Category: Tertiary Education

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Eligibility
For details of tertiary education organisation (TEO) eligibility, programme eligibility, and learner eligibility please see the funding conditions for the relevant year.
Funding conditions by year
For information about TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (TEO-led WLN) funding, see TEO-led WLN Fund Finder.
TEO-led WLN Fund
For information about Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN) funding, please see EWLN.
EWLN Fund
Learner eligibility
Changes to learner eligibility from 1 January 2024
For learners to be considered to have low skills in literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy for the purposes of the Fund they must:
present at Step 2 or lower on the Learning Progressions for reading and/or numeracy when assessed using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT); and
either:
have fewer than 121 credits on the NZQCF (or equivalent); or
have more than 120 credits on the NZQCF (or equivalent), and have fewer than 31 credits in literacy and/or numeracy in unit standards and/or achievement standards (or equivalent); and

not have an undergraduate, postgraduate, or Level 5 or above Qualification gained in New Zealand or that is listed on the NZQCF.
Learner eligibility requirements for literacy and numeracy provision were updated for 2024 onwards.
TEOs can only enrol learners with Level 5 or above qualifications in literacy and numeracy funds in exceptional circumstances, with prior written approval from us.
Exemptions for learners with exceptional circumstances, who have a qualification at Level 5 or above
Following Ministerial approval of the 2024 funding mechanism, the funding conditions were updated to include a condition that excludes learners who have previously gained a qualification at Level 5 or above on the New Zealand Qualification and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) (including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees).
We understand that some learners who have higher level qualifications may have additional literacy and/or numeracy needs due to their exceptional personal circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances exist where a learner:
has completed a Level 5 or above qualification; and
has personal learning needs that meet the policy intent of the fund; and
has circumstances that are out of the ordinary for most learners in New Zealand, and the circumstances are:
significant in the context of the learner; and/or
comparatively rare.

These exceptional circumstances may include but are not limited to situations where:
The learner is neurodivergent and needs additional support to improve their literacy and/or numeracy skills, for example:
their Level 5 or above qualification was achieved with support from learning and/or computer tools that are not readily available to the learner in the workplace, and/or
their qualification did not focus on literacy and/or numeracy.

The learner has a disability or suffered a serious medical event and needs additional support (such as a learner suffering a stroke and a course under these funds may be the most appropriate for the learner’s circumstances).
The learner received a qualification from a provider where it was evidenced that there were particular compliance concerns relating to that qualification. These concerns have been confirmed by Monitoring and Crown Ownership.
We may consider circumstances where the learner gained their qualification overseas in a language other than English, and has low literacy skills. However, in this scenario an English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) Fund (formerly known as Specialised English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)) funded programme may be more appropriate.
To request an exemption application form, please obtain the permission of the learner, then contact us at customerservice@tec.govt.nz with subject: (EDUMIS number) L5 exemptions request.
In your email, please briefly outline:
the learner’s exceptional circumstances,
the learner’s Level 5 or above qualification
the fund you are applying for the exemption under
confirmation that the learner meets all other eligibility criteria in the funding conditions.
If you are invited to apply, we will send you the application form. The application must be submitted by a senior member of staff, such as a Head of/Manager of Admissions (or equivalent) or above.
Please ensure the learner meets all other learner eligibility criteria in the Funding Conditions before applying.
Funding conditions by year
If you have any questions about this process, please contact us at customerservice@tec.govt.nz or 0800 601 301.
Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT)
The LNAAT is an online adaptive tool that provides robust and reliable information on the reading, writing and numeracy skills of adults.
Following Ministerial approval of the 2024 funding mechanism, the funding conditions were updated to require using the LNAAT to determine learner eligibility for the ILN fund.
Learners must present at Step 2 or lower on the Learning Progressions for reading and/or numeracy on the Learning Progressions when assessed using the LNAAT.
For more information about using the LNAAT see the 2024 LNAAT Guidelines.
2024 LNAAT Guidelines
DQ/Youth Guarantee programmes
ILN-funded eligible learners are unlikely to be considered to have the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to be successful in a Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (DQ1-2) or Youth Guarantee (YG) funded programme (including any programmes above Level 2).
These learners should not be enrolled in a DQ1-2 or YG programme until their literacy and numeracy skills have advanced enough for them to be successful (for example, they now present at Step 3 or higher on the Learning Progressions for reading and/or numeracy on the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT)). This can be achieved through first enrolling them in an ILN programme with intensive provision of literacy and/or numeracy skill development opportunities. ILN-funded programmes have a higher funding rate to accommodate learners with higher needs.
Note: A learner who is enrolled in an ILN-funded programme must not be enrolled in a DQ1-2 or YG programme at the same time.
Enrolment
A learner may be enrolled and/or re-enrolled in an ILN-funded programme as long as they continue to meet the learner eligibility condition criteria set out in the funding conditions for the relevant year.
Funding conditions by year
Combining learner enrolments at the same TEO
Where there is a gap of less than 90 days between a learner’s enrolments, we count these as one enrolment (minus the length of the gap).

