All Australian higher education providers must offer students quality higher education and access to information related to their experience.

The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 sets out a number of requirements that all providers must meet in order to be registered with TEQSA. The Threshold Standards have been structured to align with student experiences – from enrolment to award of qualification.

In line with the requirements of the Threshold Standards, providers must inform both current and future students in relation to:

• fees and refunds
• who to contact for particular questions
• academic requirements and deadlines
• complaints and grievance processes, including access to external review processes if a complaint has not been resolved (more information is available in our Complaints section)
• operations contracted to a third party
• access to learning resources, including technical requirements for access to IT system support services
• ways to enhance personal safety and security, both on and off campus.

What if I have an issue with a higher education provider?

If you are unhappy about aspects of your experience with a higher education provider, you should access your providers’ complaints resolution policies and procedures. These policies and procedures should be easily accessible, consistent, fair and confidential. They should also include advice and support on how to resolve your complaint.

In most cases, your complaint should be resolved locally and informally. However, you may need to use your provider’s formal complaints procedures.

We can only accept complaints about a provider’s compliance with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Act 2011 and the Threshold Standards. More information on what we can and cannot accept complaints about is available in our Complaints section.

For international students

The Study Australia 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.

The website has 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 and specialist services in place in Australia, which ensure every individual feels safe, welcomed, supported and protected while in Australia.

Study 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.

Scope and intent of the Domain

This Domain (Sections 7.1-7.3) of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) encompasses:

• whether the providers' representations (whether directly or through other parties) about themselves and the course(s) of study they offer are accurate, ethical and not misleading in their claims (Section 7.1)
• whether there is sufficient publicly available information to assist students in making informed choices about selecting a course of study, to enable effective and informed participation in a chosen course of study and to resolve grievances if necessary, including the particular needs of international students studying in Australia (Section 7.2)
• the existence of a readily accessible public description of the provider and its operations
• the requirement that the provider’s information management system meets certain critical requirements concerning content, security and integrity (Section 7.3).

Our commentary

7.1 Representation

TEQSA’s main interest will be in the materials that the provider uses to represent itself and its offerings, whether to particular students or more generally. This can include marketing materials, claims about career outcomes arising from courses of study and the like. Where a provider is represented by agents, we will seek evidence of a formal contractual engagement with the agent(s) that is consistent with the requirements of the Standard, that agents are correctly informed about the provider’s operations and offerings and that the performance of agents is monitored, including that corrective action is taken if necessary. It is expected that much of the evidence required in relation to representation will already be in the public domain (e.g. websites, brochures, prospectuses, advertisements etc.) and that it will be easy for providers to direct us to that material (some materials may be equally applicable to other Sections such as 7.2 and 7.3). We will need to be satisfied that the provider’s representations are accurate, ethical and not misleading.

In relation to Standard 7.1.4, a short narrative about the provider’s use of agents accompanied by examples of existing contractual arrangements, the resources provided to agents and an outline of monitoring arrangements and any corrective actions undertaken could illustrate that this Standard is met, where required. The Standards also call for providers to have controls in place over the way its courses are represented to prospective and current students by any third party, including through third party websites.

7.2 Information for Prospective and Current Students

Standards 7.2.1 and 7.2.2 require the public disclosure of a range of information, aimed largely at informed choices and participation by students (including international students if applicable). Information about the design and structure of courses, factors taken into account in selection (such as the use of ATAR and other requirements), all obligations and liabilities incurred by students (such as fees and charges and HELP liabilities), and the student support and facilities being made available, must be disclosed transparently. Students should be able to readily access all information needed for them to estimate realistic prospects for admission to each course. All information relating to professional accreditation of the course must be disclosed, as discussed in relation to Section 1.1 and Standard 3.1.5.

