Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

This instrument, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020, prescribes the fees TEQSA may charge for carrying out specified regulatory functions under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, and sets procedural rules about discounts, waivers, refunds, instalment payments and merits review for those fee-related decisions. The Determination is made under subsections 158(1) and 158(3) of the TEQSA Act, see section 3 of the Determination. It operates by (1) listing fixed fee amounts for particular application or regulatory activities in Schedule A, and (2) imposing rules about how those amounts are calculated, when reductions apply, what waivers or refunds TEQSA may make, and the internal merits-review paths available for specified fee decisions, in Schedule B.

Mechanically, the instrument does these main things. First, Schedule A is a tariff table: it ties a numeric fee to each discrete TEQSA action, for example item 1 sets $14,700 for a preliminary assessment of an application for registration under s 19 of the TEQSA Act, item 2 sets $112,100 for a substantive assessment under s 20, and items 9-22 set fees for course accreditation, self-accrediting authority, ESOS registration steps and offshore authorisation. Second, Schedule B modifies how the tariff can be applied. It contains transitional rules for applications made prior to 1 January 2023 (Part 1), a discount schedule for smaller providers based on their equivalent full-time student load, EFTSL (Part 2), specific waiver and refund powers and conditions (Part 3), rules governing payment by instalments including maximum instalment frequency and timing (Part 4), and a merits-review regime for fee decisions (Part 5). The Determination also defines terms used to operate the tariff, for example "nested set of courses", "primary course of study", "Teach out", and "Core Standards", in section 4.

Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia

made under subsection 158(1) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011

Compilation No. 04

Compilation date: 1 January 2026

Includes amendments up to: Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 1 January 2026 (the compilation date).

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

The effect of uncommenced amendments is not shown in the text of the compiled law. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Legislation Register (www.legislation.gov.au). The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. For more information on any uncommenced amendments, see the series page on the Legislation Register for the compiled law.

Application, saving and transitional provisions for provisions and amendments

If the operation of a provision or amendment of the compiled law is affected by an application, saving or transitional provision that is not included in this compilation, details are included in the endnotes.

Modifications

If the compiled law is modified by another law, the compiled law operates as modified but the modification does not amend the text of the law. Accordingly, this compilation does not show the text of the compiled law as modified. For more information on any modifications, see the series page on the Legislation Register for the compiled law.

Self‑repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

Part 1 – Preliminary

1 Name of Determination

This Determination is the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020.

3 Authority

This determination is made under sections 158(1) and 158(3) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011

4 Interpretation

In this Determination:

Act or TEQSA Act means the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

authorised offshore provider has the same meaning as it has in the TEQSA Act.

Core Standards means the following Standards, as set out in Part A of the Threshold Standards:

5.1.2 (about Course Approval and Accreditation);
5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3 and 5.2.4 (about Academic and Research Integrity);
5.3.7 (about Monitoring, Review and Improvement);
6.1.3 and 6.1.4 (about Corporate Governance);
6.2.1 (about Corporate Monitoring and Accountability); and
6.3 (about Academic governance).

ELICOS means English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students.

ESOS Act means the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.

ESOS Agency has the same meaning as it has in the ESOS Act.

Foundation Program means a course to which the instrument made under section 176C of the ESOS Act applies.

Higher education award has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

Higher education provider has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

nested set of courses means a set of courses consisting of one primary course and one or more related courses of study.

primary course of study means the course of study from which all of the subjects or units comprising a related course of study are taken.

prospective provider means a regulated entity which is not a registered higher education provider.

Registered higher education provider has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

Regulated entity has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

Regulated higher education award has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

related course of study means a course of study comprised entirely of subjects or units taken from another course of study offered by the same registered higher education provider (the primary course of study).

Teach out, in relation to an application for renewal of accreditation, refers to a course in which students are no longer allowed to enrol or commence.

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency or TEQSA has the same meaning given at section 5 of the Act.

Threshold Standards has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

Schedule A – Fees

Fees payable for the performance of TEQSA’s functions

The fee for an activity mentioned in an item in the following table is the amount mentioned in the third column for that item.

