Student Achievement Component

• • Eligibility
  • Quality assurance requirements
  • Approved qualifications
  • New or changed qualifications
  • Approving courses
  • TEI certificates of proficiency
  • Post-entry health education
  • Pre-service teacher education
  • TEC Qualifications Register
  • Qualification codes
  • SAC funding approval process - TEIs
  • SAC funding approval process - PTEs and REAPS

Quality assurance requirements

To be eligible for SAC[1] funding, qualifications must have Quality Assurance Body approval, or, in the case of national qualifications, the TEO must have the relevant accreditation.

Institutions

The following rules describe the quality assurance requirements for institutions.

Institution type	Rule
ITPs	SAC013[2]
Universities	SAC012[3]
Wānanga	SAC015[4]

PTEs

PTEs are eligible for SAC funding for quality assured qualifications with 40 or more compulsory credits at or above level 3 on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications (the Register) as outlined in Rule SAC007[5]. Qualifications meeting this requirement may include courses at level 1 and 2 on the Register.

Qualifications delivered exclusively to Youth Guarantee learners are an exception to the level 3 requirement and may be at Register levels 1 and 2.

Under Rule SAC014[6] PTEs require NZQA[7] accreditation for national qualifications.

NZQA quality assurance is required under Rule SAC009[8] for new or significantly changed PTE qualifications to be eligible for SAC funding or, additionally, learner access to student allowances and the Student Loan Scheme. The PTE's accreditation may also need to be extended if the new or changed qualification is outside the scope of its current accreditation.

• [1]

  Student Achievement Component fund (SAC)

• [2]

  Rule SAC013: Qualifications - ITPs

  The Tertiary Education Commission will only fund qualifications delivered by institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) that are quality assured by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). The ITP's academic board must approve qualifications internally before requesting NZQA approval.

  Qualifications leading to registration as a teacher must first be approved by the New Zealand Teachers' Council.

  Note: National certificates and national diplomas require NZQA approval for delivery to foreign students.

• [3]

  Rule SAC012: Qualifications - university

  Universities must approve all qualifications internally before requesting external quality assurance approval from the Committee on University Academic Programmes.

  All university qualifications that include assessment against unit standards must also be referred to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority for the appropriate accreditation.

  Qualifications leading to registration as a teacher must be approved by the New Zealand Teachers' Council.

• [4]

  Rule SAC015: Qualifications - wānanga

  The Tertiary Education Commission will only fund qualifications that are quality assured by the appropriate quality assurance body. For qualifications delivered by wānanga, the wānanga’s academic board must internally approve all qualifications before requesting approval from the appropriate body, listed after each qualification type:

  • Local Certificates, Local Diplomas, and short awards – the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)
  • Undergraduate degrees – NZQA
  • Postgraduate degrees – NZQA
  • Qualifications leading to registration as a teacher – NZQA (these must first be approved by the New Zealand Teachers' Council).
• [5]

  Rule SAC007: Qualifications - PTEs - level

  Private training establishments (PTEs) are eligible for Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding for quality assured qualifications with 40 or more compulsory credits at or above level 3 on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications (the Register).

  Qualifications meeting this requirement may include courses at level 1 and 2 on the Register.

  PTEs are eligible for SAC funding for quality assured qualifications at levels 1 or 2 on the Register for qualifications delivered exclusively to Youth Guarantee learners.

• [6]

  Rule SAC014: Qualifications - PTEs - NZQA approval

  Private training establishments require approval by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for all qualifications.

  Qualifications offered by distance delivery require NZQA approval of distance delivery.

  Qualifications leading to registration as a teacher must be approved by the New Zealand Teachers' Council before being considered by NZQA.

  Note: Before 2005, private training establishments (PTEs) required only appropriate unit standard accreditation for national qualifications, and did not require additional NZQA approval for the qualification. PTEs now require NZQA approval for national qualifications.

• [7]

  New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)

• [8]

  Rule SAC009: Qualifications changes - PTEs - NZQA approval

  New Zealand Qualifications Authority approval is required for new or significantly changed private training establishment (PTE) qualifications to be eligible for Student Achievement Component funding or, additionally, learner access to student allowances and the Student Loan Scheme. The PTE's accreditation may also need to be extended if the new or changed qualification is outside the scope of its current accreditation.