A tertiary education organisation (TEO) should have a standard admission and enrolment process for Student Achievement Component (SAC) for provision at levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF), competitive allocation (for this website page, referred to as SAC(C)).  We expect that the admission and enrolment process should include the steps set out below: 

More information on these steps is set out below.  These guidelines apply to each TEO, unless specified otherwise.

There are also a number of conditions and legislative requirements that relate to enrolment. See the Conditions page for more information. 

Admission information

We expect a TEO to publish admission information before the start of each programme. This information should include:

• admission requirements
• criteria and processes for having a student’s prior learning assessed and recognised
• documents that a student must submit (for example, a student's academic transcript or record from another TEO)
• enrolment processes
• minimum attendance and code of conduct requirements
• the TEO's withdrawal policy
• student support services.

Admission restrictions

A TEO may decide to restrict the number of eligible students who can enrol in a programme. For example, a TEO could do this by requiring a student to achieve satisfactory academic progress or by setting admission limits (for example, capped enrolment numbers).

If a TEO decides to restrict the number of eligible students who can enrol in a programme in accordance with with section 224(5) of the Education Act 1989, we expect the TEO to determine and publish the maximum number of students who can enrol, and the criteria and processes for selecting students into restricted entry qualifications or courses.

The TEO must not, however, restrict enrolment in a programme for which SAC(C) funding is provided on the basis of private advantage (for example, restricting enrolment to those TEO's employees only). See Condition SACC020.

Enrolment forms

We expect that a TEO will publish its enrolment forms.  An enrolment form should collect all of the information that a TEO is required to report in the Single Data Return (SDR).  To ensure an enrolment form collects all of the necessary information, the TEO should become familiar with the SDR Manual to identify the information that must be collected.  The TEO could also use the Ministry of Education's generic enrolment form.

Enrolment applications

To be admitted into a programme, a student should apply to the TEO.  A student should do this by filling in an enrolment form and sending the form to the TEO, and providing the TEO with evidence of identity to enable the TEO to verify the student's identity, and determine eligibility to enrol as a domestic student.

If a student's enrolment changes for any reason, the TEO should update its records to reflect those changes.  We recommend that a TEO also sends an updated enrolment form or document to the student. 

Even though a TEO cannot charge a fee to students for SAC(C)-funded provision, the TEO should specify the period in which a student may change his or her enrolment or withdraw from a course (for clarity on the student’s academic record, and so that the student does not incur unnecessary course-related costs). 

A TEO must verify the identity of each student enrolling at the TEO.  Once verified, the TEO can then check if the student is a valid domestic enrolment (i.e. eligible to attract SAC(C) funding).

Verification of identity

A TEO must verify a student's identity when the student enrols for the first time in a programme of learning that leads to a qualification with an equivalent full-time student (EFTS) value of greater than 0.03 EFTS (see Condition SACC016). The TEO can verify the student’s identity by one of the following:

• confirming that all data fields match the student’s National Student Number (NSN).  The data supplied by the student must correctly match the details of their NSN in all data fields when cross-referenced with the NSN details held on the National Student Index.  The student must declare that they are the owner of the NSN
• receiving an assertion through the Department of Internal Affairs’ RealMe® online identity verification service
• sighting the original or certified copy of a current passport
• sighting the original or certified copy of one or more of the following documents:
• a birth certificate
• a certificate of identity
• a New Zealand certificate of citizenship
• an expired passport that has not been cancelled.

 If a student is unable to obtain a birth certificate, you can contact us to discuss using a whakapapa statement as evidence of identity.

Re-verifying identity

For subsequent enrolments in consecutive years, the TEO is not required to re-verify identity.  However, TEOs should assess their level of risk around identity verification and, if appropriate, should develop a policy as to when the TEO must re-verify the student’s identity.

TEO to have a policy for when additional identity verification is required

Each TEO should have a clear identity verification policy that informs staff and students about when additional evidence of identity may be required. We expect TEOs to familiarise themselves with the Department of Internal Affairs' Evidence of Identity Standard.    

Valid domestic enrolments

A TEO must comply with Condition SACC017 and verify a student's eligibility as a valid domestic enrolment using the following verification methods:

Re-verifying a valid domestic enrolment

For subsequent enrolments in consecutive years, the TEO is not required to re-verify a student’s validity as a domestic enrolment.  However, TEOs should have a policy for when re-verification is required (for example, if a student’s valid domestic enrolment status when they first enrol is time-bound, or subject to change).

