Student Achievement Component

• • Variable credit values
  • National certificates and diplomas
  • Studying extra courses
  • Full-year programmes
  • Studying integrated programmes
  • Studying more than normal learning hours
  • EFTS value - accelerated or compressed programmes
  • EFTS value - convergence of methods
  • EFTS value of qualifications
  • Course size
  • Additional courses
  • EFTS factors of courses

National certificates and diplomas

National certificates and diplomas are registered on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). There are a small number of national qualifications that were developed before the NZQF was introduced that maintain their national status, for example Trade Certificates with code prefix TC.

One EFTS unit equates to 120 NZQF credits. The EFTS value of a national qualification equals its NZQF value divided by 120.

Exceptions

Although national certificates and diplomas are assigned EFTS values based on their NZQF credits, there are some situations that generate different results. The rules related to accelerated and compressed programmes of study also apply to national certificates and diplomas. Rule SAC041[1] outlines the actions a TEO must take in each circumstance.

• [1]

  Rule SAC041: EFTS value of qualifications - information provision

  Where the following circumstances apply in relation to national certificates and diplomas, the tertiary education organisation (TEO) must take the action stated in the table below:

  Exception	Action
  Qualifications that have credit totals that vary by more than 5% from the standard specified in the qualification prescription for the national certificate or diploma.	TEOs must not class this qualification as a national certificate or diploma. It is a local qualification that requires appropriate quality assurance approval before the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) approves it for Student Achievement Component funding.
  A TEO that offers two or more qualifications, when one or both are national certificates or diplomas within a single programme of study.	A new local qualification code must be entered on the TEC Qualifications Register. The EFTS value must be set for the (usually reduced) total credit value of the combined qualifications.
  A total programme of study that comprises two quality-assured qualifications that the TEO is already accredited to deliver.	Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) must follow their approved internal qualification approval process for the combined qualification when the TEI has the appropriate delegated authority. Private training establishments must obtain New Zealand Qualifications Authority approval. While TEOs must add the combined programme of study to the TEC Qualifications Register, TEOs must not make an award additional to the two awards for the original qualifications.
  TEOs that deliver part of a national certificate or diploma, e.g. off-the-job training components.	The TEO must follow one of the two options below: If the TEO is accredited to deliver the whole national qualification, they can add a national certificate or diploma to the TEC Qualifications Register with the correct name, EFTS value, and years and/or weeks needed to complete it. Learners can enrol in any combination of courses or unit standards TEOs must demonstrate that learners have structured and clear pathways to complete the qualification through other means, e.g. by industry training organisation-facilitated on-the-job training, or formal staircasing arrangements to or from another TEO The TEC funds the TEO for validly enrolled learners in the part of the qualification that they are delivering Develop a local qualification with a local qualification code and provide the TEC with the total credits and length of the qualification. The qualification must receive the appropriate approval - see Approving qualifications for funding.