The library desk.
Long-form work lives here: AHEG Media reports, published explainer collections and the reference shelf - the public instruments themselves, listed with their exact titles and dates so readers can always go to the source.
Go to the source
The instruments our reporting is checked against. Titles are quoted exactly; dates are the instruments’ own.
| Instrument | Type | Why it is on the shelf |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 | Legislative instrument | The benchmark for registration and accreditation: Part A Standards for Higher Education (seven domains) and Part B Criteria for Higher Education Providers. Made under s.58(1) of the TEQSA Act 2011; compilation No. 1 dated 9 December 2021. |
| Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 | Act | Establishes TEQSA and the levers the sector runs on: registration (s.18(1)), category change (s.38), self-accrediting authority (s.45(1)) and the power to make the Threshold Standards (s.58). |
| Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 | Act | The ESOS framework governing delivery to overseas students in Australia, including CRICOS registration - a separate regime that sits beside the HESF. |
| National Code of Practice 2018 | National code | The ESOS-framework code of practice for providers of education and training to overseas students - referenced by, but distinct from, the Threshold Standards. |
| Higher Education Support Act 2003 | Act | The funding-side statute: the source of the academic-freedom definition used by the Threshold Standards (Schedule 1) and the legislative home of the TCSI data-reporting obligations. |
The explainer collection
The Higher Education Standards Framework, explained
What the Threshold Standards are, where they come from, and why every registered provider is measured against them.
Read the explainer Explainer EvergreenThe seven domains of Part A: a guided tour
From admission to information management - what each domain of the Threshold Standards actually requires.
Read the explainer Explainer EvergreenProvider categories and self-accreditation: Part B explained
Institute of Higher Education, University College, Australian University, Overseas University - and how self-accrediting authority works.
Read the explainer Explainer EvergreenHow a higher education course is approved, accredited and reviewed
The course lifecycle under the Threshold Standards: internal approval, accreditation, and comprehensive review.
Read the explainer Explainer EvergreenWhat the Threshold Standards promise students
Admission, credit, support, wellbeing, grievances and accurate information - the student-facing spine of the framework.
Read the explainer Explainer EvergreenESOS, CRICOS, ELICOS and TCSI: the regimes beside the HESF
The related instruments that regulate international delivery and data reporting - and why they are not part of the Threshold Standards.
Read the explainer