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.

	Item		Activity for which the fee is imposed		Amount of the fee
	Registration
	1		Preliminary assessment of application for registration as a higher education provider – s 19 of the TEQSA Act		$14,700
	2		Substantive assessment of application for registration as a higher education provider – s 20 of the TEQSA Act		$112,100
	3		Renewal of registration application (where the higher education provider is not also applying for self-accreditation, otherwise see row 4 below) – s 35 of the TEQSA Act		where the approved form for the application requires the applicant to address provisions of the Threshold Standards other than the Core Standards: $113,000 otherwise: $66,000
	4		Renewal of registration application combined with application for self- accreditation (where the higher education provider applies for renewal of registration and for authority to self-accredit one or more courses of study at the same time) – ss 35 and 41 of the TEQSA Act		where the approved form for the application requires the applicant to address provisions of the Threshold Standards other than the Core Standards: $129,200 b. otherwise: $75,000
	5		Application for change of higher education provider category – s 38 of the TEQSA Act		$51,800
	6		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		$24,500
	7		Application to TEQSA as an ESOS Agency for renewal of registration – s 10D of the ESOS Act		where the provider has self- accrediting authority: $13,600 where the provider does not have self-accrediting authority: $27,500
	8		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		for each location for which the provider is not registered at the time of the application: where the provider has self-accrediting authority: $1,900 where the provider does not have self- accrediting authority: $9,600 for each course for which the provider is not registered at any location at the time of the application: $5,100 per ELICOS $5,200 per Foundation Program in all other cases, $600 per course
Course accreditation
9		Application for authority to self- accredit one or more courses of study (where the higher education provider has not applied for renewal of registration at the same time, otherwise see row 4 above) – s 41 of the TEQSA Act		for an application by a higher education provider which is authorised under the TEQSA Act to self-accredit one or more courses of study: $36,800 for an application by a higher education provider with no existing authority under the Act to self-accredit a course or group of courses of study: $51,800
10		Preliminary assessment of application by a prospective provider for accreditation of a course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 47 of the TEQSA Act		$6,000 per course * 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
11		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		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 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 * 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
12		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		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 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 * 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
13		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		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 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 * 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
14		Preliminary assessment of application for accreditation of an undergraduate certificate – s 47 of the TEQSA Act		$300 per course
15		Substantive assessment of application for accreditation of an undergraduate certificate – s 48 of the TEQSA Act		$1,300 per course
16		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		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 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 * 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
17		Application for renewal of accreditation for teach out course of study (other than an undergraduate certificate) – s 55 of the TEQSA Act		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 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 * 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
18		Application for renewal of accreditation for an undergraduate certificate – s 55 of the Act		$1,200 per course
Conditions
19		Application to vary or revoke a condition of registration or accreditation – s 32(3) or s 53(3) of the TEQSA Act		a. for an application made under subsection 32(3) in relation to a condition imposed on a higher education provider’s registration: $3,900 per condition b. for an application made under subsection 53(3) in relation to a condition imposed on the accreditation of a course: $3,100 per condition
Review of decisions
20		Application for internal review of a decision made by a delegate of TEQSA – s 184 of the TEQSA Act and s 169AD of the ESOS Act		$1,100
Authorisation for providing courses offshore
21		Application for authorisation to as an authorised offshore provider – s 44B of the TEQSA Act		$36,800
22		Application to vary or revoke a condition imposed on the authorisation of a provider as an authorised offshore provider – s 44J(3) of the TEQSA Act		$3,900

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
1. a provider makes an application to have a course of study accredited, or to have the accreditation of a course of study renewed; and
2. 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
1. 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.
1. 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.

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).

Endnotes

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.

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

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 2020 F2020L00549	5 May 2020	n/a
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Determination of Fees (Amendment) 2020	4 August 2020 F2020L00985	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 2025 F2025L01374	1 January 2026 Note: 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 2025 F2025L01646	Sch 1: 1 January 2026 Sch 2: 23 December 2025	n/a

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Provision affected	How affected
Part 1 - Preliminary s 2 s 3 s 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 48D am F2023L01571 am F2025L01646 ad F2025L01646 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498 rep F2022L01498 ad F2022L01498
Schedule A Section (1), Table, item 4 Section (1), Table	am F2020L00985 rs F2022L01498; F2023L01571; F2025L01646
Schedule B Pt 1 heading s 1 Pt 2 heading	rs F2020L00985 rs F2022L01498 rs F2022L01498 rs F2022L01498
s 2 s 2(1) table	rs F2022L01498 rs F2023L01571
Pt 3 heading s 3 s 4 s 5 s 6 s 6(2) Pt 4 heading s 7 Pt 5 heading s 8 s 9 s 9(7) s 10 par 10(b)	ad F2022L01498 rs F2022L01498 rs F2022L01498 rs F2022L01498; am F2025L01646 ad F2022L01498; am F2025L01646 rs F2023L01571 ad F2023L01571 ad F2023L01571 ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571 rs F2022L01498; renum & am F2023L01571 renum F2022L01498; F2023L01571 rs F2022L01498; am F2023L01571; am F2025L01646 ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571; am F2025L01646 am F2023L01571

Provision affected

How affected

Part 1 - Preliminary

s 2

s 3

s 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 48D

am F2023L01571

am F2025L01646

ad F2025L01646

ad F2022L01498

rep F2022L01498

ad F2022L01498

Schedule A

Section (1), Table, item 4

Section (1), Table

am F2020L00985

rs F2022L01498; F2023L01571; F2025L01646

Schedule B

Pt 1 heading

s 1

Pt 2 heading

rs F2020L00985

rs F2022L01498

s 2

s 2(1) table

rs F2022L01498

rs F2023L01571

Pt 3 heading

s 3

s 4

s 5

s 6

s 6(2)

Pt 4 heading

s 7

Pt 5 heading

s 8

s 9

s 9(7)

s 10

par 10(b)

ad F2022L01498

rs F2022L01498

rs F2022L01498; am F2025L01646

ad F2022L01498; am F2025L01646

rs F2023L01571

ad F2023L01571

ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571

rs F2022L01498; renum & am F2023L01571

renum F2022L01498; F2023L01571

rs F2022L01498; am F2023L01571; am F2025L01646

ad F2022L01498; renum F2023L01571; am F2025L01646

am F2023L01571