This instrument is the Higher Education Support Amendment (Microcredential Courses and Other Matters) Guidelines 2023.

(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provisions	Commencement	Date/Details
1. The whole of this instrument	The day after this instrument is registered.

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

4 Schedules

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments to the FEE-HELP Guidelines 2017

FEE-HELP Guidelines 2017

1 In paragraph 1.1.5

Insert:

Digital badge means an icon that is linked to an individual and recognises their completion of a microcredential course.

2 After section 3.30

Insert:

CHAPTER 4 REQUIREMENTS FOR MICROCREDENTIAL COURSES

4.1 PURPOSE

4.1.1 The purpose of this chapter is to set out requirements that a course of instruction must meet to be a microcredential course for the purposes of subclause 1(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act.

4.2 REQUIREMENTS FOR A MICROCREDENTIAL COURSE

4.2.1 For the purposes of subclause 1(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act, a course of instruction is a microcredential course where the course of instruction:

a) has the value of 0.25 to 0.49 EFTSL; and

b) is assessable for credit towards an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification; and

c) will lead to the award of a digital badge upon successful completion; and

d) has a census date; and

e) is delivered to a student using funding the provider received for the delivery of the microcredential course to the student under subsection 77(2) in Part 12 of the Higher Education Support (Other Grants Guidelines) 2022.

Schedule 2—Amendments to the Higher Education Support (Other Grants Guidelines) 2022

Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022

1 Section 4 (definition of digital badge)

Repeal the definition.

2 Subparagraph 73(2)(a)(i)

Omit “that meet the requirements in subsection 76(8) (microcredential courses)”.

3 Subparagraph 73(2)(a)(ii)

Omit “that meet the requirements in subsection 76(8) (microcredential courses)”.

4 Paragraph 74(1)(c)

Omit “, and meets the requirements of a microcredential course set out in subsection 76(8)”.

5 Subsections 76(2) and (3)

Repeal subsections 76(2) and (3).

6 Subsection 76(8)

Repeal subsection 76(8), substitute:

(8) Microcredential courses designed and delivered under this program must be in a national priority field of education outlined in the conditions of grant determined by the Minister in writing under subsection 41-25(2) of the Act.

7 Subsection 76(9)

Repeal subsection 76(9), substitute:

(9) A higher education provider must not charge a student in a microcredential course more than an amount determined in the following formula:

Where:

A is the maximum amount a higher education provider can charge a student in a microcredential course;

P is the amount set out in the third column of the following table for a microcredential course in the part of the funding cluster specified in the second column of the table;

EV is the EFTSL value of the microcredential course.

Item	Funding clusters:	The amount in respect of a student is:
1	Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture	$15,142.
2	Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work	(a) for a microcredential course in Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics—$4,124; or (b) for a microcredential course in Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work—$8,301.
3	Nursing, Foreign Languages, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science	(a) for a microcredential course in Nursing or Foreign Languages—$4,124; or (b) for a microcredential course in Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science—$8,301.
4	Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pathology	(a) for a microcredential course in Agriculture—$4,124; or (b) for a microcredential course in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science—$11,800; or (c) for a microcredential course in Pathology—$8,301.

8 Subsection 77(2)

Repeal subsection 77(2), substitute:

(2) A grant to a higher education provider for Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the program is to be calculated by applying the following formula:

Where:

G is the grant amount for providers in Stage 2 or Stage 3;

CP is the Commonwealth payment set out in the third column of the following table for a microcredential course in the part of the funding cluster specified in the second column of the table;

EV is the EFTSL value of the microcredential course;

EN is either:

(a) the number of students actually enrolled in microcredential courses with the provider immediately after the census date; or

(b) if the Minister has specified a maximum number of students for which the provider can receive funding under Stage 2 and Stage 3 in writing under subsection 41-25(2) of the Act, the lesser of:

(i) the number of students actually enrolled in microcredential courses with the provider immediately after the census date; and

(ii) the maximum number of students specified by the Minister in writing for which the provider can receive funding under Stage 2 and Stage 3.

Item	Funding cluster:	Commonwealth payment
1	Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture	$1,147
2	Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work	$13,836
3	Nursing, Foreign Languages, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science	$16,969
4	Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pathology	$28,196

9 After section 77

Insert:

78 Indexation

The amounts specified in the third column of the tables in subsections 76(9) and 77(2) are specified for the year 2023 and indexed for subsequent years using the method of indexation set out in Part 5-6 of the Act.