and graduates. You can then contact your preferred providers in Australia to enquire about their programs and scholarships they offer.
• Course Seeker website
  Helps you make informed decisions about your future study by allowing you to access clear, meaningful and transparent information on ATARs/OPs, prerequisites and enrolment policies. Information has been sourced from across Australia and presented in a nationally consistent and comparable format to improve the transparency across the higher education sector.
• Department of Home Affairs website
  You can also use its webform if you have queries about studying in Australia as an international student.

International students – Australia Award Scholarships

TEQSA does not provide or advise on scholarships. 

The Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) administers the Australia Awards program, including the Australia Awards Scholarships. Information is available on the DFAT website.

Please note that the Australia Awards application may ask you to enter different types of CRICOS codes, that is, a CRICOS institution code (six digits) or a CRICOS course code (six digits and a letter). 

If you have any queries about the Australia Awards program or your application, please contact the administrator at australiaawardsdelivery@dfat.gov.au.

Who can I contact if I have an issue with FEE-HELP?

For information about government assistance for financing higher education, visit the StudyAssist website.

Who can I contact if I have incorrectly incurred a FEE-HELP debt?

Government assistance for financing higher education is the responsibility of the Australian Government (not TEQSA). Disputes should be discussed with the higher education provider in the first instance, and lodged with StudyAssist via the online form.

Who can I contact if I have an issue with my student visa?

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for student visas. For more information visit the Department of Home Affair’s student visa page.

Can I make a complaint to TEQSA about my higher education provider?

Yes. Complaints about higher education providers help us to gather information that assists us in the regulation of the sector. For more information visit our Complaints section.

How do I make a complaint about my higher education provider?

You should access the policies and procedures they have established to resolve complaints. These policies and procedures should be easily accessible, consistent, fair and confidential and provide advice and support.

In most cases, your complaint should be resolved locally and informally. However, you may need to use your provider’s formal complaints procedures. For more information visit our Complaints section.

How does TEQSA monitor risks to students?

We carry out annual risk assessments of all registered higher education providers, which examine the delivery of quality higher education and look for a range of possible risks to students. For more information, visit our Students section.

TEQSA fees

Why do higher education providers with international students have to pay CRICOS fees?

To cover costs associated with reviewing providers’ request for CRICOS registration, ensuring the integrity of the data on CRICOS. This allows CRICOS to meet its objective of being a reliable source of information on higher education courses for international students wanting to study in Australia.

Where can I find more information on TEQSA’s fees?

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) – Determination of Fees lists all of our activities which attract fees, including the amount charged.

View the TEQSA Act’s Determination of Fees.

I am having difficulty determining the fee I have to pay. Who can I talk to?

Please contact providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au.

Can I withdraw an application for accreditation/registration?

Yes, but our fees are non-refundable.

Are there alternate payment options?

No.

Do TEQSA’s fees attract GST?

No.

Educational agents

TEQSA does not recruit students or use educational agents. 

However, the mandatory standards for higher education providers offering Australian qualifications include requirements relevant to educational agents. See section 7.1 of the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021. 

These standards require that agents and other parties that are involved in representing the higher education provider are bound by formal contracts with the provider. Their performance is monitored and prompt corrective action is taken in the event or likelihood of misrepresentation or unethical conduct.

The standards also require that representations, whether expressed or implied, about the outcomes associated with undertaking a course of study, eligibility for acceptance into another course of study, employment outcomes, or possible migration outcomes are not false or misleading.

TEQSA’s Enquiries Management team (providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au) is the primary contact for registered higher education providers with TEQSA-related enquiries. However, TEQSA also has specialist contact teams across the agency that are best placed to assist you in a timely and efficient manner when you have a specific enquiry. Please use the following list of key contacts to help direct your enquiry to the most appropriate TEQSA team contacts.

