Admission and entry restrictions

Admission

Rule ENR025[1] requires TEOs, when confirming admissions, to enrol learners who meet the TEO's entry standards for the course, unless limitations apply. Decisions must be made consistently with the TEO's approved admission regulations and published selection criteria.

TEOs have the authority to restrict the admission of learners in certain circumstances as outlined in Rule ENR021[2].

Admission restrictions may be set by a national agency with the statutory authority to do so and TEOs must comply with Rule ENR022[3]. For example the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee sets minimum standards for admission to a university, and TEIs endorse the national agency’s criteria in their admission regulations.

Entry

There are grounds to restrict entry to qualifications or courses outlined in Rule ENR047[4] and the process requirements outlined in Rule ENR049[5]. If a TEO restricts entry to an eligible learner, under Rule ENR048[6] it may offer the learner an alternative place in a different qualification or course.

• [1]

  Rule ENR025: Learner applications for enrolment - admission confirmation

  When confirming admissions, tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must:

  • enrol learners who meet the TEO’s minimum entry standards for a qualification or course, unless entry to the qualification or course is restricted or the TEO is allowed to not enrol such learners
  • ensure any committee or individual staff member who makes admission or selection decisions:
  • has the delegated authority to make such decisions
  • follows the TEO’s approved admission regulations and published selection criteria.
• [2]

  Rule ENR021: Admission restrictions - grounds

  Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) may restrict the admission of learners through any of the following:

  • Minimum entry standards for qualifications or courses
  • Requirements for satisfactory academic progress
  • Requirements for academic completion
  • Setting admission limits in line with the TEO's Student Achievement Component funding level approved in its Plan.
• [3]

  Rule ENR022: Admission restrictions - criteria set by a national agency

  Subject to the Education Act 1989, tertiary education organisations must restrict the admission of learners in the case of qualifications or courses that have admission criteria set by a national agency.

• [4]

  Rule ENR047: Entry restriction - grounds

  Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) may restrict the entry of learners to a qualification or course on the following grounds:

  • Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding for the qualification is limited to a maximum amount or number of Equivalent Full-Time Student units
  • The TEO has enrolments meeting the total SAC funding specified in its agreed Investment Plan
  • Insufficient staff
  • Insufficient accommodation
  • Insufficient resources
  • Insufficient progress by the learner
  • The applicant is not of good character
  • The applicant has been guilty of misconduct or a breach of discipline
  • The applicant is enrolled for full-time instruction in another institution.
• [5]

  Rule ENR049: Entry restriction - requirements

  For courses or qualifications with selection criteria or restrictions, a tertiary education organisation must do both of the following:

  • Ensure its council (in the case of tertiary education institutions) or committee or individual staff member with delegated authority determines the:
  • maximum number of learners who may be enrolled in a particular qualification or course for a particular year
  • criteria and process for selecting learners into restricted-entry qualifications or courses
  • Publish, in a calendar, prospectus, application form or other publication reasonably available to learners, the criteria and process for selecting learners into restricted-entry courses, before learners apply for admission.
• [6]

  Rule ENR048: Entry restriction - alternative offer

  If a tertiary education organisation offers a learner whose admission to a restricted course or programme has been declined an alternative place in a different qualification or course, the learner must formally accept the alternative offer in order to enrol.