This instrument is the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Disability Support Fund) Guidelines 2026.

This instrument commences on 1 July 2026.

This instrument is made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022

1 After section 6C

Insert:

6D Application of amendments made by the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Disability Support Fund) Guidelines 2026

(1) The amendments made by the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Disability Support Fund) Guidelines 2026, except for the amendments made by items 4 and 5 in Schedule 1 of that instrument, apply in relation to grants made under the Disability Support Fund program from the 2027 grant year.

(2) The amendments made by items 4 and 5 in Schedule 1 of the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Disability Support Fund) Guidelines 2026 apply in relation to grants made under the Disability Support Fund program from the 2026 grant year.

2 Section 37

Repeal the section, substitute:

37 Extra conditions of eligibility

Table A providers must satisfy the following extra conditions of eligibility to receive a grant under the Disability Support Fund:

(a) the provider must have a disability governance committee that satisfies the requirements in subsection 37A(1), and publish information about that committee as outlined in subsection 37A(2); and

(b) the provider must have a disability education inclusion strategy that meets the requirements in subsection 37B(1), and comply with the requirements in subsection 37B(2) and (3) in relation to that strategy; and

(c) the provider must have a disability workforce inclusion strategy that meets the requirements in subsection 37C(1), and comply with the requirements in subsection 37C(2) and (3) in relation to that strategy.

3 After section 37

Insert:

37A Disability governance committee

(1) For the purposes of paragraph 37(a), the provider must have a disability governance committee that:

(a) must, at a minimum, consist of:

(i) a senior executive employee of the provider at the level of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor, or another employee of an equivalent level; and

(ii) a senior academic employee of the provider; and

(iii) at least one other academic employee of the provider; and

(iv) at least one professional employee of the provider; and

(v) at least two students with disability who are enrolled with the provider; and

(vi) at least two members who are not enrolled with the provider, employed by the provider, or otherwise engaged by the provider in a paid or unpaid capacity; and

(b) is made up of a majority of people with disability; and

(d) is established as a subcommittee under the principal governing body of the provider; and

(e) has terms of reference that, at a minimum, provide for:

(i) the criteria and processes for appointing members of the committee; and

(ii) functions of the committee; and

(iii) decision making processes for the committee; and

(iv) the skills and experience expected of the members of the committee; and

(v) how the committee will cause an independent review to be conducted at least once every five years, evaluating the effectiveness of the committee, the disability education inclusion strategy referred to in section 37B and the disability workforce inclusion strategy referred to in section 37C; and

(f) must have responsibility for overseeing and providing advice to the provider on:

(i) the use of the grants made to the provider under the Disability Support Fund; and

(ii) the terms of reference for the committee; and

(iii) the disability education inclusion strategy referred to in section 37B; and

(iv) the disability workforce inclusion strategy referred to in section 37C; and

(g) must have access to information and resources necessary for the committee to perform its functions as specified in its terms of reference.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph 37(a), the provider must publish the terms of reference of the disability governance committee and the membership of the committee, on the provider’s website.

37B Disability education inclusion strategy

(1) For the purposes of paragraph 37(b), the provider must have a disability education inclusion strategy that:

(a) is drafted in consultation with people with disability, including but not limited to, students and staff with disability at the provider, and staff directly involved in supporting students with disability at the provider; and

(b) sets out the activities the provider will undertake over a minimum of three years, to:

(i) improve access to higher education at the provider for people with disability, including details about activities to improve progression and completion of higher education courses for students with disability at the provider; and

(ii) ensure that teaching staff at the provider are supported in the design and delivery of teaching, learning and assessment, to address the needs of students with disability; and

(c) includes key performance indicators that assess the provider’s performance in achieving the activities outlined in the strategy.