Nature of enquiry	Example enquiries	Key Contact
New application for initial registration	Preparing an application for initial registration	Email new.registration.enquiries@teqsa.gov.au
In progress assessments for initial registration and accreditation for prospective providers	Enquiring about a submitted application	Contact the TEQSA staff member assigned to the assessment. If you are unsure who this is, contact new.registration.enquiries@teqsa.gov.au
In progress assessments for course accreditation or reaccreditation for existing providers	Enquiring about a submitted application for: new course accreditation for existing providers renewal of course accreditation.	Contact the TEQSA staff member assigned to the assessment. If you are unsure who this is, contact assessments@teqsa.gov.au
CRICOS matters	Enquiring about CRICOS or ESOS Act requirements Preparing an application for CRICOS registration or renewal of registration Submitting a CRICOS-related application e.g. to add a course Enquiring about a submitted CRICOS-related notification or application.	Email CRICOS@teqsa.gov.au
ELICOS and Foundation Program matters	ELICOS or Foundation Program provider enquiries Applying to add an ELICOS or Foundation Program to CRICOS Applying for an exemption to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs.	Email CRICOS@teqsa.gov.au
Provider registration matters Renewal of registration Withdraw provider registration	Preparing an application for renewal of registration Submitting an application for renewal of registration Enquiries about renewal of registration applications in progress Requesting an extension to registration period Submitting an application to withdraw registration Enquiries about withdrawing registration	Email: reregistration.enquiries@teqsa.gov.au
Self-Accrediting Authority or Provider Category Change Self-accrediting authority (SAA)  Change provider category	Preparing an application for self-accrediting authority or provider category change Submitting an application for self-accrediting authority or provider category change Enquiries about applications in progress	Email: reregistration.enquiries@teqsa.gov.au
Application fees	Enquiring about refunds for application fees.	Email finance@teqsa.gov.au
Material changes	Submitting a material change notification.	Email materialchanges@teqsa.gov.au
Risk Assessment Framework	Enquiring about the risk assessment process.	Email risk@teqsa.gov.au
Provider Information Request (PIR)	Enquiring about the PIR.	Email collections@teqsa.gov.au
Sexual assault and sexual harassment guidance	Guidance about prevention and response to sexual assault and sexual harassment matters.	Email studentwellbeing@teqsa.gov.au
Compliance matters	Enquiring about a compliance matter that TEQSA has notified you about, for instance: a compliance assessment an investigation.	Contact the TEQSA staff member assigned to the compliance matter. If you are unsure who this is, contact the TEQSA Enquiries Management team (providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au).
Complaints about TEQSA	Complaints about TEQSA’s practices, services or approach.	Email review@teqsa.gov.au
Preparing an application for: new course accreditation – existing providers renewal of course accreditation.	Applying for new course accreditation for existing providers Applying for renewal of course accreditation Enquiries about: withdrawing a course/ teach out requesting an extension to accreditation period.	Email: assessments@teqsa.gov.au
Conditions	Enquiries about: conditions imposed on registration or course accreditation	Email: conditionsundertakings@teqsa.gov.au
Any other matters, enquiries or guidance	Help with the Provider Portal, for example, changing and updating logins.	Contact TEQSA’s Enquiries Management team at providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au

 

In an event that a non-exempt registered higher education provider fails to commence or ceases to deliver a unit and/or course to their students (that is, the provider “defaults”), that provider has responsibilities under three different mechanisms depending on whether the student is an overseas student, a domestic student accessing Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loans, or a domestic up-front fee-paying student. These mechanisms are summarised in the table below.

Mechanisms covering different types of students

International student	Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act)
FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP student	Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA)
Domestic up-front fee-paying	Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act)

Providers with overseas and/or HELP students are already part of the tuition protection scheme. Regarding overseas students, providers should refer to Sections 46B and 46D of the ESOS Act for their specific obligations in the event of a default. For FEE HELP and HECS HELP students, providers¹ should refer to Part 5-1A of HESA for their obligations in the event of a default.

As of 1 January 2021, there are new requirements for providers² regarding domestic students who pay their tuition fees up-front. Providers must pay any tuition protection levies (and any late payment penalty), keep records for tuition protection purposes, and disclose tuition protection information and documents to the Department of Education. Providers must also comply with certain obligations in the case of a default such as to provide a refund or alternate suitable unit and/or course replacement within 14 days to their students affected by the provider default.

Providers are also required to report certain information in the approved form under Section 12 of the Tuition Protection (Up-front Payments Guidelines) 2020. The approved form is available from the Department of Education (TPS).

Relevant TEQSA requirements 

Part 5A of the TEQSA Act sets out tuition protection arrangements for domestic up-front fee-paying students. It is a condition of registration for private higher education providers to meet the tuition protection requirements, including reporting student information and student notification requirements.

The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 (HES Framework) contains obligations under Standard 6.2.1 for providers to ensure there are credible business continuity plans and adequately resourced financial and tuition safeguards to mitigate disadvantage to students who are unable to progress in a course of study due to unexpected changes to the higher education provider’s operations.

The TPS alone does not fulfil this obligation and is not a replacement for it. For further advice on financial and tuition safeguards and implications of the new scheme for your context, contact the TEQSA Enquiries Management team at providerenquiriest@teqsa.gov.au.