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:350.2pt; margin-left:71.25pt; border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr style="height:33.2pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><a id="_Hlk219977926"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt">Item</span></a></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:57.65pt"><span>Activity</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.7pt"> </span><span>for</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.7pt"> </span><span>which the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> </span><span>fee</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> </span><span>is</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> imposed</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><span>Amount</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.05pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">fee</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:20.7pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="6" style="width:348.2pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.15pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">Registration</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:54pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">1</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Preliminary assessment of application for registration as a higher</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>education</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>provider</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>19</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$14,700</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:53.95pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">2</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Substantive assessment of application for registration as a higher</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>education</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>provider</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>20</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$112,100</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:97.65pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">3</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Renewal</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.65pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.6pt"> </span><span>registration</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.65pt"> </span><span>application (where the higher education provider is not also applying for self-accreditation, otherwise see row</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>4</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>below)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>35</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>TEQSA </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt">Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist3" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>approved</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>form</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>for the application requires the applicant to address provisions of the Threshold Standards other than the Core Standards: $113,000</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>otherwise:</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$66,000</span></li></ol></td></tr><tr style="height:161.5pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">4</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Renewal</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.6pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>registration</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>application combined</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>with</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>application</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>for</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>self- accreditation (where the higher education provider applies for renewal of registration and for</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; line-height:11.5pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">authority to self-accredit one or more</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">courses</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">of</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">study</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">at</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">the</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt">same</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>time) – ss 35 and 41 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist4" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>approved</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>form</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>for the application requires the applicant to address provisions of the Threshold Standards other than the Core Standards: $129,200</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span>b.</span><span style="width:10.5pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block"> </span><span>otherwise: $75,000</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:80.5pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">5</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for change of higher education provider category – s 38 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span>$51,800</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:80.5pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">6</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency for registration to provide a course or courses at a location or locations to overseas students – s 9 of the ESOS Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span>$24,500</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:80.5pt"><td style="vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">7</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency for renewal of registration – s 10D of the ESOS Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist5" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:17.3pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where the provider has self- accrediting authority: $13,600</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.25pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where the provider does not have self-accrediting authority:</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span>$27,500</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:80.5pt"><td style="border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"></td><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">8</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency to add one or more courses at one or more additional locations to a provider’s registration – s 10H of the ESOS Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist6" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:13.7pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>for each location for which the provider is not registered at the time of the application:</span><ol class="awlist7" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:10.85pt; margin-left:36pt; text-indent:-23.3pt; text-align:left; font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.05pt"><span style="width:18.02pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span style="letter-spacing:normal">where the provider has self-accrediting authority: $1,900</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.8pt; margin-left:36pt; text-indent:-26.05pt; text-align:left; font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.05pt"><span style="width:17.99pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span style="letter-spacing:normal">where the provider does not have self- accrediting authority:</span></li></ol></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.3pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span>$9,600</span></p><ol class="awlist8" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:11.45pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>for each course for which the provider is not registered at any location at the time of the application:</span><ol class="awlist7" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-left:36pt; text-indent:-23.3pt; line-height:11.5pt; font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.05pt"><span style="width:18.02pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span style="letter-spacing:normal">$5,100 per ELICOS</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:11.3pt; margin-left:36pt; text-indent:-26.05pt; font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.05pt"><span style="width:17.99pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span style="letter-spacing:normal">$5,200 per Foundation Program</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:10.2pt; margin-left:36pt; text-indent:-28.8pt; font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.05pt"><span style="width:17.97pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span style="letter-spacing:normal">in all other cases, $600 per course</span></li></ol></li></ol></td></tr><tr style="height:20.7pt"><td colspan="6" style="width:348.2pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><span>Course</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">accreditation</span></p></td><td style="border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:123pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt">9</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.3pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for authority to self- accredit one or more courses of study (where the higher education provider has not applied for renewal</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.05pt"> </span><span>registration at</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.05pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.05pt"> </span><span>same time,</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>otherwise</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>see</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>row</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>4</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>above)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>– s 41 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist9" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:10.85pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>for an application by a higher education provider which is authorised under the TEQSA Act</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>to</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>self-accredit</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>one</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>or</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>more courses of study: $36,800</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:6.35pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>for an application by a higher education provider with no existing authority under the Act to</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>self-accredit</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>a</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>course</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>or</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>group of courses of study: $51,800</span></li></ol></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:154.5pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">10</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Preliminary assessment of application by a prospective provider for accreditation of a course of study (other than an undergraduate</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>certificate)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>47</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>$6,000</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>per</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">course</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:7.95pt; margin-right:13.8pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a prospective provider has an</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>equivalent</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>full-time</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>student</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>load of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>less</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>than</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>5000</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>students,</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">table</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">11</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Substantive assessment of application by a prospective provider for accreditation of a course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 48 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist10" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:13.9pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a single course of study or multiple courses of study that do not form a nested set of courses: $44,700 per course</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:7.4pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a nested set of courses: $44,700 for the primary course of study and $40,000 for each related course of study</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a prospective provider has an equivalent full-time student load of less than 5000 students, the table set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">12</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Preliminary assessment of application by a registered higher education provider for accreditation of a course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 47 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist11" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:7.15pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a single course of study or multiple courses of study that do not form a nested set of courses: $5,200 per course</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:12.4pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a nested set of courses: $5,200 for the primary course of study and $1,300 for each related course of study</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a higher education provider has an equivalent full-time student load of less than 5000 students, the table set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">13</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Substantive assessment of application by a registered higher education provider for accreditation of a course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 48 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist12" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:13.9pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a single course of study or multiple courses of study that do not form a nested set of courses: $19,100 per course</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:7.4pt; margin-left:23.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a nested set of courses: $19,100 for the primary course of study and $4,800 for each related course of study</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a higher education provider has an equivalent full-time student load of less than 5000 students, the table set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:154.5pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">14</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Preliminary assessment of application for accreditation of an</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>undergraduate certificate – s 47 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>$300 per course</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">15</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Substantive assessment of application for accreditation of an undergraduate certificate – s 48 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>$1,300 per course</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">16</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for renewal of accreditation for a course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate or an application made on the basis of teach out) – s 55 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist13" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:5.85pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for renewal of accreditation of a single course of study or multiple courses of study that do not form a nested set of courses: $24,500 per course</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:8.1pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a nested set of courses: $24,500 for the primary course of study and $5,900 for each related course of study</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a higher education provider has an equivalent full-time student load of less than 5000 students, the table set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">17</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for renewal of accreditation for teach out course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 55 of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><ol class="awlist14" style="margin:0pt; padding-left:0pt"><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:6.15pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:11.06pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a single course of study or multiple courses of study that do not form a nested set of courses: $3,100 per course</span></li><li class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:8.1pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="width:10.5pt; font:7pt 'Times New Roman'; display:inline-block"></span><span>where an application is for accreditation of a nested set of courses: $3,100 for the primary course of study and $800 for each related course of study</span></li></ol><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>* where a higher education provider has an equivalent full-time student load of less than 5000 students, the table set out in section 2 of Schedule B applies</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:77pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">18</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for renewal of accreditation for an undergraduate certificate – s 55 of the Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>$1,200 per course</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:20.6pt"><td colspan="6" style="width:348.2pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">Conditions</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:150.05pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">19</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application to vary or revoke a condition of registration or accreditation</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>32(3)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>or</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>53(3)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:18.4pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt">a.</span><span style="width:11.06pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block"> </span><span>for an application made under</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.65pt"> </span><span>subsection</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.6pt"> </span><span>32(3)</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.65pt"> </span><span>in relation to a condition imposed on a higher</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-left:41.35pt; line-height:10.55pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">education</span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.1pt">provider’s</span><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt; letter-spacing:-0.3pt">registration: $3,900 per condition</span></p><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:18.4pt; margin-left:41.35pt; text-indent:-18pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt">b.</span><span style="width:10.5pt; text-indent:0pt; letter-spacing:-0.3pt; display:inline-block"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt">for an application made under subsection 53(3) in relation to a condition imposed on the accreditation of a course: $3,100 per condition</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:20.6pt"><td colspan="6" style="width:348.2pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><span>Review</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> decisions</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:53.95pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">20</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:2.6pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.35pt"> </span><span>for</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>internal</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span><span>review</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>a decision made by a delegate of TEQSA</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>s</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>184</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>the</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> </span><span>TEQSA</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>Act and s 169AD of the ESOS Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$1,100</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:20.65pt"><td colspan="6" style="width:348.2pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><span>Authorisation</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>for</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>providing</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>courses</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">offshore</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:42.45pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.05pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">21</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.95pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt"><span>Application for authorisation to as an</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>authorised</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>offshore</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>provider</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.2pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>s 44B of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$36,800</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:65.6pt"><td colspan="2" style="width:30.25pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.15pt; margin-right:0.05pt; margin-left:0.45pt; text-align:center"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">22</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:155.05pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-right:9.15pt; font-size:10pt"><span>Application to vary or revoke a condition imposed on the authorisation</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.4pt"> </span><span>of</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>a</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>provider</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.45pt"> </span><span>as</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span><span>an authorised</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt"> </span><span>offshore</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.3pt"> </span><span>provider</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt"> </span><span>–</span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt"> </span><span>s 44J(3) of the TEQSA Act</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="width:161.4pt; border:0.75pt solid #000000; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableParagraph" style="margin-top:0.1pt; font-size:10pt"><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">$3,900</span></p></td><td style="vertical-align:top"></td></tr><tr style="height:0pt"><td style="width:0.5pt"></td><td style="width:30.5pt"></td><td style="width:0.5pt"></td><td style="width:155.3pt"></td><td style="width:0.5pt"></td><td style="width:161.65pt"></td><td style="width:0.5pt"></td></tr></tbody></table>

Schedule B - Other matters relating to the payment of fees

Part 1 – application provision – fees for substantive assessments

1 Fees for substantive assessments

Subject to subsection (2), where, prior to 1 January 2023, a regulated entity makes an application under section 18 or section 46 of the Act, the relevant fee under section 20 or section 48 of the Act respectively for the substantive assessment of the application will be the fee payable under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020 as it applied prior to the commencement of this instrument.
Where prior to 1 January 2023, an application is made under section 46 of the Act in relation to an undergraduate certificate and, the fee for the substantive assessment of the application has not been paid prior to 1 January 2023, the relevant fee under section 48 of the Act for the substantive assessment of the application will be the fee set out in item 15 of the table in Schedule A.

