Homestead Careers and Pathways Newsletter

VTAC Sessions

Understanding equity schemes and scholarships

Organisation: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre

Location: Online

Date: September 2, 2025

Have you been affected by educational disadvantage or want to find out more about financial support for your tertiary studies? Our webinar will guide you through the key opportunities available to support your journey.

We will speak about our equity program, the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), who is eligible and how to apply.

We will also speak about merit based and access based scholarships, explaining the differences and also how to research scholarships and apply.

Whether you're a student, a parent, or an educator, this webinar is designed to provide clarity and support you as you prepare your application for equity schemes and scholarships.

Find out more and register

 

 

VTAC Webinar on Getting Your Results and What Happens Next for Students Starting in 2026

Organisation: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre

Location: Online

Date: December 9, 2025

You're about to receive your secondary school results, but what do you need to do to prepare for the next stage of your education journey?

Join us to hear more about how the ATAR is calculated, advice on changing your preferences and how to order them, accepting an offer and other ways you can get support in this important time.

Find out more and register

VTAC Webinar on Preferences, Pathways and Offers for Students Starting in 2026

Organisation: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre

Location: Online

Date: December 11, 2025

You've just received your results, congratulations! This time can be exciting but also a bit stressful, so we are here to help guide you towards your dream course.

Join our webinar to hear more about how the preferencing system works and hear advice on ordering your preferences. We will also speak about pathways and how you can look at alternative courses to help you get to your dream course. Finally, we will cover what to expect when receiving an offer and how to accept your offer.

Find out more and register

 

How to know if you’re eligible for the Educational Access Scheme

Things don't always go to plan, and if you've faced difficult times during your last few years of school then this may have impacted on your results. For that reason, the Educational Access Scheme exists to support you and essentially level the playing field, improving your chances of getting into your preferred course at university.

If you’ve experienced challenges such as financial hardship, illness, a disability, difficult family circumstances, or disruptions like natural disasters, the EAS could help balance things out when you apply for university.

There’s a good video here from VTAC which explains the schemes.

 

Why should you apply for the EAS?

Applying for EAS can give you a fairer chance of getting into your chosen course. If your Year 11 or 12 results don’t reflect your true potential because of your circumstances, your application can be reassessed with adjustment factors (sometimes called bonus points). These don’t change your ATAR, but they can boost your selection rank, which is what universities use to decide who gets an offer.

For example, you might miss the advertised entry rank for a course by a couple of points, but if you’ve been approved for EAS, the adjustment factors could lift your selection rank high enough to secure an offer.

It’s not about lowering standards or giving you an unfair advantage – you’ll still need to meet course prerequisites and, once you’re at uni, keep up with your studies. It’s simply about making sure your application is considered fairly, given the obstacles you’ve had to manage.

 

What benefits can you get?

The main benefit of EAS is that it can make it easier to get into your preferred course. Depending on the university and the category you apply under, you may receive:

  • Adjustment factors (extra points added to your selection rank)
  • Access to equity scholarships or grants
  • Support services at university to help you transition more smoothly into study

Even if you’re not sure whether you’ll qualify, it’s worth checking. Many students are surprised to find they’re eligible under one or more categories.

 

Before we get into the EAS…

If you’re struggling, then support is out there.

 

For financial support

Check out scholarships from the universities you are applying to – most of them offer scholarships specifically for people who need financial support. Also don’t forget to get in touch with Centrelink, let them know what’s happening and see if there are any additional payments you can access – especially if you’ll be moving to study.

 

Support for young carers

If you help care for a family member, check the Young Carers Network for resources and the Young Carer Bursary. It provides financial help so you can keep studying while balancing your caring role.

 

Domestic and family violence

If home isn’t safe, you can contact 1800 RESPECT (24/7, free, and confidential). Universities also have wellbeing teams who can connect you with housing and emergency support.

 

English as a second language

Many universities run bridging programs and academic skills support programs. Community centres and libraries may also offer free English classes.

 

Illness or disability

For mental health support, reach out to Headspace or Kids Helpline. At university, you can register with disability services to access adjustments such as flexible attendance or exam support.

 

Rural, regional and remote students

There are heaps of scholarships for rural, regional, and remote students to help with the costs of university, from tuition fees to relocation costs.

 

How to check if you're eligible for EAS

The criteria are different across Australia, so you need to start by thinking about where you want to study next year. What makes you eligible in one place might not count in another.

If you want to stay close to home and study in the same state or territory as you are living in right now, then just skip down to that section - otherwise, check out the criteria for where you want to study, not where you are living right now.

