Private higher education providers have slammed regulators, for “overlaps in the information required for accreditation and registration in both the VET and higher education sectors, including duplicating the paperwork and reporting requirements creates unnecessary workload and additional costs for providers (and government).”

“These resources could be better spent providing services to students,” the Council of Private Higher Education states in a submission to Senate committee inquiry into “red tape in private education.”

“It feels like the unscrupulous behaviour of some in the VET sector (the VET FEE-HELP scandal) has hardened the regulatory attitude towards all private providers where ‘red-tape’ is an unfortunate consequence of this legacy, COPHE suggests.

According to COPH, providers working in VET and higher education are burdened with dual reporting to the Australian Skills Quality Authority and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. COPH also states the time for TEQSA to decide on course accreditation grew from 202 days in 2015-16 to 303 days in 2016-17.

“TEQSA needs to better understand the nature and role of independent higher education providers and provide a more flexible regulatory framework across the higher education sector,” COPHE claims.