Part 2 – Course Accreditation Discounts

2 Discounts based on provider’s equivalent full-time student load

Where, on or after 1 January 2023

    a provider makes an application to have a course of study accredited, or to have the accreditation of a course of study renewed; and
    the provider’s equivalent full-time student load is less than 5,000 students,

the following discounts to the fees set out in items 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 of the table in Schedule A apply in relation to the application:

Provider’s equivalent full-time student load	Percentage discount
A number equal to or greater than 0 but less than 500	Seventy percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 500 but less than 1000	Sixty percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 1,000 but less than 1,500	Fifty percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 1,500 but less than 2000	Forty percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 2,000 but less than 3,000	Thirty percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 3,000 but less than 4000	Twenty percent reduction
A number equal to or greater than 4,000 but less than 5000	Ten percent reduction

In this section

full‑time study load, for a student undertaking a course of study with a registered higher education provider for a year, means:

if section 169‑28 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 applies to the provider in respect of the course—an amount of study, undertaken as part of that course in that year, that is represented by units of study that have a total EFTSL value (within the meaning of that Act) of 1; or
if paragraph (a) does not apply—an amount of study, undertaken as part of that course in that year, that is the equivalent of the minimum amount of study that a student undertaking that course on a full‑time basis would be expected to undertake in that year.

> Provider’s equivalent full‑time student load means the total number of students enrolled, on an equivalent full‑time basis, in each accredited course provided by the provider in the year that is 2 years before the year in which the application for accreditation or the renewal of accreditation is made.

In working out, for the purposes of the above table, the number of students enrolled on an equivalent full‑time basis in an accredited course in a year:

count a student that has a full‑time study load for the course and the year as 1 student; and
count any other student as a fraction that represents the student’s amount of study undertaken as part of the course and the year relative to a student that does have a full‑time study load for the course and the year.

Note: Example: A full‑time student is enrolled in 8 units of study as part of a course for a year and is counted as 1 student. A part-time student is enrolled in 4 units of study as part of that course and is counted as half of 1 student. Another student is enrolled in 10 units of study as part of that course and is counted as 1 and a quarter of 1 student.

Part 3 – Waiver and refund of fees

3 Waiver of fees – undergraduate certificate decision not made prior to withdrawal

TEQSA may waive part of the fee set out in items 15 and 18 of the table in Schedule A, where the application for accreditation or the renewal of accreditation is withdrawn before a decision regarding the application is made.
If TEQSA determines to waive part of a fee under subsection (1), TEQSA must waive $300 from the fee that is otherwise payable.

4 Waiver of fees - general

TEQSA may waive all or part of the fees payable in Schedule A of this instrument in the following circumstances:

(a) where an application is for renewal of accreditation of a course of study on the basis that:

(i) No new enrolments will be permitted in the course from the date on which the provider’s current accreditation for the course is to end, and

(ii) The provider ceases to provide the course at the conclusion of the first teaching period that commences after the date on which the provider’s current accreditation for the course is to end

all or part of the fee for renewal of accreditation of the course may be waived.

(b) when the responsibility for offering or conferring one or more higher education awards has been transferred from one person or body, including a body politic or a body corporate (the first provider) to another person or body (the second provider) and the first provider is, or has been within one month prior to the date on which the second provider applies to TEQSA for registration as a higher education provider, a registered higher education provider, then TEQSA may waive all or part of the following fees in relation to the second provider:

(i) the fees for a preliminary and substantive assessment of an application for registration;

(ii) the fees for preliminary and substantive assessments of any applications for course accreditation provided with the application for registration;

(iii) the fee for an application for registration under section 9 of the ESOS Act to provide a course at a location to overseas students.

5 Waiver of fees – special or unusual circumstances

TEQSA may waive any of the following fees that would otherwise be payable under this instrument, in whole or in part where, in TEQSA’s opinion, special or unusual circumstances exist which would cause the fee to be unreasonable or inequitable:

in all cases – a fee under items 3 – 5, 7 – 9 and 16 – 22 of the table at section (1) of Schedule A;
a fee under items 1, 2, 12 – 15 of the table at section (1) of Schedule A, where the fee relates to an application by a registered higher education provider.

In deciding whether to exercise its discretion under subsection 5(1), TEQSA must have regard the objective of recovering the costs associated with TEQSA’s regulatory effort in the assessment of applications.

6 Refund of fees – special or unusual circumstances

TEQSA may refund all or part of any of the following fees, in whole or in part where subsection (3) applies and, in TEQSA’s opinion, special or unusual circumstances exist that cause the fee to be unreasonable or inequitable:
a fee under items 3 – 5, 7 – 9 and 16 – 22 of the table at section (1) of Schedule A;
a fee under items 1, 2, 12 – 15 of the table at section (1) of Schedule A, where the fee relates to an application by a registered higher education provider.
In deciding whether to exercise its discretion under subsection 6(1), TEQSA must have regard to the objective of recovering the costs associated with TEQSA’s regulatory effort in the assessment of applications.
This subsection applies to a fee which was paid to TEQSA on or after 1 January 2020.

Part 4 – Payment of Fees by instalments

7 Payment by instalments

If a registered higher education provider, planning to make an application to which one of the fees set out in Schedule A applies, makes a request to pay the relevant fee by instalments and, TEQSA determines that the circumstances set out in subsection 7(2) exist, TEQSA may determine that the provider can pay the relevant fee by instalments. TEQSA may make a determination under subsection 7(1) where, in TEQSA’s opinion, special or unusual circumstances exist which would cause a requirement to pay the fee in a single instalment to be unreasonable or inequitable. In deciding whether to exercise its discretion under subsection 7(1), TEQSA must have regard to the objective of recovering the costs associated with TEQSA’s regulatory effort in the assessment of applications. TEQSA must, within 30 days of making a decision under subsection 7(1), notify the provider in writing of TEQSA’s decision and the reasons for that decision. The notification described in subsection 7(4) must also set out the terms and conditions for payment of the fee by instalments. The terms and conditions imposed by TEQSA in relation to payment by instalments must:

(a) provide for payment of the full fee amount within 4 instalments or less;

(b) set out the dates on which each instalment is due and provide for payment of the full fee amount within 12 months of the date on which the relevant application is made;

(i) as soon as is reasonably practicable, having regard to the registered higher education provider’s ability to pay the fee; and

(ii) (where the application is for the accreditation of a course of study) before TEQSA is required to make a decision regarding the application, per sections 47(1) or 49(2)(a) of the TEQSA Act (as relevant).

If TEQSA exercises its discretion under subsection 7(1) in relation to the payment of a fee for an application, for the purposes of TEQSA’s assessment of the application:

(a) the application will be taken to be accompanied by the fee determined under section 158 of the TEQSA Act; or

(b) the applicant will be taken to have continued with the application by paying the fee determined under section 158 for a substantive assessment,

once the first instalment for the relevant fee has been paid.

Part 5 – Merits review

8 Merits review

A decision under section 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 of this Schedule is a reviewable decision for the purposes of this Part.

9 Internal review

(1) Where a reviewable decision is made by a delegate of TEQSA, a person affected by the decision may make an application for internal review of the decision.