Table A providers (i.e. public universities), TAFEs and other government owned providers are exempt from the requirements relating to the up-front payments tuition protection arrangements, except for obligations relating to providing information about replacement courses (section 62N of TEQSA Act) and obligations of replacement providers (Section 62P and 62Q of the TEQSA Act). Further, they are still required to have arrangements for financial and tuition safeguards as per Standard 6.2.1 of the HES Framework. 

Key links

• Tuition Protection Service
• Privacy statement
• Information for providers

Notes

1. 'Table A' Universities, TAFEs and other Government-owned providers are exempt from the tuition protection arrangements for HELP students, except for obligations relating to providing information about replacement courses (section 166-27 of HESA) and obligations of replacement providers (Sections 166-30 and 166-32 of HESA)
2. 'Table A' Universities, TAFEs and other Government-owned providers are exempt from the tuition protection arrangements for domestic up-front fee-paying students, except for obligations relating to providing information about replacement courses (section 62N of TEQSA Act) and obligations of replacement providers (Section 62P and 62Q of the TEQSA Act).

TEQSA’s Risk Assessment Framework

TEQSA’s risk assessments of registered higher education providers are a key component of TEQSA’s risk-based approach to assuring higher education standards. TEQSA’s Risk Assessment Framework outlines the key steps and components of the risk assessment process, and provides detailed supporting information on the risk indicators used.

What will be covered under the current risk assessment cycle?

Risk ratings explained

The standard ‘low’, ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ risk ratings are applied to each indicator. There may be instances where a rating is ‘suspended’ or a No Confidence in Data (NCID) rating is applied. For example, a rating may be suspended if a provider is new and does not have enough data to form a view on an indicator, while NCID may be applied if the data is missing, or the data received from the Department of Education is inconsistent.

What can I expect if my Overall Risk Rating is rated high?

For providers that receive a ‘high’ Overall Risk to Students or Overall Risk to Financial Position, we ask that you carefully review the risk indicators associated with the risks identified and consider whether you have appropriate controls or treatment plans in place.

We expect providers would have already identified risks to their education operations, as required by Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (6.2.1e) and would have plans in place to mitigate these risks. We may contact you to discuss your risk assessment and seek information on actions your governing body has taken and further steps in response to the identified risks.

Which providers will be in scope for the current Risk Assessment cycle?

Providers registered on or after 1 January of the year, two years prior to the current risk assessment cycle year, are not in scope for the current risk assessment cycle– noting that 3 years of financial data is required to assess financial sustainability and at least 2 years of student is required for student indicators.

Will my risk assessment be made public?

Risk assessments relating to individual providers are not publicly released by TEQSA or shared with other providers. Where risk assessment information is released, it is released in aggregate to avoid identifying a single provider.

Will the risk thresholds be published?

The risk thresholds used to inform ratings are not published. Risk thresholds are considered in the context of other information and are not the sole determinant of risk ratings. Professional judgement is used regarding the specificities of each indicator, in determining the levels which may represent potential risk.

It is important to note that the sector benchmarks which appear in the risk assessment are not the risk thresholds and are not framed around the thresholds. They are median values of each indicator by provider category.

Do I need to respond to the provisional risk assessment report?

You do not need to provide a response to your provisional risk assessment report. However, if you have evidence that may inform our assessment of your risk rating, you should provide that information within three weeks of receiving the provisional report.

Responses received after the due date for a response will not be considered in the current cycle and will be considered in the next risk cycle.

What should I do if the data in the risk assessment is incorrect?

TEQSA uses data providers have submitted to the Department of Education and validated as accurate.

Providers are required to ensure they submit correct data and validate that data well before the submission due date set by TCSI. Changes will not be made to the data submitted and verified by providers through TCSI.

Data updated on TCSI after the submission due date or changes in data conveyed through a provider’s response to a provisional risk report may not be considered in the assessment for the current cycle unless there are exceptional circumstances. Failing to appropriately verify your data prior to submission will not be considered exceptional circumstances.

How does TEQSA use risk assessments?

Risk assessments are one tool used to assist TEQSA gather a fuller understanding of the risks to compliance that may be posed by providers. This information is considered with other intelligence to inform the approach and intensity of our regulatory assessments.

What data is used to conduct the risk assessment?

The risk assessment is based on staff, student and audited financial data from two years prior to the current risk assessment cycle year. This is the most current data we can access on a sector-wide scale via existing reporting mechanisms.

