Application for Additional Courses from Listed and Notforprofit Providers

FOR INFORMATION ONLY

VET Student Loans

Application for additional courses from Listed and Notforprofit Providers

Applications for additional courses from Listed and Not-for-profit providers have now closed.

Deadline for applications –11:59pm on Tuesday, 13December2016

The Government will consider requests by Listed and Notforprofit providers to include additional courses in the Courses and Caps Determination, specifically for these providers, that are not currently on the published eligible course list.

In considering such applications, the Government will require evidence from the provider of employment outcomes for that course, employer support for that course, and their track record of student progression and completion through that course.

The department will initially consider such applications as part of the current assessment round of provider suitability to be an approved course provider during the provider transition period.

Applications will be assessed by the Department. Submission of applications does not guarantee additional courses will be added to the list.

Which providers are eligible?

Only Listed and Notforprofit providers may apply.

Additionally, only providers that are approved VETFEEHELP providers immediately before 1January2017 may apply.

Any Notforprofit provider seeking to add a course, that has not so far applied to be an approved course provider during the provider transition period, should additionally make that application too – the material sent with our email of 17November2016 outlines those requirements.

What is a Listed provider?

Listed providers are defined as:

(a)a Table A provider;

(b)a Table B provider;

(c)a body established to provide vocational education or training under one of the following:

(i)the Technical and Further Education Commission Act 28 1990 (NSW);

(ii)the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic.);

(iii)the TAFE Queensland Act 2013 (Qld);

(iv)the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 (WA);

(v)the TAFE SA Act 2012 (SA);

(vi)the Training and Workforce Development Act 2013 1 (Tas.);

(vii)the Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987 (ACT);

(d)a training organisation owned by the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.

Table A and Table B providers are universities, and are listed in the tables at sections 1615 and 1620 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

What is a Notforprofit provider?

Generally, a notforprofit is an organisation that does not operate for the profit, personal gain or other benefit of particular people. This can include people such as its members, the people who run it or their friends or relatives. The definition of notforprofit applies both while the organisation is operating and if it ‘winds up’ (closes down).

What are the application requirements?

An application must address all of the following, in order to be considered.

Statutory declaration

A statutory declaration must be provided, attesting the truth of the material provided, and including all supporting material by reference.

The statutory declaration must be made by a person of influence in the provider, such as the Chief Executive Officer or primary VET contact.

Organisation type

The application must state the legal name of the organisation and type of organisation for this purpose (i.e. Listed or Notforprofit).In all cases, the provider’s HITS ID and date of approval for VETFEEHELP must be quoted.

For Listed providers, details confirming that the organisation is included within the definition above must be provided.

For Notforprofit providers, evidence clearly showing the nature of the organisation is required. Typically this would be reflected in the organisation’s governing or constituent documents, which should be provided.

You can show that your organisation meets the requirements of being a Notforprofit by having particular statements (clauses) in its governing rules, and following these. These clauses (the non-profit clause and the dissolution clause) may include wording like:

the non-profit clause
'The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of the above-mentioned objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.'
the dissolution clause
'In the event of the organisation being dissolved, the amount that remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar purposes which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual members.'

Alternately, proof of status as a registered charity which is reflected on the Australian Business Register will be accepted as evidence of notforprofit status.

Business case and references for each course

Both an evidence based business case, and supporting references are required, for each course.

The business case must include evidence that is independent, verifiable and probative of good employment outcomes from each course proposed for approval. Indicatively, such material may include contact details of regular employers of your students, survey data, examples of employment placements and services, feedback/attestations by students and/or employers, or similar.

In addition, reference requirements are identical to those outlined in the material we sent on 17November2016.

A minimum number of references/letters of support are required from a registered employer or employee body, and/or an employer.

The number of references required will be:

for bodies with no more than 100 students in a course as at the date of announcement – one reference per course
for bodies with more than 100 students, but no more than 300 students in a course as at the date of announcement – two references per course
for bodies with more than 300 students in a course as at the date of announcement – three references per course

Referees must use, as relevant, the content outlined in the template provided by the department (a template example is at AttachmentD to the material we sent on 17November2016), and the reference will be required to be on the referee’s letterhead, and include the ABN. If the referee does not have a letterhead, relevant business details must be included (business legal name, trading name(s), ABN, business address).

How should applications be made?

For approval and listing by 1 January 2017, applications must be sent by email to by 11:59pm on Tuesday, 13December 2016.

Providers will be notified as soon as a decision has been made.

What course scope and cap arrangements will be applied?

Course scope and cap arrangements identical to those set out in the material we sent on 17November2016 will be applied. That information is repeated below.

For a course to be considered, the providers must have had a student or students undertaking the course (or its superseded equivalent) and using VETFEEHELP, with at least one census date, in the first half of 2016.

Questions

Questions may be sent by email via our web form atApplying to become a VET Student Loans Provider.

Course scope and cap arrangements

Scope of courses

There will be no scope increase in the transition period unless scope increase relates to superseding courses.

Providers must have a student or students undertaking at least one eligible VET Student Loans course (or its superseded equivalent) and using VETFEEHELP, with at least one census date, in the first two reporting periods of 2016. (The relevant two reporting periods are those relating to student data reported for units of study with a census date between 1 January and 31 March 2016 (due 31May2016), and student data to be reported 31 August 2016 is for units of study with a census date between 1 April and 30 June 2016 (due 31August2016).)

Conditions of approval – courses and loan amounts

Listed course providers

For listed course providers the cap will be set for the first 6 month period of operation of the VET Student Loans program at the provider level.

For relevant courses with a pass rate of 75% or greater, the cap will be calculated based on VETFEEHELP reported data for the course, for census dates in the first two reporting periods of2016. The cap amount will be 110% of that reported amount, plus an indexation factor reflecting the movement in the All Groups Consumer Price Index for the eight capital cities for the year ending 31 December 2015 (i.e. 1.7%).

For relevant courses with a pass rate below 75%, but greater than or equal to 50%, the cap will also be calculated based on VETFEEHELP reported data for the course, for census dates in the first two reporting periods of2016. The cap amount will be 75% of that reported amount, plus an indexation factor reflecting the movement in the All Groups Consumer Price Index for the eight capital cities for the year ending 31 December 2015 (i.e. 1.7%).

For relevant courses with a pass rate below 50%, the cap will also be calculated based on VETFEEHELP reported data for the course, for census dates in the first two reporting periods of2016. The cap amount will be 50% of that reported amount, plus an indexation factor reflecting the movement in the All Groups Consumer Price Index for the eight capital cities for the year ending 31 December 2015 (i.e. 1.7%).

There will be no variations to cap amounts.

Other providers

Conditions will be imposed in relation to courses to be covered by VET Student Loans.

Providers will be approved only in relation to eligible courses, which:

have a student or students undertaking that course (or its superseded equivalent), with at least one census date, in the first two reporting periods of 2016; and

meet the minimum pass rate requirements.

The maximum amount of VET Student Loans available to the provider (i.e. cap) for the provisional approval period will be calculated at the eligible course level.

Where the total cap amount for a provider is $250,000 or greater, the maximum amount of VET Student Loans available to the provider for the provisional approval period will be specified at the eligible course level.

Where the total cap amount for a provider is less than $250,000, the maximum amount of VET Student Loans available to the provider for the provisional approval period will be specified at the provider level. However, the eligible courses on which that cap may be used will be specified.

Where the total cap available for a provider is calculated as less than $30,000, the total cap will be rounded up to an amount of $30,000.

There will be no variations to cap amounts.