Preparing a CRICOS renewal application (Stage 1)

A self-assurance report provides an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of your self-assurance mechanisms.

The self-assurance report for applying to renew CRICOS registration should be a maximum of 10 pages. It should outline how your governing body assures itself of the quality of your education operations, and your current and continued compliance with the requirements of the ESOS Act, the National Code 2018, and where relevant, the ELICOS Standards, and the Foundation Program Standards.

When applying to renew CRICOS registration, your self-assurance report should include:

1. Evidence of how risks have been identified, managed and mitigated, and how your institution will manage these risks going forward (including areas for continuous improvement and any associated actions and measures which are in place to monitor success).
2. Demonstration of how you manage key sector risks in the following areas:

3. Where applicable, the findings, actions (planned and completed) and outcomes of at least one external audit. This audit should have been undertaken, by a suitably qualified discipline expert, no more than 18 months before applying to renew CRICOS registration. A copy of the audit should be included, as an attachment, to the self-assurance report.
4. The findings, actions and outcomes of the most recent review report on recruitment performance, including the performance of agents (e.g. student numbers enrolled and succeeded, meetings with agents and terminations of agents). The following attachments should be included with the self-assurance report:
   • policies and procedures regarding recruitment and management of agents
   • an example of a written agreement between your institution and an education agent.
5. A copy of an example agreement used where third-party providers are engaged to provide welfare and/or accommodation arrangements to students under the age of 18.
6. Evidence of a culturally and age-appropriate orientation program, including the presentation used for overseas students.
7. Details of any third-party arrangements for the delivery of a course or courses to overseas students.

Note: All claims made in the self-assurance report must be substantiated by evidence, with reference to specific supporting documents in-text. 
 

Where possible, supporting evidence should be directly accessible via in-text hyperlinks and included as attachments to the report, or listed in the index and available for later submission on request.

Your application should include an index of all supporting evidence referenced in the self-assurance report. At a minimum, the index should include:

Standard 11.4 of the National Code requires providers who are self-accrediting to undertake an independent external audit within 18 months of their registration’s expiry.

TEQSA strongly encourages all providers (including those who do not have self-accrediting authority) to undertake an independent external audit of their compliance with the ESOS Framework in the second half of their registration period.

An independent audit is an opportunity for your institution to have a person, or persons, with significant expertise evaluate the effectiveness of your internal mechanisms for self-assurance, to ensure they align with contemporary practice and support continuous improvement.  TEQSA’s ability to efficiently assess your application to renew your CRICOS registration is greatly assisted by a high-quality independent audit report.

If your institution does not have self-accrediting authority, and you do not submit a recently conducted independent external audit report with your application, you will need to provide additional supporting evidence (see the guidance on preparing additional supporting evidence below).

A guide for providers undertaking an independent external audit is available. The audit report should be accompanied by your institution’s response, including any completed or in-progress actions which look to address issues the report identified and when they have been, or will be, undertaken.

If your institution does not have self-accrediting authority, and you do not submit a recently conducted independent external audit report, you are required to submit the following items with your application:

• examples of credit and recognition of prior learning (RPL) decisions, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• examples of admissions with copies of relevant records and correspondence, capturing a variety of student cohorts, for example:
  • recruited onshore
  • recruited offshore
  • recruited via a pathway
  • recruited via an agent
  • recruited without an agent
  • admitted with academic qualifications
  • admitted with professional qualifications
  • admitted with prior study at an Australian provider
  • admitted with English language proficiency
  • admitted with an English language waiver.
• examples of assessment of English language proficiency, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• examples of care arrangements for students under the age of 18 and their monitoring, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• examples of intervention strategies for managing students at risk and the outcomes of these, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• examples of deferments, suspensions and cancellations, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• examples of complaints and appeals by students and the outcomes of these, with copies of relevant records and correspondence
• evidence demonstrating that the suitability of accommodation for students under the age of 18 has been verified before the accommodation was approved and at least every 6 months after its approval
• policies and procedures for selecting, screening and monitoring any third-parties engaged by the provider to organise and assess welfare and accommodation arrangements (if applicable)
• a copy of the Working with Children Check register
• a copy of the critical incident register, or other written record, for at least the last 2 years
• a description of student services for overseas students, including:
  • legal services
  • emergency and health services
  • academic and English language student support
  • welfare support services
  • other student support services.
• evidence of quality assurance and monitoring arrangements between the provider and any third-party engaged for the delivery of a course
• an outline of changes to current third-party arrangements for course delivery and a copy of the amended contract if, since being approved by TEQSA, any of the following areas have been impacted:
  • roles and responsibilities of each party
  • delivery site location
  • duration of contract length.
• a report of all refund requests and outcomes from the previous 12 months, with evidence that refunds provided were reported in PRISMS within the required timeframe (where applicable)
• where relevant, evidence that the provider is meeting its obligation to maintain the ‘Protected Amount’ (all pre-paid tuition fees must be held in a designated bank account which is separate to day-to-day operating expense accounts)
• a copy of relevant policies and procedural documents that ensure that the provider has robust mechanisms for maintaining the Protected Amount.

TEQSA requires CRICOS-registered providers who deliver Foundation Programs to apply for re-accreditation of their Foundation Program(s) at the same time they apply to renew their CRICOS registration. For these providers, the application to renew Foundation Program(s) is integrated into the application to renew CRICOS registration.

These providers will submit an additional self-assurance report as part of their CRICOS renewal focused on the Foundation Program requirements.

In instances where a Foundation Program has been added within 2 years of applying to renew CRICOS registration, the provider may limit their Foundation Program renewal application to: a self-assurance report; and, an index of supporting evidence (focused on the Foundation Program requirements), omitting any other attachments.

• Access further information on applying to renew a Foundation Program

TEQSA requires CRICOS-registered providers who deliver ELICOS courses to apply for re-accreditation of their ELICOS course(s) at the same time they apply to renew their CRICOS registration. For these providers, the application to renew ELICOS course(s) is integrated into the application to renew CRICOS registration.

These providers will submit an additional self-assurance report as part of their CRICOS renewal, focused on the ELICOS course requirements.

In instances where an ELICOS course has been added within 2 years of applying to renew CRICOS registration, the provider may limit their ELICOS renewal application to: a self-assurance report; and, an index of supporting evidence (focused on the ELICOS requirements), omitting any other attachments.

• Access further information on applying to renew an ELICOS course

TEQSA requires providers who have existing exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs, to apply to renew their exemption when they apply to renew their CRICOS registration.

To renew exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs, you will need to submit the following evidence as an appendix to your CRICOS renewal application:

• policies and procedures which are in place to manage the provision of welfare arrangements for students under the age of 17, including critical incident policies and procedures
• details of appropriate arrangements which are in place for student accommodation and wellbeing, including evidence demonstrating that the suitability of accommodation for students under the age of 17 was verified before the accommodation was approved and at least every 6 months after its approval
• an example of any agreements with third-party providers who have been engaged to provide welfare and/or accommodation arrangements to students under the age of 17
• policies and procedures for selecting, screening and monitoring any third party your institution has engaged to organise and assess welfare and accommodation arrangements (if applicable)
• details of appropriate arrangements which are in place for the orientation of students that are under the age of 17, including samples of information given to them relating to emergency contacts and how to seek assistance and report on incidents of actual or alleged sexual, physical or other abuse
• evidence of appropriate arrangements which are in place for academic progress review of students that are under the age of 17
• evidence of compliance with Commonwealth, state and territory legislation, or other regulations, regarding child welfare and protection requirements
• a copy of the Working with Children Check register
• evidence staff receive training in child protection principles, as part of the staff induction process.