TEQSA registration Australia-wide is granted under Part 3 of the TEQSA Act to an organisation that can show it already meets every applicable Threshold Standard, and the approval process has eleven distinct parts: eligibility, category, the standards, the build, the application, the assessment, the fees, the timeframe, the decision, any conditions, and the obligations that begin the day after. A provider that understands all eleven before it starts will spend less and finish sooner than one that discovers them in order.
This is the pillar article for our registration cluster. It walks through each part in sequence and links to the more detailed guides on each, drawing on fifteen years of TEQSA registration work with private providers and the regulator's own published guides, fees and timeframes.
Who is eligible for TEQSA registration Australia-wide?
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 allows a body corporate to apply for registration as a higher education provider if it offers, or proposes to offer, a course of study leading to a higher education award. Section 21 requires TEQSA, before registering, to be satisfied that the applicant meets the Threshold Standards and that it and the people who make or participate in decisions affecting the whole or a substantial part of its affairs are fit and proper persons. There is no requirement to be a university, a not-for-profit or an established company; a newly incorporated proprietary company can apply.
What there is a requirement for, in substance, is existence. The applicant must be a real organisation with real governance, real staff and real courses, because the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 is written in the present tense and TEQSA assesses whether the standards are met, not whether they will be. Eligibility is therefore less a matter of who you are than of what you have built. A short orientation for first-time readers is in getting registered with TEQSA in Australia.
Choosing a provider category
Registration is granted in one of four categories set out in Part B of the Threshold Standards and in force since 1 July 2021: Institute of Higher Education, University College, Australian University and Overseas University. TEQSA's provider category reform pages explain the transition. For nearly every new applicant the answer is Institute of Higher Education, which is the entry category and carries no requirement for research or self-accreditation.
University College is a stepping stone toward university status and requires an established record, including self-accrediting authority. Australian University requires courses across at least three broad fields of education, research at the standard set by the Quality of Research Determination 2021 and the offering of higher degrees by research. Changing category later is a separate application under section 38, with a fee of $51,800 in 2026, so the initial choice is rarely the constraint.
Download the TEQSA Registration Guide
— a complete overview of eligibility, categories, standards, build sequence, fees and timeframes, drawn from our TEQSA registration and governance work with private providers. Get the guide
Want the full article?
Enter your email for free access to the rest of this guide and our TEQSA resource library.
Frequently asked questions
What is TEQSA registration?
Registration under Part 3 of the TEQSA Act is the legal authority to offer or confer Australian higher education awards. TEQSA grants it, in one of four provider categories, to an organisation that demonstrates it meets the Higher Education Standards Framework and is fit and proper.
How long is TEQSA registration granted for?
Up to seven years. TEQSA's initial registrations policy contemplates five years for new providers with capacity to extend, and renewal must be lodged at least 180 calendar days before the period ends.
What are the TEQSA registration fees in 2026?
$14,700 for preliminary assessment and $112,100 for substantive assessment, plus $6,000 and $44,700 per course accredited with initial registration. Fees exclude GST, are not refundable and are discounted by up to 70 per cent for providers under 5,000 EFTSL.
What happens if TEQSA imposes conditions on registration?
Conditions are legal obligations recorded on the National Register, usually requiring reporting or action on specific matters by set dates. Breaching a condition is a regulatory matter; varying or revoking one is a separate application with a 2026 fee of $3,100 to $3,900.
Dr Brendan Moloney is CEO of Darlo Higher Education, Australia's largest specialist TEQSA consultancy. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, is a Cambridge University Press author on governance in higher education, and has advised private providers on registration and course accreditation for more than fifteen years.