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Legislation changes
The Education Legislation Amendment (2022 Measures no.1) Act 2022 (ELA) passed Parliament late last month and received Royal Assent on Tuesday 29 November 2022. It was registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on Wednesday 30 November 2022.
The ELA contains several measures that will have a retrospective application, some an immediate impact and some that will have an impact from 1 January 2023.
FEE-HELP loan fee exemption – retrospective effective date
The FEE-HELP loan fee exemption extension from 1 January to 31 December 2022 has been legislated. This means that undergraduate students with FEE-HELP loans at non-Table B providers will receive a credit on their HELP debt account at the ATO for the removal of the loan fee. This will be a system data fix enabled by TCSI, and we will advise students and providers when we expect this to occur. We expect that it may take 24 hours for loan records to be updated at the ATO between the removal of the original record and the replacement of the revised record.
Miscellaneous changes – effective immediately (from 29 November)
Effective immediately are the USI changes, the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) changes and access to FEE‑HELP for Microcredentials:
USI
The Student Identifier requirements have changed from requiring a student to have a USI prior to census date, to the student being required to provide their own USI prior to census date, or other applicable date in relation to OS‑HELP and SA-HELP.
This means that in order for a provider to be able to assess a student’s eligibility for Commonwealth assistance, they are required to have assurance that the student has provided their valid and current USI. This assurance may be provided in a couple of ways.
- The first is by having the USI verify in TCSI. The verification of USIs in TCSI is available now, and most students’ USIs will verify through this process.
- Alternatively, providers should be able to use the Government eCAF to verify USIs. From April 2023 this verification will include the students middle name, in addition to their first and last name, so will provide a more accurate verification.
- Another method is to link student management systems to the USI Registry system which will allow USI verification prior to reporting through TCSI.
If the USI is not verifying through these channels, the department suggests that providers seek evidence from the student of their USI. This may include the student sharing their USI through the USI system or providing a hard copy of the information that is linked to their USI so that a provider can match it to the information in their system.
If you are still experiencing issues, the USI Office able to provide troubleshooting assistance on verification issues.
SLE
SLE changes in the ELA were to remove enabling courses from the SLE limits. This is effective immediately.
Microcredentials
Microcredentials will be eligible for FEE-HELP assistance, but are defined as:
- Consists of one or more units of study, AND
- Meets the requirements specified in the FEE-HELP Guidelines.
The FEE-HELP Guidelines have not yet been updated for the microcredentials requirements.
Cessation of the HECS-HELP upfront discount – from 1 January 2023
The Government committed to remove the HECS-HELP 10% upfront discount and this has been enabled through the ELA legislation. Effective from 1 January 2023, the upfront discount will cease. The HELP Policy team are working with TCSI to enable this change in the system as soon as possible.
Also effective from 1 January 2023 is the clarification that requires New Zealand citizens accessing Commonwealth supported places and HELP to be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit. This aligns the requirement that previously existed for CSPs with HECS‑HELP and FEE-HELP.
USI Exemption instrument
The Minister for Education has, by legislative instrument, provided an exemption for offshore international students to require a USI in order to have their award conferred. This provides an exemption for students who are unable to be assigned a USI because they do not have the necessary supporting documentation, and will not complete any of their study onshore in Australia. The exemption also provides that international students who have completed a course of study in Australia prior to 1 January 2023, and have returned to their home country are exempt from the conferral of award requirement.
All students from 1 January 2023, continuing or commencing courses of study, are required to meet the USI requirements in order to be eligible for Commonwealth assistance. Individual exemptions can be sought through the Student Identifiers Registrar but will prevent a student from accessing a CSP or HELP.
Australian Universities Accord
The Australian Government has committed to an Australian Universities Accord to drive lasting and transformative reform in Australia’s higher education system. The Accord is an opportunity to build a visionary plan for Australia’s universities and higher education sector.
The Accord Panel was announced by the Minister for Education on 16 November, alongside the release of the Terms of Reference. Further information is available on the Higher Education Review page of the departments website.
There will be various opportunities for stakeholders to contribute ideas and provide input. These include a survey, roundtables, and a discussion paper, as well as targeted consultations. Engagement opportunities will be updated regularly throughout the year and promoted on the Accord website.
The Panel has recently released a survey to determine stakeholders’ priorities for the process (Accord Priorities survey) and are particularly interested in getting feedback from staff, students and their families. The survey closes on Monday 19 December 2022.
Please share the above survey link with your students as the department is eager to see a higher completion rate by students.
The Panel will release an interim report in June 2023 and a final report in December 2023.
2023 HELP publications and eCAF
On 21 November 2022 the Student Information and Services (SIS) team released the 2023 HELP booklets on the Study Assist website and the 2023 eCAFs into the Government eCAF training environment.
Please ensure any links you have to the HELP booklets are updated for the 2023 year. The 2022 HELP booklets will remain on the website until the end of the year.
The 2023 eCAFs will be available in the Government eCAF production environment from 1 January 2023.