How do I submit data for the Provider Information Request (PIR)?

From 2022, TEQSA required providers to report against the revised PIR collection using the new Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) (pronounced as 'taxi'). For information about TCSI, including TCSI FAQs, a range of support materials and information about webinars, please visit TCSI Support.

We strongly encourage providers to prioritise the onboarding process, so that they can submit, check and validate the required data within the deadline.

How is S2-attrition rate calculated?

As per TCSI’s calculation, attrition rate in year (x) = (R1 - R2 – R3 – R4) *100/ R1.

Where:
R1=commencing students – students who have enrolled in a course at a higher education provider with a commencement date in year (x)
R2=returning students – commencing students who have an enrolment record in year (x + 1) and have no completion record in year (x)
R3=completing students in year (x) – commencing students who have a completion record in year (x)
R4=completing students in year (x + 1) – commencing students who have a completion record in year (x + 1) and no enrolment record in year (x + 1)

For details about the calculation of attrition rate please refer to TCSI website.

Are any courses excluded while calculating the risk rating for S2-Attrition Rate?

Yes, the data for Element E310 - Course of study type with values of 30 (Enabling course) and 50 (Non-award course (including Bridging for overseas trained professionals)) are excluded while calculating the risk rating for S2-Attrition Rate.

In the calculation of S3-Progression rate, 'R3 = Actual student load (EFTSL) for units of study that are withdrawn in the last academic year or 12-month period'. Does calculation include students that have withdrawn before the census date?

Based on the Department of Education definition, the percentage of actual student load (EFTSL) for units of study that are passed to all units of study completed in the last academic year or 12 month period includes, passed, failed and withdrawn.

Why does the Risk Assessment report for S3-Progression Rate indicator show no data and suspended rating even after data has been submitted?

Any units of study undertaken as ‘Work Experience’ in Industry are excluded from the calculation of S3 Progression Rate. Check if the Element E337 Work experience in industry code is populated with a value of 1 or 2 for all units of study.

While calculating the S4-Graduate Satisfaction risk rating, are negative responses also considered?

TEQSA considers only the number of positive responses to the questionnaire (i.e. the number of responses above a neutral response. Could be “moderately agree, agree, somewhat agree, strongly agree.”)

Are non-award courses included in the Broad Field of Education (BFOE) while calculating the risk rating for S5-Senior Academic Leaders?

We exclude ‘Non-Award Course’ while considering the BFOE count, however we include ‘Mixed Field Programmes’ in our calculations. For more information about the non-award courses please refer to TCSI website.

What academic levels are included under the Senior Academic Leaders for non-university providers?

Why is there a difference in the EFTSL values used in the calculation of S1-Student Load and S6-Student Staff Ratio? Are students enrolled in research units, VET, and short courses, etc., considered in the calculation of S6-Student Staff Ratio?

Student to staff ratio is calculated by considering the ratio of total onshore coursework student load (EFTSL) to total onshore teaching only (TO) and teaching and research (T&R) staff full-time equivalent (FTE) employed by the provider, including casuals. Students enrolled in research units, VET, and short courses, etc., are not considered in the calculation of S6-Student to Staff ratio, whereas they are included in the total EFTSL count under S1-Student Load.

Please also refer to TCSI site for further information.

Are any staff excluded while calculating the risk rating for S7-Casualisation?

Yes, non-academic staff are excluded.

To filter out non-academic staff, the data for Element E509 - Current duties classification group code with a value of 11 (Non-academic classification level group) is excluded from the calculations.

Non-academic staff are excluded because S7- Casualisation only captures the percentage of academic FTE employed on a basis other than full time or fractional full time to total academic FTE employed by a provider.

I follow the calendar year, when should I submit the finance data?

Do I need to submit financial performance data as well as the audited financial statements?

Yes, both financial performance data and audited financial statements should be submitted by the due date.

All providers are required to report their financial performance data and audited financial statements (pdf) on an annual basis to the Department of Education. Except for universities, all providers report data through the Department’s HELP IT System (HITS). For all HITS related enquiries, please email FEE-HELP@education.gov.au.

See the Department’s HELP Resources for Providers page for more information about HITS, including a user guide.

For universities, audited financial statements should be submitted to the Department of Education at ppfinance@education.gov.au, along with a completed Annual Financial Return spreadsheet provided by the Department of Education.

If you are a new provider, then please register in HITS. Instructions on how to register are available on pages 41-43 of the HITS User Guide. From this page, you will be prompted to input the sector (HE, VET or dual) and other relevant information. If you have any specific questions about HITS, please email FEE-HELP@education.gov.au.