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Eligibility
For details of tertiary education organisation (TEO) eligibility, programme eligibility, and learner eligibility please see the funding conditions for the relevant year.
Funding conditions by year
For information about Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN) funding, see the Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund Finder.
Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund
Learner eligibility
For the specific learner eligibility criteria please see the funding conditions for the relevant year.
Funding conditions by year
For information on other valid domestic enrolments, please see the Other valid domestic enrolments webpage.
Other valid domestic enrolments
TEO-led WLN is intended for individuals in the paid workforce. This includes employees as well as contractors and temporary staff working for the employer.
Employees who participate in the programme must have low literacy and/or numeracy skills. This may manifest as difficulties in:
understanding written and/or verbal instructions,
completing forms (such as health and safety forms),
reporting verbally and/or in writing,
understanding and/or completing basic calculations, and
expressing literacy and numeracy through digital devices necessary for work.
These difficulties may be exacerbated by having English as a second language.
Changes to learner eligibility from 1 January 2024
For learners to be considered to have low skills in literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy for the purposes of the Fund they must:
present at Step 3 or lower on the Learning Progressions for reading, and/or step 4 or lower on the Learning Progressions for numeracy when assessed using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT); and
either:
have fewer than 121 credits on the NZQCF (or equivalent); or
have more than 120 credits on the NZQCF (or equivalent), and have fewer than 31 credits in literacy and/or numeracy in unit standards and/or achievement standards (or equivalent); and

not have an undergraduate, postgraduate, or Level 5 or above Qualification gained in New Zealand or that is listed on the NZQCF.
Learner eligibility requirements for literacy and numeracy provision were updated for 2024 onwards.
TEOs can only enrol learners with Level 5 or above qualifications in literacy and numeracy funds in exceptional circumstances, with prior written approval from us.
Exemptions for learners with exceptional circumstances, who have a qualification at Level 5 or above
Following Ministerial approval of the 2024 funding mechanism, the funding conditions were updated to include a condition that excludes learners who have previously gained a qualification at Level 5 or above on the New Zealand Qualification and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) (including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees).
We understand that some learners who have higher level qualifications may have additional literacy and/or numeracy needs due to their exceptional personal circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances exist where a learner:
has completed a Level 5 or above qualification; and
has personal learning needs that meet the policy intent of the fund; and
has circumstances that are out of the ordinary for most learners in New Zealand, and the circumstances are:
significant in the context of the learner; and/or
comparatively rare.

These exceptional circumstances may include but are not limited to situations where:
The learner is neurodivergent and needs additional support to improve their literacy and/or numeracy skills, for example:
their Level 5 or above qualification was achieved with support from learning and/or computer tools that are not readily available to the learner in the workplace, and/or
their qualification did not focus on literacy and/or numeracy.

The learner has a disability or suffered a serious medical event and needs additional support (such as a learner suffering a stroke and a course under these funds may be the most appropriate for the learner’s circumstances).
The learner received a qualification from a provider where it was evidenced that there were particular compliance concerns relating to that qualification. These concerns have been confirmed by Monitoring and Crown Ownership.
We may consider circumstances where the learner gained their qualification overseas in a language other than English, and has low literacy skills. However, in this scenario an English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) Fund (formerly known as Specialised English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)) funded programme may be more appropriate.
To request an exemption application form, please obtain the permission of the learner, then contact us at customerservice@tec.govt.nz  with subject: (EDUMIS number) L5 exemptions request.
In your email, please briefly outline:
the learner’s exceptional circumstances,
the learner’s Level 5 or above qualification
the fund you are applying for the exemption under
confirmation that the learner meets all other eligibility criteria in the funding conditions.
If you are invited to apply, we will send you the application form. The application must be submitted by a senior member of staff, such as a Head of/Manager of Admissions (or equivalent) or above.
Please ensure the learner meets all other learner eligibility criteria in the Funding Conditions before applying.
Funding conditions by year
If you have any questions about this process, please contact us at CustomerService@tec.govt.nz or 0800 601 301.
Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT)
The LNAAT is an online adaptive tool that provides robust and reliable information on the reading, writing and numeracy skills of adults.
Following Ministerial approval of the 2024 funding mechanism, the funding conditions were updated to require using the LNAAT to determine learner eligibility for the TEO-led WLN fund fund.
Learners must present at Step 3 or lower on the Learning Progressions for reading, and/or step 4 or lower on the Learning Progressions for numeracy when assessed using the LNAAT.
We also recommend you use the LNAAT at the beginning of the programme to identify employees’ literacy and numeracy skill levels.
For more information about using the LNAAT see the 2024 LNAAT Guidelines.
2024 LNAAT Guidelines
Programme eligibility
Intensity of delivery
The intensity of literacy, numeracy, or literacy and numeracy, tuition received by each learner enrolled in a TEO-led WLN programme with a TEO must be 40 hours over any 10 to 40 week period (or portion of the period). Alongside that programme duration the delivery model is as agreed among the employer, employee and the TEO delivering the programme.
The reason for this approach (rather than a range of hours per week) is to provide flexibility for TEOs to ensure the delivery model meets both employer and employee needs. Delivery could, for example, be weekly, or it could be in blocks with breaks of several weeks between.
Example:
Calculating time period for delivery for a 25-hour TEO-led WLN programme:
25 hours/40 hours = 0.625 (proportion)
0.625 x 10 weeks = 6.25 weeks (shortest 25-hour programme duration)
0.625 x 40 weeks = 25 weeks (longest 25-hour programme duration)
The 25-hour programme must be delivered over at least 6.25 weeks (rounded up to the nearest whole day) and over no more than 25 weeks.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