Following the passage of legislation, the 2023 booklets and the 2023 eCAFs have been updated to remove the HECS-HELP 10% upfront discount information. Further information about this legislation change is detailed in the legislation update above.
HELP factsheets
The 2023 HELP factsheets have been finalised and are now published on the Study Assist website.
The factsheets (covering CSP/HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP and SA-HELP) are a one-page resource designed to provide an overview of the specific type of Commonwealth assistance and a quick guide to eligibility and the application process. They can be printed and provided to students at open days and orientation events.
The factsheets complement the 2023 HELP booklets which are very detailed and comprehensive, so the factsheets are a great resource to introduce students to the information they must be aware of.
A big thanks to those who provided feedback to the SIS team in the development of the 2023 HELP publications. We are always seeking ways to improve them and appreciate your input.
2022/2023 eCAF transitional arrangements
On 9 November 2022, providers who are part of the eCAF developers’ group and/or the HELP provider updates mailing lists received an email from HEenquiries@education.gov.au regarding the Government eCAF transitional arrangements and the use of the 2022 eCAFs for 2023 students.
This emailed notified providers that 2022 eCAFs have been approved for students commencing a course in 2023, until 31 December 2022. The department will release the approved 2023 eCAFs into the Government eCAF production environment on 1 January 2023. From 1 January 2023 all commencing students should be issued a 2023 eCAF. No providers should issue a 2022 eCAF from 1 January 2023.
If you are issuing a 2023 student with a 2022 eCAF this year, you must ensure you provide the student with a 2023 HELP booklet, so they are aware of their obligations in 2023. These are available on the Study Assist website.
If you did not receive the email from 9 November 2022 please contact HEenquiries@education.gov.au as it contains important information that providers need to be aware of. To be added to either the eCAF developers’ group or HELP provider updates mailing lists, contact HEenquiries@education.gov.au.
eCAF compliance
This is an important reminder for all providers that do not use the Government eCAFs – at a minimum, providers must replicate all fields, all information, and all declarations that are in the Government eCAFs in non-Government eCAFs. eCAFs change at the end of every year, and sometimes during the year, so it is important to stay up to date with the most current version of the Government eCAF. These can be viewed via the Government eCAF training site. Email the team at HEenquiries@education.gov.au if you need access.
A further reminder that paper Commonwealth Assistance Forms are NOT approved forms for students to access HELP and are no longer provided by the department. All remaining 2020 paper forms must be discarded.
eCAF Stocktake
A big thank you to all Table A and B providers for your cooperation with the eCAF stocktake process. We are currently underway with the mammoth task of reviewing all your submissions and will be in touch in the new year if we require further information from you, or to notify of next steps.
Reconciliation of 2021 HELP advances
The reconciliation of 2021 HELP advances has been delayed until early next year. The verification of 2021 data through the Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) system was only finalised in early November. This has had a flow on effect on the reconciliation process.
If you have any questions you can contact the FEE-HELP team via FEE-HELP@education.gov.au or the HELP policy team via HELP.policy@education.gov.au.
Removal of special purpose financial statements
The Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) has removed the ability for some for-profit entities to prepare special purpose financial statements (AASB 2020-2). The AASB have also introduced a new Tier 2 ‘Simplified Disclosures’ Standard (AASB 1060) that replaces ‘Reduce Disclosure Requirements’.
Your organisation must comply with the Australian Accounting Standards when preparing your organisation’s financial statements. Considering each higher education provider is different and some entities may be able to continue to prepare special purpose financial statements, the department suggests you seek advice from your accountants and/or auditors on the most appropriate type of financial statements you should prepare in accordance with the new AASB requirements.
The department cannot provide advice on the type of financial statements your organisation should prepare as we don’t have detailed knowledge of each organisation’s individual circumstances.
Annual financial submissions due 31 December 2022
Approved providers (other than Table A and B providers) with an annual financial reporting period ending 30 June are required to submit their annual financial information in the HELP IT System (HITS) by 31 December 2022.
The department has no power under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to grant any extensions to the submission deadline of 31 December 2022. Failure to submit the required information in HITS by the deadline is a breach of the financial viability requirements which could lead to compliance action being taken.
Please refer to section 4.1 OR section 4.4 and 4.5 of the Financial Viability Instructions (FVI), whichever is applicable, for details about the financial information you are required to submit in HITS to meet your annual financial reporting requirements.
If you have any questions about what you are required to submit, you can contact the FEE-HELP team via FEE-HELP@education.gov.au.
Student Learning Entitlement
To support the implementation of the SLE, which came into effect on 1 January 2022, an IT solution is being developed to help monitor a student’s SLE usage. This includes changes to the myHELPbalance portal to allow students to view their SLE amount and usage history, with functionality to include a pending SLE amount for any units reported to the Department where the census date has not passed. These changes will also allow higher education providers will be able to view a student’s available SLE amount. This is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2023.
