Summary

Amends the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 to: enable the minister to specify additional matters which may be taken into consideration for the fit and proper person requirements for registration purposes; expand the scope of events that a provider must report to education services for overseas students agencies; extend information sharing provisions; and enable a 30-day payment period for late payment penalties; Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 to: enable the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to take additional matters into account in its regulatory decision-making; introduce a requirement that providers must be fit and proper persons; expand the scope of matters about which providers must notify TEQSA; enable TEQSA to delegate its functions or powers to the Chief Executive Officer; require the accreditation of certain diplomas and certificates; and increase financial viability and transparency requirements; and Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: prohibit unscrupulous marketing practices and barriers to withdrawal from study; define a ‘genuine student’ for the purposes of reporting and claiming FEE-HELP liabilities; enable the minister to vary conditions of approval for providers and determinations relating to advance payments in certain circumstances; provide for civil penalties in cases of non-compliance; subject the Act to monitoring under the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014; provide for more stringent provider application requirements; and increase financial viability and transparency requirements.