A9: TERTIARY TUITION
A9.1: OVERVIEW
A9.1.1: Description
ITAS Tertiary Tuition (ITAS TT) provides supplementary tuition to students studying university award level courses and Australian Qualifications Framework accredited vocational education and training (VET) courses at ITAS funded institutions. Tuition is available only for subjects in a students formal education programme and is not usually available for basic literacy, numeracy, enabling and bridging courses, or for pastoral care.
A9.1.2: Goals
Tertiary Tuition assists students in support of the goals of the Indigenous Education Programme. It aims to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students in tertiary courses to the same level as those of non-Indigenous Australians.
A9.1.3: Eligibility
The provision of ITAS assistance to students is dependent on the student's eligibility and the availability of funds.
Tertiary Tuition may be approved:
- for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are enrolled in a formal tertiary education or structured training programme, or accepted for enrolment in a course which commences within one month of the date of application for funding;
- for an eligible students formal course of study;
- for up to two [2] hours per week per subject, and up to five [5] additional hours in total during examination preparation breaks; and
- in accordance with a funding agreement between DEST and the education provider
A9.1.5: ITAS Supplementary Assistance
Tertiary Tuition represents "supplementary assistance". It is intended to supplement normal teaching efforts and cannot be substituted for, or replace them. ITAS is intended to accelerate education outcomes for Indigenous Australians beyond those which could reasonably be expected from the providers' core resources alone. Availability of ITAS cannot be anticipated. Students without the necessary prerequisite skills must not be enrolled in formal courses on the assumption that ITAS will be available to develop those skills. Where ITAS is sought by students enrolled in bridging courses to assist with basic literacy and numeracy problems, written approval must be obtained from DEST national office before tuition commences.
A9.4: ADMINISTERING FUNDING
A9.4.2: Tutor Payments
Tertiary Tuition funding is provided to meet the costs of engaging tutors to deliver ITAS tuition.
A9.4.4: Travel to Tuition
Providers may reimburse some transport costs of students or tutors in non-metropolitan areas only who need to travel more than 20 kilometres each way to attend a tutorial session. The maximum reimbursement which may be made is the lesser amount of:
- 60 cents per kim travelled after the first 40km, for the round trip by private car; or
- the cheapest mode of available public transport.
Providers may not reimburse travel costs of students in relation to residential schools, field trips, end of semester travel or tutor travel for employment other than ITAS tuition.
A9.4.5: Overnight Travel
Providers may reimburse the overnight travel costs of students or tutors in non-metropolitan areas only who need to stay away from their usual place of residence overnight to attend a tutorial session. The provider may reimburse the actual cost of this accommodation including an evening meal and breakfast up t a maximum of the lowest rate equivalent of travel and meal allowance provided by APS Level DEST Officers. These rates may be updated from time to time and are available from DEST on request. Claims must be supported by receipts.
Providers may not reimburse travel costs of students in relation to residential schools, field trips, end of semester travel or tutor travel for employment other than ITAS tuition.
A9.5: DELIVERING TERTIARY TUITION
A9.5.1: Delivery of Tertiary Tuition
Education Providers which receive Tertiary Tuition funding are contracted to deliver tuition to eligible enrolled Indigenous students in the msot cost efficient manner within the funds allocated. This includes:
- determining student eligibility for ITAS tuition;
- recruiting tutors who are qualified or otherwise capable to provide the required tuition;
- matching students and their learning needs with suitable tutors;
- developing tuition programmes to ensure tuition is appropriate to student's needs;
- monitoring and overseeing tuition delivery;
- maintaining student and tutor records and files;
- making appropriate tutor and student payments;
- asessing tuition provided for effectiveness;
- informing students and their tutors that their personal information may be passed to DEST for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the programme; and
- providing performance reports and acquittals.
All tutors conducting ITAS TT must complete a Work Programme, no more than two weeks after tuition commences. The Work Programme must remain on the students file. Tutors should develop work programmes according to needs identified in the educational assessment, and in consultation with the student. The student must endorse the work programme which must also be approved by the ITAS Coordinator at the funded institution.
Toward the end of the tuition period, thte student and his/her lecturer/tutor (not the ITAS tutor) must complete a Tuition Assessment to provide feedback to the provider and the Department about the effectiveness of the tuition. This report must be retained on the students' file. Comments from different perspectives help ensure that the assessment is a fair indication of the services provided by the tutor.
A9.5.2: Tutor Requirements
Prospective ITAS TT tutors must be qualified, either through formal education or relevant experience, to be eligible for ITAS tutoring. Wherever possible, suitably qualified Indigenous people should be selected as ITAS TT tutors. Tutors must be sensitive to; and able to relate to the educational needs of Indigenous students.
ITAS TT Tutors must not be members of the students immediate or de-facto family and not be the students' usual class or subject teacher, lecturer or tutor. Each student/tutor arrangement must be examined by the provider for potential conflict before approval is given.
