The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency proposes increased costs to providers in 2027, “to support strengthening TEQSA’s powers to step in and act when it is justified in the public interest.”
They include fee hikes and a new charge, “ for assessing the level of the provider’s quality of higher education in general or in relation to a particular course of study.”
The regulator advises it is required by the feds to recover its costs and must recoup $9.3m over this and the following two financial years.
The Agency nominates “concerns about governance and racism, ensuring Australian higher education providers meet the standards students staff and the community expect.” This could cover a new charge for “quality assessments.”
When applied individually, the assessment “includes assessing the level of the provider’s quality of higher education in general or in relation to a particular course of study.” It will cost a flat $22,000.
TEQSA will also end the present standard cost for audits and assessments, charging separate rates for those that it considers simple (up to 275 hours) or complex, “which more accurately associates recovered costs with TEQSA’s regulatory efforts.”
The cost of a complex assessment will rise from $39,600 now to $60,000 from January 1. While a simple one will fall from $39,600 to $28,000.
But the agency will not increase application fees or discounts now given to providers with up to 5,000 EFTs.
TEQSA’s overall investigation rate stays at $180 an hour.
FC asked HE industry groups for comment on the new charging model but none responded by deadline.