(2) An application for internal review pursuant to this section must:

(a) be made within 30 days after the applicant is informed of the decision, or within such longer period as TEQSA allows;

(b) set out the reasons for the application.

(3) Upon receiving an application for internal review, TEQSA must review the reviewable decision.

(4) TEQSA may:

(a) affirm, vary or revoke the reviewable decision;

(b) if TEQSA revokes the decision, make such other decision as TEQSA thinks appropriate.

(5) TEQSA must, within 30 days of making its decision on review, notify the applicant, in writing, of:

(a) the decision; and

(b) the reasons for decision.

(6) TEQSA must make its decision on the review of a reviewable decision within 90 days after receiving the application for review.

(7) TEQSA is taken, for the purposes of this section, to have made a decision under paragraph 9(4)(a) affirming the reviewable decision if it does not make a decision within the period in subsection 9(6).

10 Review by the Administrative Review Tribunal

An application may be made to the Administrative Review Tribunal for review of:

a reviewable decision if the decision was not made by a delegate of TEQSA;
a decision of TEQSA under subsection 9(4).

Note: Endnotes

Note: Endnote 1—About the endnotes

The endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.

The following endnotes are included in every compilation:

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Abbreviation key—Endnote 2

The abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.

Legislation history and amendment history—Endnotes 3 and 4

Amending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.

The legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.

The amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.

Misdescribed amendments

A misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe the amendment to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, the amendment is incorporated into the compiled law and the abbreviation “(md)” added to the details of the amendment included in the amendment history.

If a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the abbreviation “(md not incorp)” is added to the details of the amendment included in the amendment history.

Note: Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

ad = added or inserted	o = order(s)
am = amended	Ord = Ordinance
amdt = amendment	orig = original
c = clause(s)	par = paragraph(s)/subparagraph(s)
C[x] = Compilation No. x	/sub‑subparagraph(s)
Ch = Chapter(s)	pres = present
def = definition(s)	prev = previous
Dict = Dictionary	(prev…) = previously
disallowed = disallowed by Parliament	Pt = Part(s)
Div = Division(s)	r = regulation(s)/rule(s)
exp = expires/expired or ceases/ceased to have	reloc = relocated
effect	renum = renumbered
F = Federal Register of Legislation	rep = repealed
gaz = gazette	rs = repealed and substituted
LA = Legislation Act 2003	s = section(s)/subsection(s)
LIA = Legislative Instruments Act 2003	Sch = Schedule(s)
(md) = misdescribed amendment can be given	Sdiv = Subdivision(s)
effect	SLI = Select Legislative Instrument
(md not incorp) = misdescribed amendment	SR = Statutory Rules
cannot be given effect	Sub‑Ch = Sub‑Chapter(s)
mod = modified/modification	SubPt = Subpart(s)
No. = Number(s)	underlining = whole or part not
	commenced or to be commenced

Note: Endnote 3—Legislation history

Name	Registration	Commencement	Application, saving and transitional provisions
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020	4 May 2020F2020L00549	5 May 2020	n/a
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees (Amendment) 2020	4 August 2020F2020L00985	5 August 2020	n/a
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees (Amendment) 2022	23 November 2022 F2022L01498	1 January 2023	Sch 1 (item 9)
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (Updated Fees) Determination 2023	30 November 2023 F2023L01571	1 January 2024	n/a
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (Updated Fees) Determination 2025	13 November 2025F2025L01374	1 January 2026Note: repealed by Sch 2 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025	n/a
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025	22 December 2025F2025L01646	Sch 1: 1 January 2026Sch 2: 23 December 2025	n/a

Note: Endnote 4—Amendment history

Provision affected	How affected
Part 1 - Preliminarys 2s 3s 4 def ‘Act’s 4 def ‘authorised offshore provider’s 4 def ‘Core Standards’s 4 def ‘ELICOS’s 4 def ‘ESOS Agency’s 4 def ‘Foundation Program’s 4 def ‘nested set of courses’s 4 def ‘primary course of study’s 4 def ‘prospective provider’s 4 def ‘regulated entity’s 4 def ‘related course of study’s 4 def ‘Teach out’s 4 def ‘teaching period’s 4 def ‘Threshold Standards’	rep LA s 48Dam F2023L01571am F2025L01646ad F2025L01646ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498ad F2022L01498rep F2022L01498ad F2022L01498
Schedule ASection (1), Table, item 4Section (1), Table	am F2020L00985rs F2022L01498; F2023L01571; F2025L01646
Schedule BPt 1 headings 1Pt 2 heading	rs F2020L00985rs F2022L01498rs F2022L01498rs F2022L01498
s 2s 2(1) table	rs F2022L01498rs F2023L01571
Pt 3 headings 3s 4s 5s 6s 6(2)Pt 4 headings 7Pt 5 headings 8s 9s 9(7)s 10par 10(b)	ad F2022L01498rs F2022L01498rs F2022L01498rs F2022L01498; am F2025L01646ad F2022L01498; am F2025L01646rs F2023L01571ad F2023L01571ad F2023L01571ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571rs F2022L01498; renum & am F2023L01571renum F2022L01498; F2023L01571rs F2022L01498; am F2023L01571; am F2025L01646ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571; am F2025L01646am F2023L01571

1 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

made under subsection 158(1) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011

Compilation No. 04

Compilation date: 1 January 2026

Includes amendments up to: Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025

About this compilation

This compilation

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

Application, saving and transitional provisions for provisions and amendments

Modifications

Self‑repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

Part 1 – Preliminary

1 Name of Determination

This Determination is the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020.

3 Authority

The Determination operates around a small set of core concepts that determine who pays what and when, and how reductions and review rights operate. These concepts are expressed in the Definitions section and in the two Schedules.

Core Standards, defined in section 4, picks out specific Threshold Standards (Part A) clauses, such as 5.1.2 on Course Approval and Accreditation, several Academic and Research Integrity standards (5.2.1-5.2.4), corporate governance and academic governance standards (6.1.3, 6.1.4, 6.2.1, 6.3), and a monitoring, review and improvement standard (5.3.7). The Core Standards label is used in Schedule A fee items 3 and 4 to differentiate the higher fee where an application requires addressing Threshold Standards beyond the Core Standards.

Nested set of courses, primary course of study and related course of study are operational definitions used to compute fees for accreditation or renewal when an application covers a collection of courses that share units (items 11, 13, 16, 17 in Schedule A). A nested set attracts a different fee structure: e.g. for substantive assessment by a prospective provider (item 11), a nested set is charged $44,700 for the primary course and $40,000 for each related course, whereas standalone courses are charged $44,700 per course.

Provider size is captured as provider’s equivalent full-time student load, the Determination’s measure of scale for discounting in Schedule B Part 2. The definition sets this as the total EFTSL enrolled across the provider’s accredited courses, measured in the year two years prior to the application. The Determination ties its discount bands to that two-year lagged EFTSL, and uses the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (section 169-28) definition of EFTSL where it applies.

Teach out is used in the context of renewal applications where students cannot commence new enrolments (see definition in section 4 and fee items 16-17 which provide reduced fees for teach out renewals). Self-accrediting authority, authorised offshore provider and ESOS Agency are cross-referenced to the TEQSA Act and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, and are central to fees in items 6-8, 21-22 covering international student registration, adding locations and offshore authorisation.

