Student Achievement Component

• • Domestic student status
  • Valid enrolments

Valid enrolments

There are a number of requirements concerning your obligation to verify learner identity. These are contained within general enrolment rules:

Rule ENR028[1] Verifying learner identity - requirement
Rule ENR031[2] Verifying learner identity - evidence
Rule ENR032[3] Verifying learner identity - identification documents
Rule ENR033[4] Verifying learner identity - persons authorised to verify documents
Rule ENR035[5] Verifying learner identity - whakapapa statements

To claim SAC[6] funding the learner must have completed an enrolment that is valid for SAC funding. Read Rule ENR040[7] for information on valid enrolments and Rule ENR041[8] for invalid enrolments.

Rule ENR079[9] defines the withdrawal period requirements for SAC funding, and explains the effects of learner withdrawal on SAC funding.

The validity of an enrolment for SAC funding is determined by the learner's status (domestic or foreign) at the date the learner begins the course. A change in status affects eligibility only in relation to courses undertaken after the change in status.

Section 236A of the Education Act 1989 specifies the minimum withdrawal period for learners enrolled at PTEs to receive full fee refunds.

 

• [1]

  Rule ENR028: Verifying learner identity - requirement

  Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must verify the identity of learners (domestic and foreign students) if the learner is enrolling in a programme of study leading to a qualification with an Equivalent Full-Time Student value of greater than 0.03.

  To verify a learner’s identity, the TEO must validate the learner’s:

  • full legal name
  • date of birth
  • gender
  • citizenship or residency status.

  First time enrolments at a TEO, including learners new to tertiary, must be verified even if a learner has an active NSN. For subsequent enrolments at the same TEO, a learner's identity needs to be confirmed using a learner's NSN and a photo identification document (e.g. a drivers licence).

• [2]

  Rule ENR031: Verifying learner identity - evidence

  Tertiary education organisations must record sightings of documents of identity, date of birth, citizenship and residency. The person who sighted the documents must sign and date the learner’s enrolment record. 

   

  Note:TEOs do not need to retain copies of documents of identity, date of birth, citizenship and residency after they have recorded their sighting on the learner’s record. Learner enrolment documents may be electronically signed and dated.

• [3]

  Rule ENR032: Verifying learner identity - identification documents

  Tertiary education organisations must use the identification documents described in the following table to verify learner identity:

   

  Learner status	Evidence of identity
  New Zealand citizens (domestic students)	New Zealand citizens must supply one of the following: Passport. If a learner is recorded as a child on their parent's passport, they may use their parent's passport as evidence of identity and citizenship   Birth certificate Certificate of citizenship for New Zealand Whakapapa (if certain conditions are met) - see Rule ENR035. [Note: New Zealand citizens may supply other evidence of their legal name, for example marriage certificate or a letter from a bank, but they must still provide evidence of their date of birth, citizenship and residency.  Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau citizens who are studying there or in New Zealand must supply one of the same identification documents that New Zealand citizens supply.]
  New Zealand permanent residents (domestic students)	New Zealand permanent residents must supply one of the following original documents: Passport with a current resident's permit Letter of confirmation from the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) Certificate of identity from NZIS if the learner was a refugee. [Note: If a permanent resident leaves New Zealand they need a valid Returning Resident's Visa to return and study in New Zealand.]
  Australian learners (domestic students)	Australian learners who are living in New Zealand must supply one of the following documents: Birth certificate Original or verified copy of their Australian passport Current Returning Resident's Visa if they are an Australian permanent resident.
  Exchange students (domestic students)	Exchange students must be enrolled with a TEO through an exchange scheme approved by the NZ Government or the TEO.
  Dependants of diplomatic personnel (domestic students)	Dependants of foreign diplomatic personnel must provide a completed and authorised form MFA 605 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  Refugees (domestic students)	Refugees must supply a certificate of identity from NZIS.
  Foreign students studying in New Zealand	Foreign students must supply one of the following original documents if they are studying in New Zealand: Passport with a current student visa or permit to study with a specific TEO Work Visa or Permit with a variation to allow for study in the case of foreign students who have a practical component in their programme of study Visitor's Permit for foreign students enrolling in courses of fewer than 12 weeks.
  Foreign students resident overseas (studying by distance learning)	Foreign students resident overseas and studying by distance learning must supply a verified copy of one of the following: Passport Birth Certificate Certificate of Residence Residence Permit.

   

• [4]

  Rule ENR033: Verifying learner identity - persons authorised to verify documents

  A verified copy of an original document is acceptable for verifying identity. A verified copy is a photocopy that has been confirmed and signed by an authorised person who has sighted the original document.

  An authorised person is a person listed in the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 as able to take declarations. This person could be a:

  • Barrister or Solicitor of the High Court
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Notary Public
  • Court Registrar or Deputy Registrar
  • Member of Parliament
  • Land Transport New Zealand, Public Trust, or local authority employee designated for this purpose.

  When a learner is in a remote community and unable to access a person listed in the Oaths and Declarations Act, a member of the New Zealand Police, school principal, minister of religion, or general practitioner is acceptable.

• [5]

  Rule ENR035: Verifying learner identity - whakapapa statements

  A verified copy of a whakapapa statement is acceptable only when a learner cannot obtain a birth certificate. Both the learner and a Kaumatua must sign the whakapapa as evidence of identity and citizenship.

• [6]

  Student Achievement Component fund (SAC)

• [7]

  Rule ENR040: SAC valid enrolments

  A tertiary education organisation (TEO) must not claim Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding in relation to a learner unless the learner has completed an enrolment that is valid for SAC funding. An enrolment is valid for SAC funding if all of the following requirements are met: 

  • The learner has domestic student status, or is a foreign student enrolled in a research-based postgraduate qualification
  • The learner and the TEO have entered into an enrolment contract through formal acceptance of the TEO's enrolment offer by the learner
  • The learner pays the fees, or commits to pay the fees (if fees apply)
  • Both the TEO and the learner understand the learner intends to complete the qualification
  • The specified period in which a learner can withdraw with a refund of fees/course costs has passed
  • The enrolment is not likely to have resulted from an inducement.
• [8]

  Rule ENR041: SAC invalid enrolments

  The Tertiary Education Commission will not consider a claim from a tertiary education organisation (TEO) for Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding in relation to a learner without a valid enrolment. A learner’s enrolment is invalid for SAC funding purposes in any of the following situations:

  • Any of the requirements for a valid enrolment, as set out in condition ENR040, have not been met
  • The learner withdraws at any time without paying fees or committing to pay fees (if fees apply)
  • The learner fails to pay fees (if fees apply)
  • The TEO fully refunds the learner’s fees for any reason.
• [9]

  Rule ENR079: SAC learner withdrawal - eligibility for funding

  The minimum time period for a learner who withdraws from any course to be eligible to support Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding is 10% of the course completed or one month completed, whichever is the lesser.

  If a learner withdraws, or is withdrawn, and receives any fee refund (where fees apply), the tertiary education organisation (TEO) may only claim the same proportion of the SAC funding as the proportion of the fee it retains.

  If a learner has paid or committed to pay tuition fees and compulsory course costs (where fees apply), and formally or informally withdraws, or is expelled, after the defined withdrawal period, the learner remains a valid enrolment for funding purposes and the TEO may claim SAC funding in relation to that enrolment (subject to any fee refund).