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Higher education regulation

In Australia all higher education providers must be registered by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

TEQSA was established as the national regulatory and quality agency for higher education in July 2011 by the Australian Government. TEQSA combines the regulatory activity previously undertaken by the States and Territories with the quality assurance functions of the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).

TEQSA is an independent body with powers to regulate all higher education providers, monitor quality and set standards. Its primary task is to ensure that students receive a high quality education at any of Australia's higher education providers.

TEQSA commenced its regulatory activities on 30 January 2012. For information on how to apply for registration and/or accreditation in Queensland and for application forms and templates, please contact TEQSA .

Delivery of courses to overseas students

Higher education providers wishing to offer courses to overseas students in Queensland must become registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). This process is conducted by TEQSA in accordance with the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000. For more information, visit the TEQSA website .

Bogus higher education qualifications

In recent years there has been an enormous increase in the availability of counterfeit and substandard degrees from 'fake universities'. The trade in these 'fake degrees' is now widespread on the internet, and occurs in every country, including Australia.

Many fake degrees are offered by 'degree mills' which are unaccredited and little more than shelf companies. Others are substantial operations which however do not provide legitimate education services and are not accredited in Australia or overseas.

Many 'degree mills' have well-designed and convincing websites. Degrees purchased from these sites can be indistinguishable from genuine degrees, with university crests, student numbers and official signatures.

There are also fake degrees which fraudulently purport to have been issued by a legitimate university.

A prospective student should always check the status of the institution they are considering enrolling in before paying any money. Never trust statements about accreditation until you have checked with the appropriate accreditation authority. In Australia, this is the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). All higher education institutions approved to operate in Australia (including universities) are listed on the TEQSA register .

An employer, or professional licensing or registration body, should never accept photocopies of academic qualifications or transcripts. Insist on seeing the original documents or certified copies.

Both prospective students and employers can contact TEQSA with any queries.

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This page was last reviewed on 09 Jul 2012 at 03:55PM