TEQSA will need to be satisfied that the information required is indeed publicly available, accessible (including to individuals with special needs) and accurate. While Standard 7.3.1 requires a ‘repository of publicly-available current information about the higher education provider’, we do not require the creation of a dedicated repository that is separate from a provider’s existing sources of information, nor do we seek to prescribe the format of its presentation. For example, a provider may for operational reasons, choose to present its information in groupings or blocks of data that are different from the groupings specified by the Standard, and in various sections of its website. This is not of concern, provided that the information requirements of the Standard are met (providers should note that Standards 7.3.1 and 7.3.2 impose particular requirements on the content of some information required by Section 7.2).

In relation to Standard 7.2.3, where applicable, we will expect a provider to be able to describe, and illustrate by example, the mechanisms that are in place to monitor achievement of statutory obligations in relation to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 in relation to international students.

In relation to Standard 7.2.4, we will expect to see that any formal offer made to students contains warnings of potential changes to fees and charges or other known changes expected in an intended course of study.

Information in the public domain is subject to monitoring at any time. This may mean that a provider will not always be required to submit evidence in relation to Section 7.2 in submissions for regulatory purposes. On the other hand, monitoring of a provider’s public information may raise concerns that lead to a request for further information/clarification outside of the provider’s normal regulatory cycle.

7.3 Information Management

Standard 7.3.1 contains a number of specific requirements for publicly available information. As mentioned in relation to Section 7.2, TEQSA does not seek to specify the form of presentation of this information, however it does expect the requirements of Standard 7.3.1 to be readily accessible, ideally from a single starting point. There could be, for example, a link from a provider’s website home page to another page that will in turn link to all of the types of information listed in 7.3.1 (a to m). 

The information to be made available about the provider’s financial standing is specified in a separate Guidance note and is designed to give prospective students some assurance that the provider is a going concern. This information is separate to what we require in order to assess the financial risk of a provider, either as part of the annual risk assessment or as part of the assessment for registration, re-registration, course accreditation or re-accreditation. 

Information about enrolment numbers (7.3.1i) in the list of a provider’s course(s) should give prospective students an indication of the scale of the provider and learning environment. The information should be based on recent actual enrolments in the case of an existing course, or realistic projections in the case of a new course. A range could be used (e.g. ‘we expect to enrol between x and y students’). In the case of nested courses, the numbers should be for the whole course. 

As long as the requirements of Standard 7.3.2 are met in achieving Section 7.2, we will not require further reiteration in relation to 7.3.2. For Paragraph 7.3.3a, we will require a description and, possibly, a demonstration of the capability of the provider’s information system to meet the requirements of this Standard. Achievement of Paragraph 7.3.3b will require identification of the policies, processes and practices in sufficient detail for us to be satisfied that this Standard is met and that predictable risks are being mitigated as far as is reasonably possible for the nature and scale of the provider’s operations - including the onus on the provider to issue qualifications legitimately (as required by Paragraph 6.2.1h). In relation to Standard 7.3.3d, we will require a description of the systems, processes and reporting that support achievement of this Standard (and support the corporate accountability of the governing body in this respect [Standard 6.1.1]). This may be achieved by reference to mechanisms already described in relation to other Standards (e.g. Institutional Quality Assurance or Governance and Accountability) and, if so, reiteration of the detail for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with this Standard will not be required.

Once we are satisfied that a provider has demonstrated that its systems meet, and are likely to continue to meet, Standard 7.3.3 (a-c), we may require only limited evidence of continuing compliance with these Standards. However, will always have an interest in reviewing the management of complaints and misconduct (Paragraph 7.3.3c), irrespective of the capability of a provider’s information management systems. 

Reference points

• Australian Government, Australian Consumer Laws (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010) and the Trade Practices Act 1974
• Australian Government, National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018
• Australian Government, Privacy Act (1988) and the Australian Privacy Principles
• Australian Government (July 2009), Using Education Agents
• British Council, Statement of Principles for the Ethical Recruitment of International Students by Education Agents and Consultants (The London Statement) (2012) released by the British Council
• International Education Association of Australia, Education Agent Code of Ethics (2016)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.0

Relevant guidance notes

The following guidance notes can be accessed at our Guidance notes page, or from the links below:

• Academic Governance
• Academic Integrity
• Academic Quality Assurance
• Course Design, Learning Outcomes and Assessment
• Corporate Governance
• Diversity and Equity
• External Referencing
• Financial Assessment
• Financial Standing
• Research and Research Training
• Technology-Enhanced Learning
• Third-Party Arrangements

Scope and intent of the Domain

This Domain (Sections 4.1-4.2) of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) encompasses:

• the minimum requirements for the conduct of research and recording of research activity by a higher education provider
• the additional requirements that must be met if research training is offered.