What will happen if the financial performance data and audited finance data are submitted after the due date?

Finance data should also be submitted by the due date. Failure to submit financial information within required timeframes is a breach of a condition of registration for which TEQSA may apply sanctions.

Such sanctions may include TEQSA issuing an infringement notice, shortening the period of registration or cancelling registration (sections 98, 100-101, 113 and 118 of the TEQSA Act). In addition, TEQSA may assign a ‘high’ risk rating to the provider in the annual risk assessment cycle.

Are provider risk ratings for risk indicators decided by comparing them with sector benchmarks?

Provider risk ratings for indicators are not decided by comparing them with the sector benchmarks. The risk assessment framework enables a consistent, structured, and systematic approach to assessing risk across all providers. This is achieved by using a standard format and set of risk indicators across areas of institutional practice and outcomes that are central to all providers.

Why are there inconsistencies in the percentage scales across different indicators within the Risk Assessment reports?

Which casual staff data is used by TEQSA for calculating risk ratings – estimates or actual?

TEQSA uses casual staff data from the Casual Staff Actuals packet.

TEQSA does not use data from the Casual Staff Estimates packet to calculate risk ratings.

Which staff data packets are used by TEQSA for its Risk Assessment?

Using the example of Risk Assessment Cycle RA2024 (Data Year 2023), staff data from the 2023 Full-Time Staff packet and the 2023 Casual Staff Actuals packet (collected the following year) will be used by TEQSA for its Risk Assessment.

Providers submit the Casual Staff Actual data using the Element E514 - Actual full-time equivalence prior year. However, TEQSA gets the value for the Staff Actual Casual from the Department of Education’s internal dataset Element E506 -  Work contract code filtered for a value of 4 - Casual work contract - actual data reported in year after the collection year.

For any further queries on staff data reporting, please contact the TCSI Support Team at TCSIsupport@education.gov.au.

What is the process to verify provider data in the TCSI system?

I have changed my LIVE data in the TCSI system after collection sign-off, why does the updated LIVE data not reflect in my Risk Assessment reports?

What are the deadlines for submitting the data for Risk Assessment?

The Annual Information Collection page on the TEQSA website provides all the details and submission deadlines for Risk Assessment.

The risk assessment cycle occurring in 2025

The risk assessment cycle occurring in 2025 uses the indicators set out in the TEQSA Risk Assessment Framework.

For this cycle we will:

• include risk assessment for 2023 student, staff data and audited financial data
• continue to share provisional risk assessment reports with providers. Providers will have an opportunity to comment on the provisional report before a final risk assessment report is completed.

As TEQSA requires multi-year data for several risk assessment metrics, providers registered after 1 January 2022, will not receive a risk assessment report.

Frequently asked questions for the risk assessment cycle occurring in 2025 are also published to assist providers.

What stays the same?

1. Provider risk assessments will continue to be treated confidentially by TEQSA.
2. The outcome of the risk assessments will continue to inform TEQSA’s approach to regulation, which is guided by principles of risk, necessity, and proportionality.
3. Regulatory history continues to be used to inform risk ratings. TEQSA weighs regulatory decisions made from 1 January 2022, and any active conditions on the provider’s registration when determining the overall ratings.

For more information on TEQSA risk assessment, please contact the Risk Team at risk@teqsa.gov.au.

This page contains resources to support institutions, staff and students in considering the potential impacts and benefits generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools pose for teaching, learning and assessment.

Why TEQSA collects data

TEQSA collects data on all higher education providers to help inform our risk-based approach to regulation. We use this information to minimise the reporting burden on providers associated with regulatory processes, such as a renewal of registration. We also use the information for our Annual Risk Assessment cycle.

Data collection sources

We collect data on higher education providers’ operations from a variety of sources, including:

HELP IT System (HITS)

Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI)

Quality Indications for Learning and Teaching (QILT)

Provider Information Request (PIR)

Providers who are not approved FEE-HELP providers report staff and student annually to TEQSA through TCSI. This is called the Provider Information Request (PIR).

The PIR is an information request under Section 28 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).

Provider responsibilities

Providers should ensure that data is provided within the timeframes, is accurate and has been verified.
 

A condition of registration is that registered providers must give TEQSA an annual financial statement in the approved form, within 6 months after the end of the annual reporting period (Section 27 of TEQSA Act).
 