More information on the SLE can be found on the Student learning entitlement page Study Assist website and Chapter 20 of the Higher Education Administrative Information for Providers Commonwealth supported places page.
Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education
On 9 November 2022, Minister Clare announced Round 1 of the Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education. The program provides $18.5 million to pilot the development and delivery of microcredentials in areas of national priority such as health, teaching, IT and engineering which were informed by the latest 2022 Skills Priority List.
- Applications for the first funding round of the Pilot opened on 9 November 2022 and will close 13 January 2023.
- Under Round 1, Table A higher education providers can apply for:
- $2 million in funding (with a maximum grant of up to $100,000) to design microcredentials in partnership with industry.
- $2 million to deliver the microcredentials that they have designed in Round
For more information and to apply, please refer to the Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education page.
The Microcredentials Marketplace
On 9 December the Student Projects Team in higher education launched the new MicroCred Seeker website, formerly named the Microcredentials Marketplace. MicroCred Seeker is a nationally consistent platform that will enable learners to compare short courses offered by tertiary education providers. The platform will provide users with a range of course-specific information regarding study and learning outcomes, allowing users to make informed decisions about their lifelong learning journey.
MicroCred Seeker will help learners and providers:
- Compare tertiary microcredential offerings through filters such as price, location and delivery modes, and create a tailored shortlist.
- Understand credit offerings for microcredentials and how to ‘stack’ them into larger qualifications.
- Provide data regarding the demand and use of microcredentials.
MicroCred Seeker was developed in consultation with VET and higher education providers, and is underpinned by the National Microcredentials Framework.
Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) Update
The TCSI Support team provided an update at the working group on development to support the extension of the FEE-HELP loan fee exemption for 2022, removal of the HECS-HELP upfront discount and requirements for a USI upon conferral of an award, which is required from 1 January 2023.
For further information on TCSI and upcoming development please consult the TCSI November webinar.
Census Date Webinars
The Student Information and Services team held two census date webinars in early October where we presented research findings on the census date for higher education courses. We were pleased to have had such great interest in the sessions with close to 500 registrations and high levels of engagement during the session. Participants were very willing to share their own institutional experiences and we thank you for this.
Slides from the webinar were distributed to participants so that providers could share the findings with relevant colleagues in your institutions and we have had some subsequent enquiries in relation to this work. Many of you expressed support for Government branded communications to lend gravitas to the significance of missing a census date and to highlight it is a deadline mandated under legislation. We are currently exploring resources internally and we know some of you have expressed a willingness to provide feedback on any Commonwealth branded resources me might produce off the back of this research. We will keep this group updated as and when we have material in draft form, to share.
The research findings touched on behavioural economics (particularly nudge theory in encouraging desired behaviour) and we are further discussing these concepts with colleagues in other agencies such as the National Careers Institute and their insights on providing students the right information, at the time they need it, in the most appropriate format.
Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)
The TAP is a one-off payment of up to $5,000 available to school-leavers from regional or remote areas to assist with the cost of relocating for tertiary education (Certificate IV and above).
We encourage you to promote the TAP Program to students from regional and remote Australia who are interested in commencing tertiary studies in 2023. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, students can visit the Services Australia website.
New Regional University Centres
Following a competitive application process held in early 2022, 8 new Regional University Centres (RUCs) will be established across regional and remote Australia. The new Centres are:
- Country Universities Centre Cape York (Cooktown, QLD)
- Country Universities Centre Mount Isa (Mount Isa, QLD)
- Atherton Regional University Centre (Name TBC) (Atherton, QLD)
- Uni Hub Spencer Gulf Port Lincoln (Port Lincoln, SA)
- Uni Hub Spencer Gulf Roxby Downs Outreach (Roxby Downs, SA)
- Country Universities Centre Mallee (Swan Hill, VIC)
- Lumen Wheatbelt Regional University Centre (Narrogin, Wongan Hills, Merredin & York, WA)
- Kimberley Universities Centre (Broome, WA)
These Centres are expected to open from late 2022 into 2023 and join the 26 Centres already in operation across all states and the Northern Territory.
RUCs are community-owned facilities which help students in regional and remote areas access higher education without having to leave their community. The Centres provide study spaces, video conferencing, computing facilities and internet access, as well as academic skills and wellbeing support for students studying via distance at any Australian university or vocational education and training provider.
Universities are encouraged to work with RUCs to further support students in regional and remote Australia. For more information, please refer to the Regional University Centres page.
Department of Home Affairs – ‘check twice-submit once’ campaign
The Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) has launched a campaign aimed at prospective international students called ‘Check twice, submit once’.
This campaign encourages students to double-check their visa applications before submitting for processing to reduce delays caused by errors and re-application. DOHA has created a fact sheet which contains information on how to apply and critical areas to double-check.
This message is reinforced by a social media campaign and a checklist. More information about this campaign can be found at on the Check twice, submit once page of the Home Affairs website, and on the DoHA social media channels.
Higher education providers can support this campaign by promoting the materials on their websites and social media channels.