SAC funding approval process - PTEs and REAPS
Private training establishments and Rural Education Activities Programmes (TEOs) submit new qualifications to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for qualification approval. As it is the TEO's responsibility to ensure relevance of new qualifications, once a new qualification is approved by NZQA, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) will normally approve funding unless the TEC has concerns about the qualification. In that situation the TEC will contact the TEO.
If the TEC's monitoring gives rise to concerns, the TEC may discuss the TEO's access to funding, or level of funding, for particular qualifications.
New qualifications must be delivered within the TEO's approved Investment Plan baseline.
The qualification must align with the following:
- The Tertiary Education Strategy
- General public perceptions about appropriate investment of taxpayer funds.
The TEC provides a Qualification pre-submission checklist (Word, 88Kb) to determine whether a qualification is likely to meet funding criteria. TEOs may use this checklist if they wish.
Process for approval of funding for qualifications
- The TEO determines the relevance of the qualification, which may include use of the qualification checklist
- The TEO completes the appropriate internal quality checks, and seeks NZQA approval for qualification delivery at a specified delivery site
- The TEO emails the NZQA letter of approval to the TEC Service Centre mailbox
- The TEO seeks funding approval by entering* a qualification approval/change request through the Services for Tertiary Education Organisations website
- The TEC Service Centre processes the request. The TEC may discuss funding approval with the TEO, usually only if the TEC has concerns about the qualification
- The TEC can approve the Qualifications Register update, and will advise any approval in writing.
*Some updates can only be actioned by the Ministry of Education.
Resources
Qualification pre-submission checklist. (Word, 88Kb)