Failure to submit financial information within required timeframes is a breach of a condition of registration for which TEQSA may apply sanctions such as shortening the period of registration, cancelling registration (Section 98 of the TEQSA Act).
 

In addition, if data is not submitted by the due date, TEQSA may assign a high risk rating to the provider in the annual risk assessment cycle.
 

Providers should also ensure their contact details with TEQSA remain up to date.

Schedule

The deadline for submission dates for each data file is as follows:

Data file	Provider type	Deadline for submission
Finance	ALL providers with a financial year ending 31 December 2024 (2025 Risk Assessment cycle, i.e. 2024 data)	Submit by 30 June 2025
	ALL providers with a financial year ending 30 June 2024 (2025 Risk Assessment cycle, i.e. 2024 data)	Due by 31 December 2024
	ALL providers with a financial year ending 30 June 2025 (2026 Risk Assessment cycle, i.e. 2025 data)	Submit by 31 December 2025
Students	FEE-HELP providers (HESA)	Verify the submitted data by 17 April 2025
	Non-FEE-HELP providers (PIR providers)	Submit and verify data by 12 September 2025
Staff	FEE-HELP providers (HESA)	Submit and verify data by 27 June 2025
	Non-FEE-HELP providers (PIR providers)	Submit and verify data by 27 June 2025

 

Help and support

Scope and structure documents, element specifications and a range of support materials, including introductory training and frequently asked questions, are available on the TCSI website.

We encourage you to review the reporting requirement from TCSI website to ensure that submitted data is consistent with the required specifications. Please also read through the Data Verification website for comprehensive information and instructions that will assist you complete the student and staff verification process.

The TCSI Data Collections Team are the primary point of contact for the submission of data. Email: TCSIsupport@education.gov.au.

TEQSA’s Enquiries Management Team is also available to respond to administrative enquiries throughout the submission period. Email: providerenquiries@teqsa.gov.au.

If your institution has only recently registered as a higher education provider, we understand you may not be in a position to supply all of the required information. If this is case, please contact TEQSA’s Risk Team at risk@teqsa.gov.au.

We have developed key aspects of our regulatory approach in consultation with higher education stakeholders. We recognise that consultation influences the quality of our relations with the higher education sector and can be an important way of collecting evidence which allows us to meet the objects of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).

Current consultations

Guidance notes consultation

TEQSA is working to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector by continuing to enhance our suite of guidance notes.

To support this project, TEQSA has opened consultation on the following 3 draft documents:

• Information for prospective and current students (MS Word, 151 KB)
• Information management (MS Word, 195 KB)
• Representation (MS Word, 155 KB).

This consultation closes at 5:00pm (AEST) on Friday 18 July 2025.

You can submit feedback to consultation@teqsa.gov.au. Submissions in Microsoft Word or PDF format are preferred.

Previous consultations

Interim regulatory guidance

(Closed 27 March 2025)

TEQSA is seeking feedback on new regulatory guidance that has been developed to support safety and wellbeing in higher education.

TEQSA is consulting on 2 documents:

• Interim statement of regulatory expectations: Student grievance and complaint mechanisms (PDF, 183 KB)
• Interim guidance: Managing external actors (PDF, 148 KB).

Fees and charges consultation

(Closed 28 October 2024)

In accordance with the Australian Government Charging Policy, TEQSA annually reviews the operation of our Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS).

Following an internal review of the 2023 version of the CRIS, TEQSA has developed a consultation paper for the sector.

This paper outlines several proposed adjustments to ensure our fees and charges (to take effect from 1 January 2025) accurately reflect the cost of our regulatory activities.

• Download the consultation paper

Revised service charter

(Closed 20 May 2024)

TEQSA commenced a service charter review in early 2023. The first phase of consultation was a stakeholder survey about our service charter in August 2023.

We’ve now developed a revised service charter informed by the survey results.

• Read more about the revised service charter

This was the second phase of consultation and sought further feedback from stakeholders.

Draft stakeholder engagement strategy

(Closed 20 May 2024)

To support the development of a draft stakeholder engagement strategy.

• Draft stakeholder engagement strategy consultation paper (MS Word, 160 KB)

Fit and proper person requirements

(Closed 20 May 2024)

Consultation for a proposal to amend the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fit and Proper Person Determination 2018 (Determination).

• Download the consultation paper (MS Word, 157 KB)

Guidance notes on diversity and equity, student grievances and complaints, and wellbeing and safety

(Closed 15 March 2024)

In 2023, TEQSA consulted stakeholders on the following guidance notes:

• Diversity and equity
• Student grievances and complaints
• Wellbeing and safety.