Our commentary

4.1 Research

This Section of the Standards is intended to apply to all research carried out by higher education providers (whether within the context of research training or not). TEQSA recognises that providers who are receiving funding from national Australian funding bodies, such as the Australian Research Council (ARC) or the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or other major agencies, must meet stringent and onerous requirements attached to their funding that are more detailed than the requirements of the HES Framework, including various codes of conduct. Definitions of research are discussed in our Guidance Note on Research and Research Training, available on our Guidance notes page.

The Standards in this Section represent more basic requirements, but we encourage providers who do not receive funding from the major funding bodies to use their higher requirements as a guide for their own operations (see Reference points), taking account of the scale and nature of their research mission. Where those requirements are already demonstrated to be met for other purposes, either in full or in relation to the matters encompassed specifically by Standard 4.1.2, we will not require further demonstration in relation to compliance with Standard 4.1.2. We interpret Standard 4.1.2 to broadly include all staff in a research team, such as technical specialist staff, not just academic staff.

As to the system for recording research outputs (Standard 4.1.3), a system required by major funding bodies will suffice but we would otherwise expect the system to be appropriate to the scale and purposes of the provider (for example, an authorised spreadsheet could suffice, provided it is accurate and current). This recording system will also serve to provide evidence of research activity for the purpose of meeting other Standards (e.g. 3.2.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.3).

Reference points

• Australian Government, Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).
• Australian Government, The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007).
• Australian Government, The Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 8th Edition (2013, updated 2021).   

4.2 Research Training

Providers who undertake research training must meet the requirements of Section 4.1 as well as those of 4.2. TEQSA expects to see that research training is guided by and undertaken in accordance with an institutionally-approved policy framework covering at least the items specified by Section 4.2. The Standards also require research training to occur in an environment of research/scholarly/creative activity (such as on-going projects within a community of scholars, leading to research publications in relevant fields) with adequate resources and with competent continuing supervisory arrangements as specified by the Standards. The Standards do not permit a course in research training (i.e. a higher degree by research) to be offered in an environment that is otherwise devoid of research activity. Providers should note the requirements for specified learning outcomes for research training and additional specific assessment requirements for research training (see Section 1.4).

Reference points

• Australian Council of Graduate Research Inc., Australian Graduate Research Good Practice Principles.
• Australian Government,  Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).

Relevant guidance notes

The following guidance notes can be accessed at our Guidance notes page, or from the links below:

• Academic Governance
• Academic Integrity
• Determining Professional Equivalence
• Nested Courses
• Research and Research Training
• Staffing, Learning Resources and Educational Support

Scope and intent of the Domain

This Domain (Sections 2.1-2.4) of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) encompasses:

• the nature, access to and fitness for purpose of the learning environment under the control of the provider (without presupposing any particular model of participation or delivery), diversity of participation and the wellbeing of staff and students
• access to effective mechanisms to address students’ grievances should they arise.

Much of the background material to demonstrate that these Standards are met must be publicly accessible (see Domain 7).

Our commentary

2.1 Facilities and Infrastructure

This Section focuses on a provider demonstrating that there are sufficient facilities and infrastructure for delivery of a provider’s course(s) of study and that they are appropriate for their intended educational purpose. This includes necessary access to secured ICT facilities and systems. Specific facilities and resources for particular course(s) of study are covered at Domain 3 (e.g. Section 3.3).