TEO to have a policy for when additional eligibility verification is required

Each TEO should have a clear eligibility policy that informs staff and students about when additional evidence of eligibility to study may be required.

Enrolments of students with student visas as domestic students 

Visa approval notification

Immigration New Zealand (part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) is moving towards the use of label-less visas.  As the visa is recorded electronically in Immigration New Zealand’s system, some students will not have a visa label in their passport. Instead, a label-less visa approval notification is sent by email or by letter to the student.

Students with label-less visas may present their visa approval notification as evidence of their visa when they enrol with a TEO, and the TEO may choose to use VisaView to verify this.

VisaView

TEOs can use Immigration New Zealand’s VisaView online enquiry system to check whether a student who is not a New Zealand citizen can study with them in New Zealand. 

Please see the “VisaView Guide for Education Providers” for more information. You can also contact Immigration New Zealand if you have questions.

To comply with Condition SACC015, TEOs may want to retain a download of the VisaView record, although you will be able to refer to it online as required. 

Deferring start date

A TEO may allow a student to defer the start date of their enrolment in a programme. We recommend that a TEO specifies the circumstances in which a student may defer the enrolment. The TEO must ensure that it does not claim funding for a student who has deferred their enrolment until the student actually starts the programme. 

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) relates to previous study or experience relevant to a programme of study or training a student is currently undertaking.

RPL enables a student to proceed with the study or training without repeating aspects of the qualification or re-learning skills the student has already gained through past work or other experience.

A TEO must not seek SAC(C) funding for RPL credited to a student. For more information, see Condition SACC021. 

Additional learning

Across the total programme of study or training, Condition SACC009 prevents a TEO from enrolling a student in an additional course or qualification if the total enrolment for that year will exceed the annual EFTS value of the qualification being attained. However, in an exceptional circumstance, a student may elect to exceed the EFTS value (for example, if the student needs to re-sit a course in order to achieve it, the total EFTS value of that student’s enrolments at the TEO for that year will be greater that the annual EFTS value of the qualification that is attained).  

Inducements

A TEO must not induce a student into enrolling in SAC(C)-funded provision. An enrolment that is induced is an invalid domestic enrolment – see the Eligibility page.

An inducement to enrol includes any of the following:

• a financial benefit to the student
• a personal advantage to the student not directly related to the attainment of that qualification 
• a physical item that a student retains possession of after the course of study or training has ended.

An inducement does not include:

• a scholarship, as defined in Condition SACC018
• a physical item that:
• is essential for a student to complete the compulsory requirements of the programme of study (including printed course notes, an e-reader for course notes, course-related textbooks), and
• cannot be returned and reused for students in subsequent intakes (for example, due to health and safety reasons; time-limited materials or materials that will be updated; if it is not financially feasible)
• an item or arrangement that has been approved by the TEC. For example, we may approve an item that has minimal residual value or useful life in the general marketplace, or is needed for a student’s pathway into the vocation for which study or training has been undertaken
• the guarantee of a job placement on the successful completion of a programme of study, backed by a partial or total money-back guarantee
• a conditional offer of a partial refund (such as a refund for a timely or electronic enrolment). 

TEOs that provide SAC(C)-funded qualifications must not charge a fee to any student – see Condition SACC022 for a definition of the term “fee”. Because the definition does not include compulsory student services fees or fees for student identification cards, a TEO may still need to invoice a student, following the process below.

Invoice

When a TEO has confirmed a student's enrolment, we expect the TEO to provide the student with an invoice that itemises each cost. 

The student will be required to pay the costs specified in the invoice or arrange for them to be paid.  If a student has arranged using the Student Loan Scheme, a TEO should:

• get the student's agreement to authorise the payment from their loan account
• send a “Verification of Study” to StudyLink
• receive confirmation that StudyLink has accepted the student's loan application
• inform the student in writing of arrangements concerning payment.

Receipt

After a TEO has received payment (or confirmation that payment has been arranged), it should issue a receipt to the student.

Refund

If, after a student has paid for an item, the TEO refunds all or some of a student’s payment (including if the TEO decides to pay for the student's costs through a scholarship), the TEO must refund the student in the manner in which the original payment was paid.  This could be either to StudyLink, if the student paid using the Student Loan Scheme, or directly to the student.

Refunds must be processed in a timely manner.  Failure to do so can result in students incurring unnecessary interest on their loans (where interest applies).