The Australian Government is committed to helping higher education students succeed in their studies.
Support for students policy
The Australian Government is committed to helping higher education students succeed in their studies.
Recent legislation changes require higher education providers to have a Support for students policy ensuring supports are available and students are made aware of them. This will assist students to succeed in their studies. The requirements still recognise student agency: that ultimately students have the primary responsibility for accepting support and for their own success.
The Support for students policy will be implemented using a phased approach.
Commencement of new section 19-43 of HESA from 1 January 2024
The Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Act 2023 amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) to require higher education providers (providers) to have, comply with and report on a policy to support students to successfully complete units of study in which they are enrolled.
The requirements commence on 1 January 2024, with further details commencing on 1 April 2024. Providers may meet the 1 January 2024 requirements by making their policy available to students on a website, landing page or through other appropriate media that is accessible to students.
The initial transitional period through to 1 April 2024 will require a higher education provider to meet three straightforward requirements:
- providers must have a Support for students policy that deals with the support made available to the provider’s students to assist them to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled;
- the provider’s Support for students policy must include information on:
- the provider’s processes for identifying students that are at risk of not successfully completing their units of study; and
- the supports available from or on behalf of the provider to assist students to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled;
- the provider must comply with its support for students policy.
Here is an example of what a Support for students policy could look like.
Commencement of HEP Guidelines amendments from 1 April 2024
Amendments have been made to the Higher Education Provider Guidelines 2023 (HEP Guidelines) providing details of the requirements to apply from 1 April 2024.
For more information on the requirements commencing on 1 April 2024, read the frequently asked questions.
Reporting on the Support for students policy from 1 March 2025
The first report required under the new legislative arrangements for the Support for students policy will be due by 1 March 2025.
In January 2024 the department will establish a new working group, drawing on a range of sector representatives, to investigate additional data that could be available to provide a deeper understanding of student need for support.
The department, with the assistance of the working group, will also continue to inform the sector throughout 2024 and into 2025 to help preparations for the first report on the Support for students policy due on 1 March 2025.
Removal of the pass rate requirements from 1 January 2024
The Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Act 2023 amended the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) to cease the operation of the 50 per cent pass rate measures from 1 January 2024. From this date, students no longer need to be assessed on their completion rate to be eligible to continue to receive Commonwealth assistance for their course of study.
Further information
Frequently Asked Questions are now available.
Providers may also contact the department at HELP.Policy@education.gov.au if they have any further questions.