Note: The key performance indicators may include quantitative or qualitative indicators, or could be a combination of both quantitative and qualitative indicators.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph 37(b), the provider must have a process to monitor progress against the key performance indicators referenced in paragraph (1)(c), and take action to correct underperformance against the key performance indicators.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph 37(b), the provider must publish an up-to-date copy of the disability education inclusion strategy on the provider’s website.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt, a provider’s disability education inclusion strategy may form part of another document of the provider.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), if the provider’s disability education inclusion strategy forms part of another document, the provider must clearly identify which parts of that document constitute its disability education inclusion strategy on the provider’s website, when the provider publishes a copy of the strategy as required under subsection (3).

37C Disability workforce inclusion strategy

(1) For the purposes of paragraph 37(c), the provider must have a disability workforce inclusion strategy that:

(b) sets out the activities the provider will undertake over a minimum of three years, to:

(i) improve the recruitment, professional development and promotion process for employees with disability; and

(ii) improve the knowledge and skills in disability relevant practices, for governing bodies and executives at the provider, and teaching, research and professional staff at the provider; and

(c) includes key performance indicators that assess the provider’s performance in achieving the activities outlined in the strategy.

Note: The key performance indicators may include quantitative or qualitative indicators, or could be a combination of both quantitative and qualitative indicators.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph 37(c), the provider must have a process to monitor progress against the key performance indicators referenced in paragraph (1)(c), and take action to correct underperformance against the key performance indicators.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph 37(c), the provider must publish an up-to-date copy of the disability workforce inclusion strategy on the provider’s website.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt, a provider’s disability workforce inclusion strategy may form part of another document of the provider.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), if the provider’s disability workforce inclusion strategy forms part of another document, the provider must clearly identify which parts of that document constitute its disability workforce inclusion strategy on the provider’s website, when the provider publishes a copy of the strategy as required under subsection (3).

4 Paragraph 39(5)(a)

Omit “in 2024 (subject to indexation under section 40)”.

5 Section 40

Omit “The dollar amounts mentioned in paragraphs 39(1)(c) and (5)(a) are”, substitute “The dollar amount mentioned in paragraph 39(1)(c) is”.

6 Subsection 41(2)

Repeal the subsection, substitute:

(2) Grant amounts under this program may only be spent:

(a) on activities aimed at attracting and supporting students with disability to participate in higher education; and

(b) on educational support and equipment for students with disability; and

(c) for the purpose of making modifications to course content, teaching materials and delivery methods to better meet the needs of students with disability, which may include implementation of Universal Design for Learning in accordance with the UDL Guidelines 3.0 created by CAST; and

(d) to train staff to support students with disability; and

(e) on salaries for those staff whose only duties involve supporting students with disability; and

(f) on the purchase of information and communication technology licences in bulk to support students with disability; and

(g) subject to subsection (2A), to support the work of the disability governance committee referred to in section 37A, including:

(i) to train members of the committee in contemporary disability support practices, contemporary governance and institutional decision making practices; and

(ii) to fund the cost of causing independent reviews to be conducted in line with subparagraph 37A(1)(e)(v); and

(iii) transportation costs incurred by members of the committee who are students, to attend committee meetings.

7 After subsection 41(2)

Insert:

(2A) The provider must only use their enrolment-based grant amount to fund the activities in paragraph (2)(g), and must not spend more than 10 per cent of their enrolment-based grant amount for a year on those activities.

8 Before subsection 41(7)

Insert:

Reporting

9 After subsection 41(7)

Insert:

(8) On or before 1 May of each year, the provider must give to the Department a performance report and an acquittal report in relation to the activities funded by the grant during the calendar year before the report is provided.

(9) For the purposes of subsection (8), the performance report must be in the format required by the Minister under subsection 41-25(2) of the Act, and must at a minimum include:

(a) information about how the provider satisfied the conditions that applied to the grant; and

(b) a statement by either the chair of the disability governance committee, the chief executive officer (or equivalent) at the provider, or an authorised officer of the provider, confirming that the provider met and continues to meet the conditions that apply to the grant.

(10) For the purposes of subsection (8), the acquittal report must be in the format required by the Minister under subsection 41-25(2) of the Act, and must at a minimum, include information on:

(a) each activity funded in full or in part by the grant; and

(b) the value of grant funding for each activity; and