These Standards are intended to apply to any mode of delivery and participation, rather than presuppose any particular model. The onus is on the provider to demonstrate to TEQSA that its facilities and infrastructure support students to achieve the expected learning outcomes. Irrespective of the chosen mode of delivery, the Standards require a provider to offer opportunities for students (including international students) to interact outside of formal teaching, for example, group work, team building, informal learning. This does not mandate physical spaces; interaction via ICT may be suitable in various settings.

2.2 Diversity and Equity

This Section focuses primarily on the creation of equivalent opportunities for academic success regardless of students’ backgrounds, within a relevant policy framework, and within the context of the provider’s mission. Providers may wish to link this requirement to their admission requirements (see Section 1.1) and transition support arrangements (see Section 1.3). Providers should note that the Standards require providers to monitor the participation and success of any identified groups (such as an identified equity group) and use that information to improve academic and support strategies for such groups.

The requirement to give ‘specific consideration to the recruitment, admission, participation and completion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ means that this particular group must be specifically referred to in the policy and monitoring frameworks.

Reference points

• Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (1998), Students with Disabilities: Code of Practice for Australian Tertiary Institutions.
• Australian Government, Disability Standards for Education 2005.
• Universities Australia (October 2011), National Best Practice Framework for Indigenous Cultural Competency in Australian Universities.

2.3 Wellbeing and Safety

This Section encompasses a series of general and specific facets of a provider’s operations that are aimed at the promotion of safety and wellbeing. TEQSA will expect providers to tailor their response to these Standards according to the scale, scope and nature of their circumstances and offerings. In the case of online or blended learning, the requirement for a safe environment also applies to security of internet communications and to policies and procedures related to online harassment.

2.4 Student Grievances and Complaints

This Section seeks to ensure that students have access to mechanisms that resolve grievances effectively, at reasonable cost and with appropriate protection for complainants from breach of confidentiality or reprisal. This should be formulated within the policy framework, and students should be able to easily access a facility to lodge a complaint. Complaints-handling mechanisms are required to be publicly documented (see Domain 7). These Standards distinguish formal complaints from informal grievances, and records of the incidents and resolution of formal requirements must be kept, including time taken to reach a resolution (see institutional accountability at 6.2.1.j). While the Standards require policies and procedures to provide for students to access independent professional advice, TEQSA does not take this to require providing for students to access legal advice.

As part of its regulation of Australia’s higher education sector, we monitor the compliance of higher education providers with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) and the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 (HES Framework). As stated on our Complaints page, we have a defined approach for handling complaints. We will pursue any reliable information that indicates that a provider might not meet any of the Standards and will maintain confidentiality in regards to the informant. We receive complaints on a range of matters relating to providers, including the provider’s compliance with HES Framework and TEQSA Act, and in relation to possible false or misleading statements about a provider’s registration and accreditation status. 

TEQSA is not empowered to intervene in disputes about marks for an individual student’s assessment, but will expect the provider’s policy and procedures to be followed where a student lodges a complaint or appeal. These policies and procedures should explicitly make provision for review by an appropriate independent third party if internal processes fail to resolve any grievance, and should specify indicative time frames for resolution of complaints.

Third party complaint-handling bodies for all students at public providers and international students at private providers are outlined on our Complaints page. Domestic students at private providers can contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO) investigates complaints from international students on student visas about private providers that relate to administrative decisions made by the provider, but not about broader educational quality issues. All students at public higher education providers have an avenue of appeal to the relevant Commonwealth, State or Territory Ombudsman, who can also investigate administrative decisions. 

Providers are required to make available to their students specific avenues of appeal to independent third parties for matters not within the jurisdiction of the ACCC or an ombudsman.

We may seek further information from a provider if we have reason to believe that a complaint or a pattern of complaints indicates that they might not be meeting one or more of the Standards.

Reference points

• Australian Council of Graduate Research Inc., Australian Graduate Research Good Practice Principles.
• Australian Government, National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, Part B, Standard 10.
• Standards Australia (2014), Australian Standard AS ISO 10002-2014, Guidelines for complaint management in organisations.