These notes focus on 3 sections of the Threshold Standards that are unified in their intent to protect and provide support to students. TEQSA sought further stakeholder feedback that identified:

• what additional information can be included in the guidance note to make it useful and up to date
• any points or areas that require clarity
• suggestions to assist providers in delivering effective self-assurance.

Guidance notes on Staffing, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Monitoring and Accountability

(Closed 9 February 2024)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for higher education providers.

• Corporate governance
• Corporate monitoring and accountability
• Staffing

Guidance notes on course design, learning outcomes and assessment and learning resources and educational support

(Closed 20 November 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Course design
• Learning outcomes and assessment
• Learning resources and educational support

Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence

(Closed 20 October 2023)

TEQSA invited feedback on the proposals outlined in the Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence discussion paper, including the principles and propositions.

• Download the discussion paper

At the end of the consultation period, TEQSA and the lead authors of this document will consider all feedback received before publishing the final guidelines in late November 2023.

If you have any questions about this consultation, or the guiding principles, please email us at integrityunit@teqsa.gov.au.

Fees and charges consultation

(Closed 25 September 2023)

In accordance with the Australian Government Charging Policy, TEQSA annually reviews the operation of our Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS).

Following an internal review of the 2022 version of the CRIS, TEQSA developed a consultation paper for the sector. This paper outlined several proposed adjustments to ensure our fees and charges for 2024 accurately reflect the cost of our regulatory activities and the changes we’ve made to streamline processes since the 2022 version of the CRIS was developed.

• Download the consultation paper (PDF, 1.3 MB)

See: How we consult on fees and charges for more information

Service charter review survey

(Survey closed 25 September 2023)

Insights from the survey will help us to develop a draft service charter, which we will release for further comment at a later date. Following this consultation, TEQSA will consider stakeholder feedback before adopting our revised service charter.

See: Service charter review for more information.

Guidance notes on facilities and infrastructure, academic monitoring and academic and research integrity

(Closed 10 August 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Academic and research integrity
• Academic monitoring, review and improvement
• Facilities and infrastructure (Summary of external consultation on Guidance Note: Facilities and infrastructure, PDF, 173 KB)

Consultation for sexual harm good practice note

(Closed 13 July 2023)

Since the release of the Good Practice Note: Preventing and responding to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Australian higher education sector (the 2020 good practice note), TEQSA acknowledges there has been significant work across the sector to embed strategies to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment, however, the issue remains a key risk.

• Sexual harm good practice note consultation (MS Word, 159 KB)

Guidance notes on diversity and equity, student grievances and complaints, and wellbeing and safety

(Closed 13 July 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Diversity and Equity
• Student Grievances and Complaints
• Wellbeing and Safety

Guidance notes on academic governance, recognition of prior learning, and delivery with other parties

(Closed 7 March 2023)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are continuing to enhance TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

• Summary of external consultation on Guidance Note: Academic Governance (PDF, 163 KB)
• Summary of external consultation on Guidance Notes: Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning and Delivery with Other Parties (PDF, 180 KB)

Consultation for proposed amendments to Register Guidelines 

(Closed 16 December 2022)

TEQSA has commenced a consultation process for proposed amendments to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Register) Guidelines 2017 (Register Guidelines).

The reason for the proposed amendments is to promote transparency regarding TEQSA's regulatory decisions and actions and remove any doubt about which trading names the Register must include in respect of registered providers' higher education operations.

• Further details

Summary of feedback

TEQSA received two submissions during the consultation period. 

Both submissions supported the inclusion of the additional information proposed in the consultation paper. One submission opposed the removal of previous trading names and the other supported it (while noting that this information may be useful to future students).

Guidance Note: Research requirements for Australian universities

(Closed 7 September 2022)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are enhancing TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

This work will reinforce the role of guidance notes to provide guidance that focuses on a specific section of the Higher Education Standards Framework (2021) while drawing attention to connections with other sections and highlighting potential compliance issues.

Following sector feedback during consultation last year, this project will ultimately reduce the number of guidance notes from 32 to 28 to ensure each guidance note aligns with a section of the Standards framework. Sector feedback has also informed the development of a new, simpler template for guidance notes.

The draft guidance note outlines what TEQSA will look for when considering university research in relation to requirements outlined in the TEQSA Act and Higher Education Standards Framework (2021).