Discounts, waivers and refunds are discrete regimes. Part 2 of Schedule B prescribes percentage discounts for substantive assessment fees where a provider’s EFTSL is under 5,000 (from 70 percent for very small providers up to 10 percent for providers close to 5,000). Part 3 establishes targeted waiver and refund rules, notably a fixed $300 waiver where an undergraduate-certificate application is withdrawn before decision (section 3), broader waivers for teach-out renewals and certain provider transfers within one month (section 4), a discretion to waive fees in "special or unusual circumstances" for a specified list of items (section 5), and a matching refund power (section 6) for fees paid on or after 1 January 2020. The Determination repeatedly requires TEQSA to have regard to the objective of recovering costs associated with TEQSA’s regulatory effort when exercising these discretions (sections 5(2), 6(2) and 7(3)).

Payment-by-instalments is a procedural mechanism in Schedule B Part 4. TEQSA may allow a registered higher education provider to pay a fee by instalments where special or unusual circumstances exist, subject to notification and reasons within 30 days, and conditions that limit instalments to four or less and require full payment within 12 months, while seeking to recover fees before TEQSA is required to make its statutory decision, where possible (section 7).

Merits review is established in Schedule B Part 5. Decisions about waivers, refunds, instalments and related internal decisions (Schedule B sections 3-7) are reviewable decisions (section 8). A person affected can seek internal review where a delegate made the decision (section 9), with lodgement windows, reasons requirements, and strict timelines for TEQSA to decide (apply within 30 days, TEQSA must decide in 90 days, silence is treated as affirmance). Decisions not made by a delegate or decisions made on internal review can be taken to the Administrative Review Tribunal (section 10).

The Determination reaches a set of regulated entities and activities involved in higher education regulation in Australia. Primary affected actors include: prospective providers (regulated entities that are not yet registered higher education providers), registered higher education providers, entities that seek to be authorised offshore providers, providers that apply to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency under the ESOS Act, and any person or body that is required to pay TEQSA fees under the TEQSA Act for registration, accreditation, renewal, changes in category, or variations of conditions.

Prospective providers and applicants for course accreditation are directly affected by itemised fees in Schedule A, items 1, 2, and items 10-13 which set the preliminary and substantive assessment fees for prospective and registered provider applications under ss 19, 20, 47 and 48 of the TEQSA Act. For example, a prospective applicant applying for substantive assessment of a single non-undergraduate course faces the standard fee in item 11 ($44,700), subject to discount rules where their provider’s equivalent full-time student load is under 5,000, as set out in Schedule B Part 2.

Registered providers who apply for renewal of registration, applications to change provider category, or to self-accredit are captured by Schedule A items 3, 4, 5 and 9. Item 3 prescribes renewal fees, with a higher fee ($113,000) when the approved application form requires addressing Threshold Standards beyond the Core Standards, and a lower fee ($66,000) otherwise. Item 9 sets the fee for an application to self-accredit one or more courses, distinguishing between providers already authorised to self-accredit ($36,800) and those not previously having that authority ($51,800).

Providers delivering courses to overseas students are affected by ESOS-linked items. Item 6 applies to applications for registration as an ESOS Agency under s 9 of the ESOS Act ($24,500), item 7 to renewal under s 10D (with different fees depending on whether the provider has self-accrediting authority), and item 8 to adding courses or locations under s 10H with a complex location- and course-type-based schedule. Providers planning offshore delivery must consult items 21 and 22, which set $36,800 for authorisation as an authorised offshore provider under s 44B, and $3,900 to vary or revoke a condition on such authorisation under s 44J(3).

Smaller providers are specifically singled out by the discount regime in Schedule B Part 2. If a provider’s equivalent full-time student load, measured two years prior to the application year, is less than 5,000, they may be eligible for percentage fee reductions ranging from 70 percent (for EFTSL under 500) down to 10 percent (for EFTSL between 4,000 and 5,000). The calculation method, including fractional counting for part-time students, is specified in Schedule B Part 2.

Third parties who contest TEQSA’s fee-related decisions are also affected because the Determination creates internal-review rights and potential Administrative Review Tribunal jurisdiction for certain categories of fee decisions (Schedule B Parts 4 and 5, sections 8-10). Finally, administrators or counsel advising on institutional mergers or transfers should note the limited waiver power where responsibility for awards transfers from one provider to another within one month of registration application by the second provider (Schedule B section 4(b)), a narrow rule that shifts fee exposure in those specific transactions.

The Determination imposes specific payment duties, and it gives regulated entities administrative rights to seek relief, instalment payments, waivers, refunds and review. The primary duty is to pay the fee prescribed for the TEQSA activity being sought or processed, as listed in Schedule A. The schedule links fee amounts to statutory activities under the TEQSA Act and the ESOS Act, for example preliminary and substantive assessments, renewals, accreditation and self-accreditation, and authorisations to operate offshore.

Rights and entitlements in the instrument are mainly procedural and discretionary. TEQSA may waive or refund fees in specified circumstances, and applicants have procedural rights to apply for these relaxations. Specific examples include:

Instalment requests, Schedule B section 7(1). A registered higher education provider planning an application may request to pay the relevant fee by instalments, and TEQSA may grant this where it forms the view that special or unusual circumstances make single-payment unreasonable or inequitable. TEQSA must notify the provider in writing and give reasons within 30 days of the decision, per section 7(4).
Instalment terms. If instalments are approved, the terms must provide for payment in no more than four instalments, and the full fee must be payable within 12 months of the application date, section 7(5)(a)-(b). TEQSA must also aim to ensure full recovery as soon as reasonably practicable, and where relevant, before TEQSA is required to decide under ss 47(1) or 49(2)(a) of the TEQSA Act, section 7(5)(c).
Deemed payment effect. For purposes of TEQSA’s assessment, an application is taken to be accompanied by the fee once the first instalment is paid, section 7(6)(a), or the applicant will be taken to have continued with the application for substantive assessment once the first instalment is paid, section 7(6)(b). This is a functional effect that enables the assessment process to proceed before full payment.
Discounts. For substantive assessment fees (items identified in Schedule A, specifically items 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17), providers with EFTSL under 5,000 are eligible for percentage discounts, set out in Schedule B Part 2. The Determination gives detailed counting rules to compute the provider’s equivalent full-time student load, including counting part-time students as fractions relative to a full-time load. The relevant EFTSL must be measured two years prior to the year of application, which creates a lag that applicants must compute.
Waivers and refunds. TEQSA has express powers to waive or refund fees in limited circumstances. For undergraduate-certificate applications withdrawn before a decision, TEQSA must waive $300 from the fee, section 3. Section 4 allows waivers in specific transfer or teach-out scenarios. Section 5 gives TEQSA a discretion to waive fees in "special or unusual circumstances" for listed fee items, and section 6 mirrors that power for refunds for fees paid on or after 1 January 2020. When exercising these discretions, TEQSA must have regard to cost recovery objectives, sections 5(2) and 6(2).
Merits review rights. Decisions under sections 3-7 of Schedule B are declared reviewable decisions, section 8. Where a reviewable decision is made by a TEQSA delegate, affected persons can apply for internal review within 30 days (or longer if TEQSA allows), section 9(2)(a). TEQSA must complete internal review within 90 days, section 9(6), and if TEQSA fails to decide in time the decision is taken to be affirmed, section 9(7). A person may appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal where the fee decision was not made by a delegate, or where TEQSA makes a decision on internal review, section 10.
Procedural obligations on TEQSA. When TEQSA exercises discretion under section 7(1) to allow instalments, it must notify the provider in writing of the decision and reasons within 30 days, section 7(4). When making waiver/refund/instalment decisions TEQSA must have regard to cost recovery, sections 5(2), 6(2) and 7(3). When TEQSA receives an internal-review application it must review the decision and notify the applicant of the outcome and reasons within 30 days of the internal-review decision, section 9(5).

