All SAC level 3 and above funded TEOs report to us through the Single Data Return (SDR). We use data submitted via the SDR to monitor performance, publish performance information and report tertiary education statistics.

TEO reporting is carried out through our section of the Services for Tertiary Education Organisations (STEO) website. Each TEO submits its SDR, as well as registers and maintains qualifications for funding, and updates qualification, course and delivery site details, through this website.

During the calendar year, each TEO must submit SDRs as per SDR submission dates.

Full details of the data requirements and reporting dates can be found in the SDR manual.

For further information about reporting, please see the following funding conditions.

• Condition: Single Data Return (SDR)
• Condition: Confirmed student enrolments
• Condition: Withdrawal of enrolments
• Condition: Funding

Domestic students in a programme approved to access SAC level 3 and above funding must be reported under Source of Funding (SoF) 01

Source of Funding 03 must only be used to report course enrolments in:

• qualifications not approved in STEO as eligible to access SAC level 3 and above funding, and
• doctoral study where the 4 EFTS threshold for SoF 01 has been surpassed.

This is regardless of whether or not some of the provision will be unfunded.

* All funded or unfunded mix of provision (MoP) EFTS.

** StudyLink’s Student Loans and Allowances.

See Condition: Minimum performance standards.

We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand TEO performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding a TEO may receive.

Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs)

We monitor the performance of each TEO against the following Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs):

• cohort-based qualifications completions
• cohort-based first year retention
• course completions, and
• student progression from levels 1-4 to higher level study.

TEOs can view their EPIs, and the EPIs of other SAC-funded TEOs, using the My Performance and Tertiary Performance Ngā Kete information products.

For further information on how EPIs are defined and calculated, please see the Educational performance section of our website.

EPI and mix of provision (MoP) commitments

We also monitor the performance of each TEO against its Investment Plan (Plan) Educational Performance Indicator Commitments (EPICs), and mix of provision (MoP) commitments.

Notes:

• 2018 EPICs are course completions, qualification completions, student retention, and student progression from levels 1-4 to higher level study. For 2019 EPICs, refer to the Investment Toolkit – Templates section of our website
• A TEO is responsible for notifying us of, and discussing with us, significant shifts from the agreed MoP, and the rationale, well before any such shift occurs

Other monitoring

In addition, we monitor TEOs’:

• achievement against any other performance standards agreed in the Investment Plan, including any minimum achievement levels
• compliance with SAC level 3 and above funding conditions and legislative requirements
• achievement of parity with respect to participation and EPIs for target learner groups set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy, and
• achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

Monitoring compliance with funding conditions includes but is not limited to the following.

• Annual Maximum Fee Movement requirements
• Benchmarking

Annual Maximum Fee Movement (AMFM)

We monitor TEOs for compliance with the AMFM policy. See Condition: Annual Maximum Fee Movement and the Qualifications and courses. 

We check for fees and course costs that are above the AMFM for SAC level 3 and above funded courses.  

If there are fees or costs that exceed the AMFM, we will contact you about this. You will need to investigate and correct errors, including refunding the overcharged components of fee/course costs to students as applicable. 

Benchmarking

TEIs must participate in benchmarking, which contributes to enhancing institutional capability, and performance and sustainability in the sector.

Using the New Zealand Benchmarking Tool, TEIs are able to measure their performance against various educational and financial performance benchmarks. See Condition: Benchmarking.