Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Act 2023 (89 of 2023)

Schedule 1   Amendments

Part 2   Supporting students to succeed

Higher Education Support Act 2003

6   After section 19-42

Insert:

19-43 Support for students policy

Providers must have a support for students policy

(1) A higher education provider must have a policy (a support for students policy ) that deals with the support provided to the provider's students to assist them to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled.

(2) A higher education provider's support for students policy must:

(a) include information on:

(i) the provider's processes for identifying students that are at risk of not successfully completing their units of study; and

(ii) the supports available from or on behalf of the provider to assist students to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled; and

(b) comply with any requirements specified in the Higher Education Provider Guidelines.

(3) Without limiting paragraph (2)(b), the requirements may relate to the following:

(a) requirements for the higher education provider's support for students policy to include specified information;

(b) requirements about the presentation, format and availability of the policy.

Provider to comply with support for students policy

(4) A higher education provider must comply with its support for students policy.

Provider must report on compliance with support for students policy

(5) A higher education provider must give a report to the Minister about the provider's compliance with its support for students policy.

(6) The report must:

(a) include the information required by the Higher Education Provider Guidelines; and

(b) be given within the period, or at the intervals, specified in the Higher Education Provider Guidelines.

Civil penalty for non-compliance

(7) A higher education provider contravenes this subsection if the provider:

(a) is subject to a requirement under this section; and

(b) does not comply with the requirement.

Civil penalty: 60 penalty units.