The Determination does not itself set out criminal or administrative penalties for non-payment. It does, however, create mechanics that affect the processing of applications in relation to fee payment, for example the deemed accompaniment or continuation rules in section 7(6), and establishes rights to seek redress where TEQSA exercises a fee discretion. Legal advisors should note that other enforcement consequences may follow from the TEQSA Act or ESOS Act if an application is not validly accompanied by a fee, but those consequences are not prescribed within this Determination and must be checked in the parent statutes.

This Determination is fundamentally a fee schedule and an administrative procedural instrument. It does not itself create new criminal offences, pecuniary penalties, or a detailed enforcement regime for non-payment. The text supplies limited enforcement mechanics relevant to how TEQSA treats applications relative to fee payment, and it places procedural obligations on TEQSA when exercising discretion; any broader sanctioning power would be found in the TEQSA Act or related statutes, not within this Determination.

What the Determination does specify, in terms of consequences for fee non-payment, is procedural rather than punitive. Section 7(6) of Schedule B is the clearest example: if TEQSA allows instalments for a registered higher education provider, the application is taken to be accompanied by the fee, or the applicant is taken to have continued with the application for substantive assessment, once the first instalment is paid. The consequential inference is that absent payment of at least the first instalment, the procedural status of the application may differ, but the Determination does not expressly state that TEQSA must refuse to accept or process an application that is not accompanied by a fee, nor does it prescribe suspension or penalty amounts. Such processing consequences are a matter for the TEQSA Act, including sections referenced in Schedule A (for example ss 19, 20, 35, 41, 47, 48) and associated regulations, rather than the Determination itself.

Enforcement-like provisions within the Determination are limited to discretionary waivers and refunds. TEQSA may waive or refund fees where it considers special or unusual circumstances render the fee unreasonable or inequitable (Schedule B sections 5 and 6). These provisions amend TEQSA’s net effective fee revenue but are not framed as penalties. If TEQSA exercises a discretion under sections 3-7 of Schedule B, that decision is reviewable (section 8), and internal review and further Tribunal review are available as set out in sections 9 and 10. The review mechanics create remedial pathways for applicants who contend TEQSA applied the Determination incorrectly or unfairly in relation to fee decisions.

The Determination imposes administrative obligations on TEQSA in making fee-related decisions. For instalment approvals TEQSA must notify the applicant in writing of the decision and reasons within 30 days, section 7(4), and for internal review TEQSA is required to notify the applicant of the review outcome and reasons within 30 days of making the decision, section 9(5). TEQSA must make an internal-review decision within 90 days, section 9(6), and if it fails to do so the original decision is taken to be affirmed, section 9(7). These obligations create timing enforcement for TEQSA itself, and create consequences for silence.

In short, this Determination delegates TEQSA the ordinary administrative tools to collect fees, to offer conditional relief such as waivers and instalments, and to provide internal and tribunal review of such decisions. It does not insert new penalty schedules, nor does it prescribe what happens to an application that is not accompanied by a fee outside the instalment arrangement, beyond the deemed-payment rule for instalments. For any sanctions, consequences of non-payment, or progression/refusal conditions tied to non-payment, practitioners must consult the TEQSA Act and subordinate instruments cited throughout the Schedule A items.

The Determination is an instrument made under the TEQSA Act, and it explicitly interlocks with a number of other statutory provisions. The table in Schedule A ties specific fee items to sections of the TEQSA Act and the ESOS Act. Cross-references to external statutory definitions and metrics are built into Schedule B.

Statutory foundation and references to TEQSA Act. The Determination is made under subsections 158(1) and 158(3) of the TEQSA Act, section 3. Many fee items list the corresponding TEQSA Act section that gives rise to the activity being charged, for example item 1 (preliminary assessment, s 19), item 2 (substantive assessment, s 20), item 3 (renewal, s 35), item 4 (renewal combined with self-accreditation, ss 35 and 41), items 10-13 (preliminary and substantive assessments for accreditation, ss 47-48), item 9 (self-accreditation authority, s 41), and items 21-22 (offshore authorisation, s 44B, and variation of conditions, s 44J(3)). This means the Determination operationalises the charging powers available under the TEQSA Act for particular regulatory decisions.

Interaction with the ESOS Act. The Determination expressly reaches ESOS tasks. Items 6, 7 and 8 in Schedule A are fees tied to ESOS Act processes: item 6 for an application to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency for registration under s 9 of the ESOS Act, item 7 for renewal under s 10D, and item 8 for adding courses or locations under s 10H. Schedule B Part 5, section 9 refers to s 169AD of the ESOS Act in the context of internal review of delegate decisions. Thus the Determination sits in parallel with ESOS regulatory oversight in relation to overseas students and the set of fees TEQSA charges for ESOS-related duties.

EFTSL and the Higher Education Support Act. The discounting regime in Schedule B Part 2 uses the term "full‑time study load" and directs that if section 169‑28 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 applies to the provider in respect of the course, then the full‑time study load is the amount represented by units with an EFTSL of 1, thereby importing the Higher Education Support Act metric into fee calculations. Where 169‑28 does not apply, the Determination gives a fallback definition for a full-time amount. The provider’s equivalent full-time student load for Discount Band calculations is the total EFTSL across accredited courses two years before the application year, which produces a direct legal dependency on the Higher Education Support Act for accurate calculation in many cases.

Transitional and amendment interactions. Schedule B Part 1 contains transitional rules that interact with the prior fee regime, specifying that where an application under s 18 or s 46 of the TEQSA Act was made prior to 1 January 2023, the substantive assessment fee will be the fee payable under the previous Determination as it applied prior to the commencement of this instrument, subject to subsection (2). This ensures some continuity for applications filed before the new fee structure took effect. The endnotes reproduce the Determination’s amendment history, charting multiple amending instruments and different commencement dates (see endnote 3), and the Determination itself incorporates those changes in the compiled text.

Administrative law overlay. The Determination’s Part 5 creates internal merits-review processes and a route to the Administrative Review Tribunal. That interacts with the general administrative law framework, including judicial review principles. The Determination prescribes internal-review timelines and treatment of delay (section 9(6)-(7)), which will interface with external judicial review in the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act duties where applicable.

Practical intersections for providers. Several practical cross-links arise from the Determination. An application for registration may trigger course-accreditation fees in the same lodgement, see Schedule B section 4(b)(ii). Providers that deal with both domestic and overseas students must account for ESOS fees in addition to domestic accreditation fees, and offshore authorisation is separately charged under items 21-22. Where fees are disputed, the internal review and tribunal review tracks interact with TEQSA’s obligations under the TEQSA Act, and contestation of fee decisions may therefore engage the broader administrative law landscape. Finally, because the Determination ties discount eligibility to historic EFTSL figures two years prior, a provider’s accounts and statutory reporting under the Higher Education Support Act become relevant evidence in TEQSA interactions.

