Initial Registration 6 June 2025

Provider: Nova Higher Education Pty Ltd

Registration

Report on registration of Nova Higher Education Pty Limited

TEQSA has agreed to orders made by the Administrative Review Tribunal (AAT) on 6 June 2025 which:

  • grant, under section 21 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act), the application by Nova Higher Education Pty Limited for registration in the category of Institute of Higher Education for a period of five years until 30 June 2030.
  • accredit, under section 49 of the TEQSA Act, the Bachelor of Culinary Arts Business Management course for a period of five years until 30 June 2030:

Background

On 28 October 2024, TEQSA rejected applications from Nova Higher Education Pty Limited trading as Nova Higher Education (NHE) for registration in the category of Institute of Higher Education and accreditation of the Bachelor of Culinary Arts Business Management course.

TEQSA rejected the registration application because it was not satisfied that NHE met the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) in relation to:

  • Domain 6 Governance and Accountability: Standard 6.2.1
  • Domain 7 Representation, Information and Information Management: Standard 7.2.2.

TEQSA also found that several individuals who make or participate in making decisions that affect the whole or a substantial part of NHE's affairs, were not fit and proper persons under subsection 21(1)(b) of the TEQSA Act.

The decision to reject the accreditation application from NHE was made on the basis that TEQSA cannot accredit a course unless the applicant is a registered higher education provider.

NHE made an application to the ART for review of TEQSA's decisions. In the course of the proceedings, NHE provided further information and evidence about the matters raised in TEQSA's decision.

Main reasons for the decision

TEQSA assessed the revised evidence provided by NHE as part of the ART proceedings and considers that NHE now meets the applicable Standards of the HES Framework and that fitness and propriety issues have been resolved.

On this basis, TEQSA agreed that it was appropriate to substitute TEQSA's initial rejection of the applications with decisions to register Nova for a period until 30 June 2030, and to accredit Nova's Bachelor of Culinary Arts Business Management course for the same period.