Tertiary students eligible for ITAS TT may request another tertiary student as their tutor. The proposed tutor must be:
- studying a major sequence of units in the subject area in which the student needs tutoring;
- at least two academic years ahead of the student (that is, 1st or 2nd year students cannot be approved as ITAS TT tutors for university students); and
- not themselves receiving ITAS TT in that subject area
A9.5.3: Student Eligibility
All students receiving ITAS TT must be:
- Indigenous Australian; and
- enrolled at the institution in a formal course of study leading to a certificate, diploma, degree or other qualification.
Postgraduate students should have developed appropriate skills in literacy, numeracy, academic writing and research prior to their admission into a postgraduate programme. Therefore, applications for ITAS TT from postgraduate students would be approved only in exceptional circumstances, which must be documented and filed on the students' file.
A9.5.4: Tutor Recruitment
Providers are responsible for all matters relating to the engagement and payment of ITAS TT tutors. In recruiting tutors, the provider must ensure that:
- the tutor is qualified or otherwise capable of delivering the required tuition;
- all ITAS tutors who work with minors have undertaken an Australian Federal Police (AFP) national criminal history check and have been cleared to work with minors before the provider approves a tutoring arrangement with a minor;
- it complies with any relevant State legislation relating to working with minors and child protection [Working for Children Check card];
- the tutor is an appropriate person to conduct tutorial services;
- the person understands and is culturally sensitive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students;
- where possible, appropriate trained Indigenous tutors are preferred;
- the provider may use programme funding to pay a tutor for up to two [2] hours to attend a cultural awareness training course. This would be a once-only payment for a tutor and would be in exceptional circumstances; and
- there is no conflict of interest in the using the person
- except in remote locations where there is no other option, the ITAS TT tutor must not be a family member of the student. Staff of the funded institution (e.g. lecturers, tutors) and "Indigenous Education Workers" cannot provide tuition during any period for which they are already receiving salary.
A9.5.5: Tuition Programmes
Providers are expected to ensure that engaged tutors have the opportunity to work with student's lecturers to plan the details of a tutoring programme tailored to each student.
A9.5.6: Tuition Delivery
Providers must ensure that tuition is delivered according to the Work Programme and that tuition meets the students educational needs. ITAS assistance is not available for subjects outside the students' formal educational or structured training programme. Providers may in some instances wish to use small groups tuition rather than individual tuition, to provide more effective use of funds, however, the tuition must be appropriate to all the students' needs in the group. Assessment of student need for tuition should be provided by the subject lecturer or course coordinator where practicable, or other appropriate staff member of the institution. The assessment must give details of the academic problem which is preventing the student from achieving satisfactorily in the unit of the course for which ITAS TT is requested. The assessment is kept on the students' ITAS TT file. A student may be determined to be in need of tutorial assistance if they are failing the course/subject and the lecturer believes that the students' performance would be improved through additional tuition; or was just passing the course and the lecturer believes that the student's performance would be improved through tuition; or was previously performing satisfactorily but is having difficulties with a new component of the course and is in danger of failing or falling behind, in which case tuition would be very short term; or require tutorial assistance to achieve an academic level or ranking required to proceed to a subsequent stage or course of study. The students tutor (ITAS TT) or potential must not provide the assessment.
ITAS TT may not be approved to take place during the hours of scheduled lectures, classes or tutorials.
A9.5.7: Student Checklist
The checklist below constitutes the minimum requirements for approval when assessing a students eligibility for assistance under ITAS and to help determine appropriate tuition levels.
If you answer "YES" to any of the following questions, you are eligible to apply for the ITAS Tertiary Tuition;
- are you Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander?
- are you enrolled in formal education that has commenced or will commence within the following month?
- are you seeking tuition for subjects in formal study; or the skills necessary to complete the course?
- are you likely to benefit from the tuition?
- is there no other alternative form of assistance available to you through your educational institution?
Forms for tutoring and/or tutoring support are available below.
ITAS TT Student Application for Tutorial Assistance
Please complete the Student Application for Tutorial Assistance Form and submit to the office.
ITAS TT Tutor Registration
If you are interested in registering for ITAS Tertiary Tuition (ITAS TT), please complete the Tutor Registration Form, sign and return to the office.
ITAS TT Claim Form
The ITAS TT Claim Form must be signed by the student and tutor before approval can be made. ITAS TT tutors will need to enter claimed hours online via ESS Timekeeper as per Casual Salary Claims.
More Information
For all other queries please contact:
ITAS Coordinator
Room 607a, 6th Floor
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
Gordon Greenwood Building (32)
The University of Queensland
St Lucia, QLD, 4072
Ph: +61 7 3365 6793
Fax: +61 7 3365 6855
Email