The Determination includes a recorded amendment history in its endnotes. The compilation date is 1 January 2026 and the endnotes list every amending instrument up to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025. The headline timeline of instruments and commencement dates in endnote 3 is as follows:

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020, registered 4 May 2020, commenced 5 May 2020.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees (Amendment) 2020, registered 4 August 2020, commenced 5 August 2020.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees (Amendment) 2022, registered 23 November 2022, commenced 1 January 2023. The compilation notes Sch 1 (item 9) application detail.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (Updated Fees) Determination 2023, registered 30 November 2023, commenced 1 January 2024.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (Updated Fees) Determination 2025, registered 13 November 2025, commenced 1 January 2026, though the endnote states it was repealed by Schedule 2 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Fees Amendment (2025 Measures No. 2) Determination 2025, registered 22 December 2025; Schedule 1 commenced 1 January 2026, Schedule 2 commenced 23 December 2025.

Endnote 4 provides a more granular amendment history, showing which provisions were amended, replaced, renumbered or added by these instruments. It records multiple amends and substitutions to definitions in Part 1, to Schedule A item 4, and to multiple parts of Schedule B, including renumberings and insertions. The compiled text you have is the merged result with those amendments applied as at 1 January 2026, including the effect of the 2022, 2023 and 2025 instruments as reflected in the compilation.

Interpretive implications. The amendment history shows the Determination has been actively adjusted to reflect updated fee levels, structural changes to fees for registration and accreditation, and procedural features such as the discount for smaller providers and expanded refund and instalment arrangements. Some amendments are time-staggered, with commencement dates on 1 January of given years, producing transitional rules in Schedule B Part 1 for pre-change applications. The compilation also shows that some later amendments were themselves modified or repealed by subsequent instruments in 2025, which introduces an additional layer to check when advising clients on which fee schedule applies for a given application date.

What to check when advising clients. Where fee amounts, discounts or waivers matter to a particular application, confirm which instrument was in force at the date the application was made. Schedule B Part 1 explicitly preserves the earlier fee for substantive assessments where the application was lodged before 1 January 2023, and provides a specific carve-out for unpaid undergraduate certificate applications (the fee payable will be the item 15 fee if unpaid prior to 1 January 2023). The endnotes supply the authoritative history to apply for transitional queries, and practitioners should consult the Legislation Register for any uncommenced amendments that are referenced in the endnotes but not reflected in this compilation.

The Determination itself contains no recital of litigation. The document’s endnotes and text do not identify any judicial or tribunal decisions directly interpreting this Determination. Consequently, there is no litigation history recorded within the compiled Instrument as supplied.

Practical effect for advisors. Because the Determination sets administrative fee amounts and internal review mechanisms, disputes about its application are likely to arise in the administrative law context: challenges before the Administrative Review Tribunal or judicial review in regular courts may occur concerning whether TEQSA properly exercised its discretion to waive, refund, or allow instalments, or whether TEQSA correctly applied a discount or tariff item. The Determination provides an internal-review path (Schedule B sections 8-10), and it reserves Tribunal review for certain decisions, which is the usual pre-condition before broader judicial review remedies may be sought. However, no precedent or case-law guidance is included in the Determination itself.

What this means in practice. The absence of reported litigation in the compilation does not mean disputes will not arise, only that none are recorded in the instrument’s endnotes. Legal and compliance teams should plan for the following dispute vectors: (1) contesting whether the correct fee item was applied to a complex application, especially where applications straddle registration and accreditation or include nested sets of courses; (2) contesting the computation of provider equivalent full-time student load for discount eligibility, particularly where EFTSL reporting is ambiguous or where the two-year lag creates anomalies; (3) contesting TEQSA’s exercise or refusal of waiver, refund or instalment discretion under Schedule B sections 5-7; and (4) procedural complaints about timelines for TEQSA’s internal-review decisions (for example, section 9(6) and 9(7) which fix a 90-day decision window and provide that silence affirms the delegate decision). These are typical administrative-law disputes, and the Determination supplies the internal-process route that claimants must follow before taking matters to the Tribunal where applicable.

Practical step. Before pursuing any merits review or judicial review, ensure internal-review requirements in Schedule B section 9 are triggered and exhausted where the decision was made by a delegate. If the decision was not made by a delegate or if TEQSA decides on internal review, then Schedule B section 10 permits an application to the Administrative Review Tribunal. Because the Determination prescribes internal timelines and form requirements for internal-review applications, advisors should document the applicant’s compliance with those procedural rules as part of any litigation-ready record.

This Determination contains several detail-driven traps and timing dependencies that practitioners, CFOs and compliance officers should note. These are operational matters that can change the effective cost of regulatory action, the availability of relief, or the entitlement to discounts.

Discount eligibility uses a two-year lag. Schedule B Part 2 defines provider’s equivalent full-time student load as the total EFTSL in the year that is two years before the application year. That lag means recent growth in student numbers will not immediately reduce fees, and recent declines will not immediately qualify a provider for discounts. The discount bands apply only where EFTSL is less than 5,000, and the percentage reductions are substantial at the lower bands (70 percent reduction for EFTSL under 500). The calculation method counts full-time students as 1 and part-time students as a fraction of a full-time load, and it uses the Higher Education Support Act s 169‑28 definition where applicable, creating a legal dependency on external reporting regimes.

Be careful with nested-course fee arithmetic. Several Schedule A items apply different fees when an application covers a nested set of courses. For instance, substantive assessments for a nested set by a prospective provider are $44,700 for the primary course and $40,000 for each related course (item 11). Renewal fees for nested sets are also tiered (item 16). Incorrectly classifying a set of courses as nested or not will change fees materially.

Different fees for prospective versus registered providers. Items 10-13 separate prospective provider fees from registered provider fees. For example, preliminary assessment by a prospective provider is $6,000 per course (item 10), while the same preliminary step by a registered provider is $5,200 per course (item 12). Substantive assessment fees also differ. Confirm whether the applicant is a prospective provider or a registered provider for fee calculation.

Transfers and the one-month window are narrow. Schedule B section 4(b) allows TEQSA to waive fees in whole or part where responsibility for awards transfers from a first provider to a second provider and the first provider is or has been a registered provider within one month prior to the second provider’s registration application. That one-month window is a precise, potentially tight timing rule, and practitioners structuring transfers should not assume a waiver is automatic.

Instalment mechanics are constrained. TEQSA may allow payment by instalments where special or unusual circumstances exist, but instalment plans must be four or fewer instalments and full payment must occur within 12 months of the application date, section 7(5). TEQSA must also aim to recover fees before it is required to make its decision where the application concerns accreditation, section 7(5)(c)(ii). The practical implication is instalment relief is limited in duration and frequency, and TEQSA can demand earlier recovery if the statutory decision deadline compels it.

First-instalment confers application status. Once the first instalment is paid, section 7(6) deems the application to be accompanied by the fee, or the applicant to have continued the application for substantive assessment. That is useful, but it also means that if the first instalment is not paid the application may not be treated as properly accompanied, potentially affecting timelines and registrability. Practitioners should ensure the first instalment is paid to secure procedural traction.