Relevant guidance notes

The following guidance notes can be accessed at our Guidance notes page, or from the links below:

• Corporate Governance
• Wellbeing and Safety
• Diversity and Equity
• Nested Courses
• Technology-Enhanced Learning
• Work-Integrated Learning

Academic integrity 

Academic integrity is:

‘the expectation that teachers, students, researchers and all members of the academic community act with: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.’ 

Breaching academic integrity is also known as ‘academic misconduct’ or ‘academic dishonesty’.

All Australian higher education students are expected to uphold academic integrity during their studies. An important way of upholding your academic integrity is by contacting your teachers or your school if you are having study problems and working with them on solutions. 

Studying and learning provides the knowledge expected of a graduate from your course but any form of cheating means that you could miss important professional knowledge and practice that you need to succeed in your future career.  

Protecting your reputation

Students become part of a learning community when they study. Actions that undermine the academic integrity of your course or institution could affect your reputation in the future. For example, if you are caught cheating during your studies, professional bodies may refuse to accredit you.

Avoiding criminals 

Maintaining academic integrity also protects you from criminals.

Commercial cheating services are illegal in Australia.  

Students who use illegal cheating services, to buy an essay, study notes or have someone impersonate them in an exam, are also at risk of blackmail. Operators of illegal cheating services can threaten to inform the university or the student’s future employer about their cheating unless the student pays them a large sum of money – sometimes years after the cheating took place.

Behaviours that support academic integrity

You can support academic integrity by¹:

• acknowledging where the information you use comes from, clearly citing or referencing the source
• sitting your own exams and submitting your own work
• accurately reporting research findings and abiding by research policies
• using information appropriately, according to copyright and privacy laws 
• acting ethically or doing the 'right thing', even when you are facing difficulties.

If you are having problems that could affect your academic performance, it is best to speak to your lecturer or tutor or course coordinator.

Behaviours that undermine academic integrity

A range of student behaviours can undermine academic integrity. Sometimes, students mistakenly believe that these behaviours are commonplace or don’t have consequences. This is wrong. Substantial penalties can apply for breaching academic integrity (see Penalties for breaching academic integrity below for more information).

Behaviours that undermine or breach academic integrity include²: 

Plagiarism

Submitting work that is not your own without acknowledging, citing or referencing the original source of the work, is known as plagiarism. It doesn’t matter whether you do this accidentally or on purpose, whether you change the words to make them your own or simply copy and paste. When you are using another person’s thoughts and ideas, you must reference the source material.

Recycling or resubmitting work

Recycling involves submitting (or resubmitting) work that has already been assessed, without your teacher’s permission. For example, submitting a report that you were graded on in a first-year class as part of your work in a third-year class. If you want to build on your previous work, you should discuss this first with your teacher.

Fabricating information

Fabrication involves making up information for research-focused assessment tasks, such as experimental or interview data. It can also include inventing sources of data, evidence or ideas by citing publications that are incorrect or that simply don’t exist.

Collusion

Collusion involves engaging in illegitimate cooperation with one or more other students to complete assessable work. This is different to working on group assignments that are set by your teachers. Examples of illegitimate cooperation include working with a friend or group of friends to write an essay or report that is meant to be an individual piece of work. It can also include sharing quiz or test questions and answers with other students, as well as written assignments like reports and essays. Illegitimate cooperation can unfairly advantage a student or group of students over others. Students should also never share their work with others as there is a risk the person you share it with could upload it to an illegal commercial cheating service or circulate it to others. 

Exam cheating

Contract cheating and impersonation

Penalties for breaching academic integrity

Students can face a range of penalties for breaching academic integrity, which is commonly referred to as ‘academic misconduct’ or ‘academic dishonesty’. It is often thought that students rarely get caught. Yet research shows teachers and institutions can detect breaches of academic integrity, and students doing the wrong thing do get caught³. And ways of catching cheating are constantly improving.