Summary of external consultation

• Download the summary of external consultation (PDF, 167 KB)

Revised Guidance Note: Research and Research Training

(Closed 6 July 2022)

To support TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve the efficiency of our regulatory operations and support greater self-assurance within the higher education sector, we are enhancing TEQSA’s suite of guidance notes for registered higher education providers.

This work will reinforce the role of guidance notes to provide guidance that focuses on a specific section of the Higher Education Standards Framework (2021) while drawing attention to connections with other sections and highlighting potential compliance issues.

Following sector feedback during consultation last year, this project will ultimately reduce the number of guidance notes from 32 to 28 to ensure each guidance note aligns with a section of the Standards framework. Sector feedback has also informed the development of a new, simpler template for guidance notes.

The Guidance Note outlines, with regard to the Higher Education Standards Framework, what TEQSA will look for and common issues associated with Research and Research Training.

• Summary of external consultation

Register and information guidelines

(Closed 26 November 2021)

The Register Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the information that TEQSA must enter on the National Register in respect of each registered higher education provider.

The Information Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the Commonwealth authorities and the State or Territory authorities to which TEQSA may disclose higher education information under sections 189 and 194 of the TEQSA Act.

• Further details

Revised compliance guides

(Closed 10 November 2021)

On 1 July 2021 the new Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HESF) came into effect. 

TEQSA is reviewing the current suite of guidance notes to ensure they reflect the requirements of the new HESF. 

As part of this review, TEQSA developed a new template to streamline our guidance materials.

• Further details

TEQSA fees and charges consultation

(Closed 3 June 2021)

On 30 April 2021, TEQSA released the TEQSA Fees and Charges Consultation Paper for feedback from the sector. The consultation paper outlined the details of TEQSA’s proposed approach for transitioning to the new cost recovery arrangements.

• Further details

Draft legislative instrument

(Closed 28 April 2021)

In February 2021, the Australian Parliament passed the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020. The Bill gives effect to the Australian Government’s decision to implement all 10 recommendations arising from the Provider Category Standards review conducted in 2019. 

Among other things, the Bill amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) to allow TEQSA to make a determination of the matters which it must have regard to when assessing the quality of the research undertaken by a provider which is registered, or applies to be registered, in the Australian University category. By approval from the Minister, this determination becomes a legislative instrument.

TEQSA proposes to make a determination which sets out a number of matters which are relevant to an assessment of research quality. The list is non-exhaustive and does not specify benchmarks or thresholds for quality; it is a determination of considerations in an assessment of research quality.

• Further details

Discussion paper: Making and assessing claims of scholarship and scholarly activity 

(Closed 14 December 2020)

TEQSA sought to review whether its current approach to assessing claims of scholarship and scholarly activity (as described in the Guidance Note on Scholarship) is adequate, or if the approach needs to be reconceptualised. The purpose of this discussion paper was to set out, for consideration by the sector and other stakeholders, draft principles that were proposed to guide providers in making claims related to scholarship, and to inform TEQSA’s assessments of such claims.

Information Guidelines

(Closed 27 March 2020)

TEQSA sought feedback on the Commonwealth, State and Territory bodies that we proposed to include in an update to our Information Guidelines. 

The Information Guidelines is a legislative instrument that sets out the Commonwealth authorities and the State or Territory authorities to which TEQSA may disclose higher education information under sections 189 and 194 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

Fit and proper person considerations

(Closed 1 December 2017)

As a consequence of the passing of the Education Legislative Amendment (Provider Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2017, TEQSA is able to specify matters that the agency may have regard to in deciding whether a person is a fit and proper person for the purposes of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

Sector consultation on proposed changes to the publication of TEQSA’s decisions

(Closed 14 March 2017)

TEQSA sought feedback, via a consultation paper, on the proposed changes to the publication of regulatory decisions.

The consultation focused on proposed changes to the frequency and way we published decisions.

Questions about whether we should publish more information, including rejections, involve an important balance between the interests of higher education providers, students and other stakeholders.

The developments in our practices and in the approaches of other agencies meant that it was timely to revisit these issues. 

We proposed that a simplified set of principles be adopted, informed by approaches of other Australian Government agencies, to guide our future approach.

As part of the consultation process, we will carefully consider all feedback before we make any changes to our approach. We are committed to ensuring that all stakeholders have an opportunity to provide us with their views.

Summary of consultation

• View the summary report of the consultation process for the public reporting of TEQSA's decisions

Principles of consultation

Our approach to consultation is guided by the regulatory principles of: reflecting risk, proportionality and necessity. Our consultations are also guided by the principles outlined in TEQSA’s approach to consultation.