Waiver and refund powers are discretionary, and cost recovery matters. Sections 5 and 6 give TEQSA a discretion to waive or refund for listed fee items where special or unusual circumstances exist, but TEQSA must have regard to recovering costs associated with TEQSA’s regulatory effort. The standard for "special or unusual circumstances" is not defined, and TEQSA’s cost-recovery objective may constrain relief. Do not assume waivers or refunds will be granted as a matter of course; prepare cost-recovery arguments and evidence of financial or other hardship when seeking relief.

Transitional complexity for pre-1 January 2023 applications. Schedule B Part 1 preserves the prior fee for substantive assessments where the application was lodged prior to 1 January 2023, except for one carve-out: where an application under s 46 (undergraduate certificate) was made prior to 1 January 2023 but the substantive-assessment fee had not been paid before that date, the fee payable will be the item 15 fee in Schedule A. This mixed transitional rule requires checking application date and payment date carefully.

Limited explicit enforcement language. The Determination does not itself stipulate penalties for non-payment, nor does it specify that an application will be refused if not accompanied by the fee, beyond the instalment arrangement where the first instalment triggers a deemed-accompaniment. Consequences of non-payment are therefore not spelled out here and must be checked in the TEQSA Act or ancillary instruments. Do not assume automatic statutory rejection or penalty without checking the parent Act.

Review process pitfalls. Internal-review applications must be brought within 30 days after the applicant is informed of the decision, unless TEQSA allows a longer period, section 9(2)(a), and TEQSA must decide on internal review within 90 days, section 9(6). If TEQSA does not decide within 90 days, the original decision is treated as affirmed, section 9(7). This affirmative-silence rule can trap applicants who expect inaction to generate a favourable outcome.

Complex ESOS and offshore item matrix. ESOS items 6-8 and offshore items 21-22 have different fees depending on self-accrediting authority status and the number and type of courses and locations. For example, item 8 charges per additional location and per additional course with different rates for ELICOS, Foundation Programs, and other courses. Miscounting locations or course types, or not mapping self-accrediting status, can produce underestimates of fee exposure.

Compliance with this Determination requires practical steps to identify the correct fee item, calculate any discount or waiver entitlement, manage payment timing and instalment requests, and maintain records to support internal review where necessary. The following is a practical compliance checklist aligned to the Determination’s provisions.

Identify the activity and the correct fee item in Schedule A.
- Map the TEQSA or ESOS Act activity to the corresponding Schedule A item. Examples: registration preliminary assessment (item 1, s 19), substantive assessment (item 2, s 20), application for authority to self-accredit (item 9, s 41), ESOS registration (item 6, s 9 ESOS Act), offshore authorisation (item 21, s 44B). Use the item numbers and statutory references in Schedule A to ensure the right fee.
Determine applicant status: prospective v registered provider.
- Many fees differ depending whether the applicant is a prospective provider or a registered higher education provider. For accreditation fees, consult items 10-13 for distinctions between prospective and registered providers. Classify the applicant correctly before calculating fees.
Calculate provider equivalent full-time student load, if applying for discount.
- For substantive assessment fees (Schedule A items 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17), check whether your provider’s EFTSL two years prior is under 5,000. Use the Higher Education Support Act s 169‑28 where it applies to determine what constitutes a full-time study load, otherwise use the Determination’s fallback definition. Count full-time students as 1, part-time students as a fraction of a full-time load. Apply the discount band table in Schedule B Part 2 to reduce the relevant fees.
For nested course applications, classify courses accurately.
- If elements of an application form a nested set, identify which course is the primary course and which are related courses. Apply the nested-set pricing in Schedule A items (for example items 11, 13, 16, 17) and ensure course-level delineation is documented.
Check transitional rules for applications made before 1 January 2023.
- If an application for substantive assessment was made prior to 1 January 2023, the relevant fee is the fee under the pre-2023 Determination unless the specific carve-out applies. For undergraduate-certificate applications made prior to that date where the substantive-assessment fee had not been paid, item 15 applies if the fee remained unpaid. Confirm filing and payment dates against the transitional rules in Schedule B Part 1.
Consider instalment options early and prepare evidence.
- If unable to pay the relevant fee in a single amount, a registered provider can request payment by instalments under Schedule B section 7(1). Make the request before fee due dates, explain special or unusual circumstances, and provide financial documentation to support the request. If TEQSA grants instalments, expect no more than four instalments and a full recovery within 12 months, per section 7(5). Ensure the first instalment is paid on time to secure the deemed-accompaniment effect in section 7(6).
Plan for waivers and refunds where applicable.
- If the fee situation fits a waiver scenario, prepare a waiver submission: for undergraduate-certificate withdrawal before decision TEQSA must waive $300 (section 3). For transfers of award responsibility, ensure the one-month timing condition in section 4(b) is met before assuming a waiver. For special or unusual circumstances, prepare a reasoned submission that addresses why the fee would be unreasonable or inequitable, and anticipate TEQSA will consider its cost-recovery objective (sections 5(2) and 6(2)).
Document communications and maintain records for review.
- TEQSA must notify decisions on instalment requests within 30 days and provide reasons, section 7(4). For internal review, applications must be made within 30 days after being informed of the decision (unless TEQSA permits longer) and must set out reasons, section 9(2). Keep full records of the application date, payment dates, correspondence, and internal decision notices, because these trigger rights and timebars.
If disputing a fee decision, follow the Determination’s merits-review pathway.
- Where a reviewable decision under sections 3-7 of Schedule B is made by a TEQSA delegate, apply for internal review under section 9. Include the required reasons and supporting documents, lodge within 30 days, and expect TEQSA to decide within 90 days. If TEQSA fails to decide within 90 days, note that silence affirms the original decision, section 9(7). If the decision was not by a delegate or if TEQSA decides on internal review, consider an application to the Administrative Review Tribunal under section 10.
Coordinate with finance and reporting to avoid miscounting EFTSL and other cross-statute metrics.
- Because discount calculations import the Higher Education Support Act’s EFTSL concept where applicable, align institutional reporting and reconciliation practices to guarantee accurate EFTSL figures for the year two years prior. Keep audited figures or statutory returns readily available to support discount claims.
Where multiple jurisdictions or ESOS matters are involved, consult specialist counsel early.
- ESOS-related fees and offshore authorisation fees have separate items and rules. If your application crosses domestic accreditation and ESOS offshore delivery, map fees from both Schedule A and ESOS obligations, and ensure you treat location-based charges (item 8) and offshore authorisation (items 21-22) distinctly.
Update internal procedures to reflect amendment history.
- Because the Determination has been amended periodically, maintain a version-control practice that records the fee instrument in force for each application date. Where transitional rules in Schedule B Part 1 apply, record the application and payment dates to determine which instrument’s fees apply.

Following this checklist will align a provider’s payment, reporting and administrative choreography to the Determination’s requirements. Where interpretation is uncertain, particularly about nested-course classification, EFTSL calculation, or the scope of "special or unusual circumstances", prepare a written submission and request an internal decision from TEQSA prior to making payments that would otherwise be irreversible, and preserve the right to internal and Tribunal review as prescribed in Schedule B Parts 4 and 5.

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

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Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

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1 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees No. 1 of 2020

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