36. Reporting Requirements

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36.1 - Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) system

Providers must report accurate and timely student information to the department via TCSI. Delays to the reporting of accurate data can have consequences for students and providers and can affect the calculation of loan entitlements, student income support entitlements and the processing of loans. Providers are required to report, and where relevant, revise data within the timeframes that have been determined under section 19-70 of HESA. Full details on reporting requirements, including what, when and how to report are available on the TCSI website.

TCSI is used to:

  • obtain data on HELP debts, statistical data, and data required for program management
  • supply data to the myHELPbalance website to provide students with timely, accessible and accurate information about their study; and
  • support the management of Commonwealth student loans and higher education eligibility, including scholarships

36.2 - Managing HELP limits

TCSI provides a mechanism through which providers can report and update data in real-time and receive near real-time information on the extent to which students have accessed OS-HELP loans, STARTUP-HELP loans, and consumed their HELP balance. The accuracy of the information available depends on all providers reporting accurate loan data as soon as possible. In particular, TCSI provides return information on:

  • what OS-HELP and STARTUP-HELP loans the student has accessed at all providers
  • the student’s ‘available HELP balance’, which takes account of loans that have already consumed the student’s HELP balance and any loan repayments that have been applied to the student’s HELP balance
  • the student’s ‘pending HELP balance’, which takes account of loans that have or will consume the student’s HELP balance and any loan repayments that have been applied to the student’s HELP balance; and
  • the status of all loans that a provider has reported, including whether the loan has or will be covered by the student’s entitlements

Providers will also be able to access reports using the TCSI Analytics portal to determine which of their students may be close to exhausting their HELP balance.

This information can be used by providers to help determine whether student contributions or tuition fees can be covered by a student’s HELP balance or whether these amounts will need to be recovered directly from the student.

The Commonwealth can only make payments to providers in respect of Commonwealth assisted students if those students are eligible for that assistance. Payments cannot be made on behalf of students who have exhausted their entitlements. Providers are encouraged to use the tools available in TCSI to help manage student entitlements in conjunction with their own processes to ensure that students have sufficient entitlements to enable access to HELP for their units.

36.3 - Management of Student Identifiers (USIs and CHESSNs)

USI

A unique student identifier (USI) is a unique series of numbers and letters assigned to an individual that is used to manage information and access to HELP entitlements. 

From 1 January 2023, all students, including those that commenced prior to 1 January 2023, must apply for and obtain a USI in order to graduate and receive their award. 

From 1 January 2023, students requesting any Commonwealth assistance must have a USI.

CHESSNs

If a student applied for Commonwealth financial assistance after 2005 they will have a CHESSN. The CHESSN is a system identifier in TCSI and does not need to be managed by education providers or students.

Managing student identities

Students must be accurately identified across providers. Matching processes in TCSI use multiple identifiers and personal information to reduce the number of students with multiple entitlement balances. The matching processes are based on the information supplied by students and education providers and cannot eliminate duplicate records entirely.

If a student has been incorrectly allowed to access multiple entitlement balances, they risk exceeding their HELP loan limit. If a student has been advanced HELP loans in excess of their HELP limit, the department will identify which unit(s) of study, OS-HELP, STARTUP-HELP were not covered by the student’s HELP or SLE limit and may recover the excess loan amounts from the provider(s) that delivered the unit(s), OS-HELP, STARTUP-HELP.

The department cannot make payments to providers for students who have exceeded the limit. It is the student’s responsibility to know their HELP balance and identity details before seeking Commonwealth loan support.

Where a provider has reason to believe that a student has multiple entitlement balances in TCSI (for which the system has not identified), it should notify the department as soon as possible.

If a student has not supplied a USI, can they graduate?

From 2023 all students, regardless of commencement date, will be required to provide their USI to be able to graduate and receive their award unless they are exempt from this requirement under subsections 53A(3) or 53A(6) of the Student Identifiers Act 2014. Further information regarding USI exemptions can be found on the USI website.

Why is it important to only have one USI?

As the USI replaced the CHESSN, it is used as is an important identifier to monitor and manage Commonwealth assistance information, especially for identifying whether a student has reached their HELP loan limit. The HELP loan limit applies to all study for HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, START-UP HELP, VET Student Loans and VET FEE-HELP.

Do providers need to verify the USI?

The department strongly encourages education providers to verify USIs prior to submission into government systems.

USIs will be verified once arriving in government systems if they are correct. However, by verifying USIs prior to submission into government systems, providers can reduce the number of unverified USIs that will require correction. When verifying a USI, it is important that the first name, last name and date of birth match the details on the student’s USI account.

If a student is uncertain, they can always log-in to their USI account to check their details on the USI website.

Providers can verify a USI through one (or more) of the following:

  1. Verify USIs through the USI Registry System
    The USI Registry System has been updated for higher education providers. Providers can verify USIs through the web-based USI Organisation Portal, and/or integrate USI web services into their Student Management Systems. Find more information on the USI website.
  2. Use the Government’s eCAF system
    The Government’s electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form includes USI API verification, similar to the approach used for verifying Tax File Numbers. When a student provides their USI in the Government eCAF, if verification fails, the student will be advised as to which detail has not passed (first name, last name, date of birth or USI). The latest eCAFs are always available in the Government eCAF portal. Higher education providers can access the Government eCAF Training environment to compare eCAF definition templates and update their own eCAFs. If a provider wants access to the eCAF training environment, contact: HEenquiries@education.gov.au. 
  3. Build verification functionality into your Student Management System
    If you are not using the Government eCAF, then your own solution should replicate the Government’s approved eCAF, which providers can test and view in the training environment. Please use this to develop the recording and verification of USIs in non-government eCAFs. Further information for developers is available through the department’s eCAF Developers Google Group.
  4. Verify via TCSI

TCSI verifies USIs reported on student records via B2G APIs or the TCSI Data Entry portal.  TCSI will verify all USIs in near real-time. If verification of the student’s USI, first name, last name or date of birth matching the USI fail, the education provider will be sent a notification. These notifications can be retrieved using B2G APIs or via the TCSI Analytics portal.

Can providers retrieve a USI on behalf of a student?

Providers can search for a student’s existing USI using the USI Organisation Portal, provided they have the student’s permission.

How will the CHESSN be decommissioned?

TCSI automatically allocates and manages CHESSNs for new and continuing students in the system for quality control.

All students must obtain and provide a USI if seeking Commonwealth assistance. These students will be automatically allocated a CHESSN in TCSI for government administration purposes.

When do international students require a USI?

Onshore international students will require a USI in order to receive their higher education award. 

Will international offshore students require a USI?

At this stage there is no requirement for an offshore international student to obtain a USI.