At the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), we gather a range of information about common issues through our monitoring work. We’re committed to partnering with tertiary education organisations (TEOs) and sharing learnings from our monitoring work to help the sector build capability. That way, we can all achieve better outcomes for learners.

On this page:

• Fees Free – key reminders for TEOs
• Student services fee
• Financial information – timely reporting for private training establishments

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Fees Free – key reminders for TEOs

Inland Revenue (IR) now provides support for learners with final-year Fees Free information. Learners should visit the IR website or contact IR directly with any questions they may have regarding final-year Fees Free.

Fees Free – Inland Revenue

TEC continues to manage relationships with TEOs regarding final-year Fees Free, and your usual TEC contact remains the same.

Final-year Fees Free reporting requirements

Payments for final-year Fees Free rely on data you provide in your Single Data Return (SDR) and work-based data collection. We use this data to calculate learner entitlements and make payments.

To avoid delays or issues for learners, please make sure your data is accurate and on time.  

See these resources for more details:

Data specifications for work-based reporting

Data specifications for SDR

TEO roles and responsibilities – final-year Fees Free

Update your website

TEOs must update their website to reflect the final-year Fees Free policy. This includes:

• updating links and marketing materials
• removing the Fees Free logo.

TEC will monitor compliance and contact any TEOs that have not made these changes.

For more details, see:      

Communications pack for TEOs – final-year Fees Free

First-year Fees Free: Important deadline – 30 April 2026

As a reminder, you’ll be able to address any issues or missing data in your first-year Fees Free reporting until 30 April 2026.

After this date, TEC will complete a final wash-up on first-year Fees Free funding. Changes after this deadline will not be covered, and TEOs cannot charge learners for fees that would have been eligible for Fees Free.

Reporting guides are available on the TEC website if you need assistance working through any errors.

Guidance – first-year Fees Free

Deadline for first-year Fees Free statutory declarations have now passed

Learners are no longer able to check their eligibility on the Fees Free website or declare their eligibility for first-year Fees Free. TEC will not process any statutory declarations or appeals received after 31 December 2025.

If you have questions, contact your relationship manager or email customerservice@tec.govt.nz.

Student services fee

Student services fees (SSF) help fund services and support for learners, such as health, counselling, and career advice. TEOs that charge SSF must comply with the relevant funding conditions for SSF, including in relation to how the fee is set and communicated to learners.

Website compliance reminder

TEC monitors compliance with the funding conditions for SSF. As part of this, we periodically check TEO websites to make sure the information provided to learners is accurate and meets the required conditions.

To stay compliant, you should:

• review the SSF information on your website
• make sure it is up to date, accurate, and compliant with funding conditions.

We may contact you if your SSF information is not accurate or does not meet the requirements set out in funding conditions.

2025 SSF reports: reminder

Thank you to those TEOs that have already submitted their 2025 SSF reports.

If your organisation charges SSF and has not yet submitted its current report, please send it to ssf@tec.govt.nz.

For more details and guidance on SSF requirements, visit:

Student services fees

If you have questions, email ssf@tec.govt.nz.

Financial information – timely reporting for private training establishments

Private training establishments (PTEs) must provide TEC with financial information when requested, as required under section 426 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

This includes sending us your audited accounts (where required) and forecasts for the current financial year, within five months of your financial year end.  

PTEs with a balance date of 31 December are required to provide this information to TEC by 31 May 2026.  

If you cannot meet this timeframe, please contact your relationship manager or email customerservice@tec.govt.nz.