Penalties for breaching academic integrity can include:

• having to repeat the assessment task or unit of study
• failing the assessment task, unit of study or course
• being expelled from your institution, which may impact your student visa
• facing criminal charges.

In addition to the risk of academic or criminal penalties, being found to have breached academic integrity can impact your relationships with other students, family and friends; impact your future career and cause you to suffer a financial loss or even lose your student visa.

Getting help

If you have questions about academic integrity, or need study skills advice and support, you should speak with your institution. Your teachers or course coordinator are a good place to start. 

If you are alleged to have breached academic integrity, you should treat this matter seriously. Your institution must have clear policies and procedures related to student discipline, complaints and appeals. You should read these policies, and you may also be able to seek advocacy and support services from your student association if there is one at your institution.

Notes

1. Definitions adapted from material developed by La Trobe University.
2. Definitions adapted from material developed by The University of Sydney.
3. Dawson, P. & Sutherland-Smith, W. (2017). Can markers detect contract cheating? Results from a pilot study, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.

Overview

Search the National Register

TEQSA maintains the National Register of Higher Education Providers and Courses.

TEQSA’s regulatory decisions are recorded on the National Register after providers have the opportunity to comment or seek review.

Unsuccessful applications for TEQSA registration are not recorded on the register. These are recorded on the unsuccessful applications page of this website.

Information on the National Register

The National Register Guidelines outline what information is published on the register.

Providers

Provider pages contain information about:

• legal and trading names
• registration duration
• conditions
• TEQSA decisions
• any TEQSA accredited courses 
• links to information about the provider on CRICOS, Training.gov.au and QILT are also available. 

Courses

For TEQSA accredited courses, click the Courses tab on a provider's page. This takes you to a page which lists TEQSA accredited courses at that provider.

Information on this page includes:

• course name
• when TEQSA accredited the course
• accreditation expiry
• any conditions we have placed on that course.

Please note: Australian Universities and other providers with self-accrediting authority accredit their own courses. Self-accredited courses are not listed on the register.

Trading names

Providers are listed under legal names, but many use trading names. Find them by searching for provider’s full or partial legal or trading name. Results show registered names, but the provider's page has all trading names in the 'Details' section.

If your provider's name isn't found, your course may have a third-party arrangement. In such cases, the registered provider is responsible. If you can't find your provider, please contact us.

Cancelled, withdrawn or expired registrations

This National Register details providers whose registration:

• has been cancelled by TEQSA
• was withdrawn by the provider
• has expired. 

Registration or accreditation pending renewal

Active providers

When a listing reads 'registration ongoing pending renewal', 'pending' means providers are waiting for a TEQSA decision about re-registration. The provider stays registered during this time.

Active courses

When courses are marked 'accreditation ongoing pending renewal', 'pending' means providers are waiting for a TEQSA decision about re-accreditation. The course stays accredited during this time.

How to search the National Register

Search the National Register

Filters on the left let you refine your search. You can filter by:

• provider name
• provider category
• self-accreditation status
• active/inactive
• courses in languages other than English
• course results can also be filtered by status and language. 

Applications for registration and course accreditation

Decision:	Rejected
Date of decision:	10 May 2021
Main reasons for decision:	The decisions were made on the basis that TEQSA was not satisfied that Southeast Education Pty Ltd meets the following provisions of the​​​​ Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015:  Corporate monitoring and accountability (Standard 6.2.1) Academic Governance (6.3.2) Learning Outcomes and Assessment (1.4.3) Course Design (3.1.2)  Learning Resources (3.3.1)  Criteria B1.1.1 and B1.1.3 of Part B
Review stage:

What are conditions?

Higher education providers must meet certain conditions in order to become and remain registered with TEQSA.

Conditions are obligations placed on higher education providers by either the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) or the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and may be placed on providers’ registration or course accreditation.

There are two types of conditions:

• conditions imposed by the TEQSA or ESOS Act
• conditions imposed as a result of decisions made by TEQSA under the TEQSA or ESOS Act.

