ASQA Fees Are Rising and so is Cost of Non-compliance

ASQA has released its draft Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) 2026–27, from 1 July 2026, the proposed model means providers will carry greater financial exposure for how they manage compliance. 

(Note: Public consultation is open until 27 February 2026 with new  fees are expected to apply from 1 July 2026.)

Here’s what matters most for RTOs and CRICOS providers:

1. Annual Registration Charges (ARC) are rising

Across most tiers, the ARC is proposed to increase by ~20%, and 30–35%+ for providers operating both NVR + CRICOS.

This isn’t a one-off cost – it’s annual recurring cost, regardless of whether you have issues or not.

2. Compliance actions now come with fixed price tags

ASQA is moving away from hourly charging and towards fixed fees for things like:

• Renewals
• scope changes
• Reassessments
• performance assessments
• complaints and investigations
  

That means higher minimum costs per issue. A “small problem” is no longer a small bill.

 3. Course accreditation just got more expensive

Under the draft:

• New course accreditation costs increase by 30%+
• Amendments to accredited courses more than double in some cases
  

This will directly affect:

• niche providers
• innovative programs
• frequent course updates
  

The real shift: compliance errors now have a price floor.

Historically, many providers relied on:

• Experience
• people
• reactive fixes
• “we’ll deal with it if ASQA asks”
  

Under a fully cost-recovered regulator, that approach becomes risky. Compliance is no longer just: “Are we compliant?” It is shifting to; “What does non-compliance cost us?”

The next phase of regulation will favour providers who are:

• Evidence-ready
• Data-driven
• systemised (not person-dependent)
• proactive, not reactive

In short: compliance as an operating system, not a filing cabinet.

If you’re a provider, now is the time to:

• stress-test your compliance model
• understand your fee exposure
• and stop treating compliance as “admin”
  

Because from 2026 onwards, non-compliance won’t just be risky – it will get expensive.

Ready to see how compliant you really are? Take the first step with our ESOS Compliance Assessment: https://www.educli.com/en/esos-self-assessment-landing

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