We fund the English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund (ELT) (previously known as Specialised English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)) provision to increase opportunities for adult speakers of other languages, particularly migrants and refugees for whom English is a second language, to engage in literacy and numeracy learning.
We determine and allocate ELT Fund funding through the Investment Plan process.
Resources
Key resources for ELT funded programmes include: 

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 31 May 2024
Last updated 31 May 2024

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This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) delivery, and how we monitor their performance.
This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) delivery, and how we monitor their performance.

TEOs with an indicative allocation of ELT funding submit a completed mix of provision (MoP) template to us via Workspace 2. We approve the MoP through the Investment Plan (Plan) approval process.
We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set TEOs.
Reporting
Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on Workspace 2.
The reports relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in the Plan. They cover the funded calendar year; they are cumulative and build on the information supplied in the previous reporting period for the funding year. After you submit a progress report, we will release it back to you for further data entry (i.e., the cumulative information).
Monitoring
We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
We monitor a TEO’s:
achievement of MoP delivery commitments
compliance with ELT funding conditions for the relevant year
compliance with legislative requirements
hours and intensity of delivery, and
achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 31 May 2024
Last updated 31 May 2024

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The Refugee English Fund supports refugees to reach a level of English that will allow them to enter employment or undertake their choice of vocational or degree-level education. 
The Refugee English Fund supports refugees to reach a level of English that will allow them to enter employment or undertake their choice of vocational or degree-level education. 

The Refugee English Fund is a component of the English Language Teaching Fund (ELT) (formerly known as the Specialised English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)).
Through the Refugee English fund, we provide learners from a refugee background with additional literacy, numeracy and study skills support to help them progress to further study or employment.
Refugee English is a top up fund paid in addition to funding from the Delivery at Levels 3-7 (non-degree) on the New Zealand and Qualifications Framework and all industry training fund (DQ3-7).
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) determines and allocates Refugee English funding through the Investment Plan process.
Resources
 Key resources for Refugee English-funded programmes include: 

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 31 May 2024
Last updated 31 May 2024

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This page provides information about how English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) funding is set and payments are made.
This page provides information about how English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT) funding is set and payments are made.

Funding mechanism
The Minister responsible for tertiary education issues the ELT funding mechanism. It sets out the purpose of the fund and gives authority to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to administer the funding.
Funding is agreed through a tertiary education organisation’s (TEO’s) Investment Plan.
A TEO that receives ELT funding is required to:
ELT funding is set through the Government’s annual budget process. We determine the appropriate amount of ELT funding for a TEO.
Through each TEO’s Plan, we agree the mix of provision (MoP). This includes the:
programmes that the funding can be used for,
allocation of funding towards each programme, and
volume of delivery expected from each programme.
Funding allocations and payments
Funding allocations, including any amendments are available through the My Allocations and Payments app on Ngā Kete.
ELT funding is paid in equal monthly instalments.
For the calculation of indicative allocations see the methodology from the relevant year. The most recent information is at the top.
For more details regarding your specific allocation, please contact customerservice@tec.govt.nz or your Relationship Manager.
Funding rates
For information on the ELT funding rates, see Funding rates by year.
Each hour of provision not attended by the learner is not to be reported and is not funded.
Funding wash-ups
For the calculation of funding wash-ups see the methodology and technical specifications for the relevant year. The most recent information is at the top.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 31 May 2024
Last updated 31 May 2024

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This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Refugee English Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.
This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Refugee English Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.

Reporting
Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on Workspace 2.
The reports relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan. The reports cover the funded calendar year; they are cumulative and build on the information supplied in the previous reporting period for the funding year. After you have submitted a progress report, we will release it back to you for further data entry (i.e., the cumulative information).
Monitoring
We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
We monitor a TEO’s:
achievement of mix of provision (MoP) delivery commitments
compliance with Refugee English funding conditions for the relevant year
compliance with legislative requirements, and
achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 30 May 2024
Last updated 30 May 2024

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We have updated the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT) Guidelines for 2024 to align with the updated Funding Conditions.
We have updated the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT) Guidelines for 2024 to align with the updated Funding Conditions.

In 2024, we updated the learner eligibility criteria in the 2024 Funding Conditions Catalogue for the following funds to make using the LNAAT a requirement to determine learner eligibility:
Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN),
Employer-Led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN), and
TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (TEO-led WLN).
The LNAAT Guidelines have been updated to reflect this requirement for these funds. While using the LNAAT is not a requirement for other funds, it is still the recommended tool for assessing learner capability.
Find the Guidelines here: Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool guidelines