Examples of conditions imposed by the TEQSA Act include that higher education providers need to offer at least one accredited course of study, and cooperate with TEQSA to enable our regulatory functions. 

When does TEQSA impose conditions?

TEQSA may place specific conditions on providers’ registration or course accreditation in order to address an identified concern about their higher education activities.

If we identify a risk of non-compliance (or actual non-compliance) with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training for Overseas Students 2018 (National Code), the TEQSA Act or ESOS Act, providers may be required to:

• review certain activities within a particular time
• provide us with a report about how it has addressed the problems identified
• undertake certain actions in order to address or mitigate the risk and/or non-compliance
• cease to enrol students in a particular course or not offer a particular higher education award.

How TEQSA makes decisions

When making a decision to impose a condition, TEQSA considers all the relevant evidence about a provider and must also comply with the basic regulatory principles of: 

• reflecting risk
• proportionate regulation 
• regulatory necessity.

Providers are given the opportunity to comment on a proposed decision to impose a condition that may adversely affect them and can put forward any information they consider relevant before we make a final decision.

We will advise providers (in writing) within 30 days of making a decision to impose, vary or revoke a condition and will explain what the condition is, the reason(s) the decision was made and any timeframes or deadlines that must be met.

Applying for a condition to be revoked or varied

Providers can apply for a condition to be revoked or varied. All applications to revoke or vary a condition must be submitted via the TEQSA Provider Portal.

Information on how to apply to vary or revoke a condition is available from our Application guides and support page.

• Application for Variation or Revocation of a Condition – Application Guide and Form
• Applicable fees for Varying or Revoking a Condition of Registration or Accreditation

NOTE: It is essential that applicants read the application guide prior to submitting an application.

Seeking review 

Providers can apply to have a decision to impose a condition on their registration or course accreditation reviewed. For more information about the avenues of review open to providers, visit our Review of TEQSA decisions page.

Providers that do not meet a condition

Providers must comply with conditions placed on their registration or course accreditation. If a provider fails to comply with a condition, the TEQSA Act allows us to take action including court proceedings or shortening/cancelling registration or course accreditation.

We will consider whether to take further action based on the basic principles for regulation.

National Register of Higher Education Providers

Any specific conditions on providers’ registration (applied from 1 July 2013) are noted on the National Register. We will not, except in exceptional circumstances, note a decision or publish a public report on the National Register until the period for applying for review of the decision has expired or until the review is complete.

Search the National Register

How to apply to add a course on CRICOS

CRICOS registered providers are required to apply to TEQSA to add a course of study to their CRICOS registration. To add a course on CRICOS, registered providers should submit the Add course on CRICOS application via the TEQSA Provider Portal. Before an application to add a course to CRICOS can be made, that course must first be accredited by TEQSA, except where the provider has self-accrediting authority (SAA).

Course details

In your application, you should include all relevant course details, including:

• registered location/s where the course will be delivered (including campus name/s as listed in PRISMS)
• AQF level and qualification type
• whether the course awards a dual qualification
• field of education type, including codes for broad, narrow, and detailed field of education
• course duration in weeks (including breaks)
• maximum percentage of total course that a student may undertake by distance and/or online learning
• estimated tuition fee
• estimated non-tuition fee/s
• mandatory work-based training component (if applicable), including hours per week, number of weeks, and total number of hours
• projected number of international students
• projected number of domestic students
• language the course will be delivered in, if other than English.

Professional accreditation

If professional accreditation is required for the course, your application should include evidence demonstrating that accreditation with the relevant professional body has been obtained, including the duration of the accreditation. If an application to the relevant professional body has been submitted and is awaiting an outcome, include details of the application status and indicative date of an outcome.

Arrangements with other providers

If the course is to be delivered as part of an arrangement with another provider, include:

• the name of the other provider/s
• the CRICOS provider code/s of the other provider/s (if applicable)
• applicable delivery site/s of the other providers.

Please note, if the arrangement with another provider has not been previously approved by TEQSA, an Arrangements with other provider/s (third-party partnership/s) application should be submitted concurrently with this application.

