A new National Student Ombudsman (NSO) has commenced operations on 1 February 2025. It sits within the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman as an independent national escalated complaints resolution service for students to resolve complaints about the actions of their higher education provider.
The NSO will handle complaints from higher education (University award) students, including students studying at private universities.
More details are outlined on the NSO website.
What is the role of the NSW Ombudsman in relation to complaints about tertiary institutions?
The NSO accepts complaints from prospective, current or past students studying at any TEQSA registered higher education provider. This includes undergraduate and postgraduate students and there is no time limit on historical complaints. The NSO will not handle complaints from or about TAFE. TAFE students and staff can continue to make complaints to the NSW Ombudsman.
The NSO will not handle complaints from employees of a higher education provider, or the exercise of academic judgement. University staff, including contractors, can continue to make complaints to the NSW Ombudsman.
Both the NSO and the NSW Ombudsman will work closely to ensure a ‘no wrong door’ approach to student complaints and ensure students are connected with their best option.