Exceptions

• For providers seeking to add an ELICOS or Foundation course, see the Foundation Programs and ELICOS page.
• To add a course that has previously been registered on CRICOS to an existing location, submit a Link Courses to Locations request in PRISMS. See the PRISMS Provider User Guide for further instruction. 
• To add a course that has previously been registered on CRICOS to a new location, include the course details in an Intention to relocate or add new delivery site application.

How to apply to withdraw a course on CRICOS

CRICOS registered providers are required to apply to TEQSA to withdraw one or more courses of study from the provider’s CRICOS registration. To withdraw a course, submit the Withdraw course/s on CRICOS form via the TEQSA Provider Portal. There are no fees associated with this application.

In applying to withdraw a course, you may indicate whether the course is to be cancelled or suspended:

• Cancel:
  Once a CRICOS code has been cancelled it cannot be reinstated. By selecting this option, you will effectively delete the course from CRICOS.
• Suspend:
  By suspending a course, it may continue to be delivered with any currently registered students with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), but the provider will not be able to issue any new CoEs for that course. A suspended course may have its registration restored again in the future. 

Please ensure there are no CoEs with an ‘approved’, ‘saved’, ‘pending’, or ‘visa granted’ status linked to a course before choosing to cancel or suspend a course. Any CoEs linked to a course that is suspended or cancelled may impact the student’s visa, potentially resulting in a cancellation.

Course details

To withdraw a course on CRICOS, TEQSA requires the following information:

• whether the course is to be cancelled or suspended
• proposed date of withdrawal (suspension or cancellation)
• reason for withdrawing the course
• confirmation that all overseas students registered for the course will be able to complete it before it is withdrawn from CRICOS.

Transfer of current students

If there are any overseas students that will transfer to another provider, for each applicable course, please include:

• an outline of the arrangements that have been put in place for the overseas students to complete their course with other providers
• a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to students regarding the transfer of students to another provider
• a copy of each agreement that has been put in place with other providers.

Refund arrangements

If any overseas students will have access to a refund, for each applicable course, please include:

• an outline of the arrangements that have been put in place for the refund of course fees
• a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to students regarding the refund arrangements.

Pending students

If there are any pending overseas students with a CoE for a course being withdrawn from CRICOS, please include a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to these students, as well as education agents, about the withdrawal of each applicable course from CRICOS.

Arrangements for overseas students

If there are any pending or current overseas students with a CoE for the course/s to be withdrawn, providers should include a list of impacted students confirming whether the student:

• will complete their course/s before the course/s are withdrawn
• has been offered a place in an alternative course and has accepted the offer in writing
• has received a refund of tuition fees in relation to the course.

If any other relevant arrangement has been agreed between the student, the provider and a third party, details of that arrangement should also be included in the list with the following information:

• the name of each overseas student currently enrolled in a course
• a unique identifier for each student (for example, date of birth, student number)
• the course/s in which the overseas student is enrolled
• the specific arrangement agreed for each student
• for transfer students, include details of the new provider and contact person, and the new provider’s CRICOS Provider Code.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is an application required to add or remove a course from an existing location?

If both the course and the location are already registered on CRICOS, you can request to link (add) or unlink (remove) any CRICOS registered course to a CRICOS registered location by using the Linking Courses to Locations Function. Instructions on this process are available in the PRISMS Provider User Guide). No application to TEQSA is required.

How do I change course fees on CRICOS?

How do I reinstate a suspended course?

When should the 'Other CRICOS changes' application be submitted?

When do changes to a course already registered on CRICOS require an application to register a new course?

How should a course with specialisations be registered on CRICOS?

How should ‘joint award’ and ‘dual award’ courses be registered on CRICOS?

How should ‘nested’ courses be registered on CRICOS?

Further information

For more information or assistance applying to add or withdraw a course on CRICOS, please contact the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.

For more information regarding fees providers must pay in relation to applications made to TEQSA, refer to our Application-based fees page.