 

If you want to study in New South Wales or the Australian Capital Territory

There are nine categories you could be eligible for:

  • Disrupted schooling 
    • Attended three or more different schools in Years 10, 11, and 12
    • Moved to Australia after the start of Year 11 and English is your first language
    • Moved interstate after the start of Year 11
    • Studied a Year 12 subject through distance education or an Access program
  • Financial challenges 
    • Receiving any of the following for at least three months: 
      • Youth Allowance
      • Austudy
      • ABSTUDY
      • another Centrelink means-tested benefit
    • You've faced a different exceptional financial challenge (usually only for a small number of people)
    • Your parent(s)/guardian(s) received Family Tax Benefit Part A
  • Severe family disruption 
    • Death of an immediate family member or close friend
    • Life-threatening or severe illness of an immediate family member or close friend
    • Separation of your parents
    • Separation of your relationship (needs to have caused a change in your living arrangements)
    • Criminal or legal matters for offences not committed by you
    • Severe abuse of you, your parents, or your siblings
    • Time spent in Out Of Home Care (OOHC)
    • Impacts from a natural disaster (evidenced by disaster relief payments, insurance documents, etc.)
  • Excessive family responsibilities 
    • Significant/excessive care for children or other family members
    • Required to work to support yourself or your family
    • Cared for yourself with no family support
  • English language difficulties 
    • English is your second language
    • You came to Australia from a non-English speaking country after 2020 or Year 7
  • Personal illness/disability 
    • You have a severe and long-term/recurrent medical condition or disability
    • You have a learning, sensory, physical, psychological or other disability/disorder
  • Refugee status 
    • You hold (or have previously held) an Australian refugee or humanitarian visa
  • School environment 
  • Socio-economic disadvantage 
    • Your residential address is in the lowest 25% of socio-economic disadvantage in Australia
    • Note: this will be automatically assessed and you can't change your address after you submit your UAC application

Any of these factors need to have been negatively affecting you during Year 11 and/or 12, and anything that happens after September won't make you eligible.

You also need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or holder of an Australian permanent resident humanitarian visa.

If you're eligible, institutions can increase your selection rank but you're not guaranteed a place, and UAC can't tell you how many points you could get.

 

How to apply

  • Some of the criteria are assessed based off your address, so if you meet criteria for socio-economic disadvantage or living in a rural, regional, or remote area then you will automatically be assessed when you apply to UAC - you don't need to do anything else. They'll send an email letting you know if this is the case.
  • If you need to apply, then fill in the form AFTER you've completed your UAC application. You'll need to select the circumstances and answer any questions. You'll have time afterwards to submit supporting documentation.
  • If instructed to do so, supply additional evidence, which could be an applicant statement (i.e. you explain what happened in your words), a statement from someone at your school or a counsellor, or a medical impact statement.

 

Key dates

  • Early bird applications close: 30 September 2025
  • Deadline to submit application and supporting documents: 
    • 18 November 2025 (to guarantee a response by 18 December for change of preferences and to be considered in December Round 2)
    • 25 December 2025 (to be considered in January Round 1
    • 6 February 2026 (final closing date for Semester 1 2026 admissions)
  • Earliest date you could receive a response: 18 December 2025

For more information and all the details, check out the EAS application guide and visit the UAC website.

 

If you want to study in Queensland

There are five categories you could be eligible for:

  • Financial Hardship 
    • Receiving any of the following: 
      • Youth Allowance
      • Austudy
      • ABSTUDY
      • another Centrelink means-tested benefit
    • You participate in The Smith Family Learning for Life Program
    • Your total (gross) household income is below a threshold (determined by each institution)
  • Home Environment and Responsibilities 
    • Family conflict (significant dysfunction)
    • Legal separation or divorce (self or parents)
    • Substance abuse within your household
    • Lack of stable housing
    • Forced to be independent under the age of 18
    • Abuse where you reside
    • Assault where you reside
    • Lack of support for education due to cultural demands
    • Required to provide care for siblings in excess of normal domestic responsibilities
    • Caring for a disabled or seriously ill family member or member of household
    • Death or serious illness of a family member or member of household
    • Home affected by a natural disaster or serious accident
    • Home affected by drought
    • In foster care or recently left foster care
  • English Language Difficulties 
    • you have studied in English for less than 6 years 
    • you have experienced profound difficulty studying in English 
    • you are a recent migrant to Australia or
    • you are a refugee or asylum seeker
  • Personal Illness or Disability 
    •  a disability
    • a long-term or recurrent medical or psychological condition
    • a serious, short-term medical or psychological condition
    • learning difficulties
    • a significant illness causing prolonged disruption to your studies
  • School Environment 
    • Regional or remote schooling in a remote or very remote (RA3-RA5) area
    • Travel time greater than 2 hours to school each day, as a round trip, from your home in a regional or remote area
    • Significant peer conflict at school during your senior studies
    • A natural disaster or serious accident that affected your school
    • Death of a school peer
    • Limited access to schooling before coming to Australia as a refugee
    • One or more changes of school or school system in Years 11 and 12 with adverse impact
    • Excessive change of teachers in one or more subjects during senior schooling (generally more than 3 teachers or 4 changes)
    • Distance Education for one or more subjects during years 11 and 12 due to circumstances beyond your control
    • Composite or concurrent classes for one or more subjects during your senior schooling with adverse impact

 

How to apply

  • Some of the criteria can be automatically assessed - for example, you can connect your QTAC application to Centrelink so they can assess your benefits automatically.
  • If instructed to do so, you’ll need to complete a cover sheet and supply any additional required evidence or documentation.

 

Key dates

  • Deadline to submit application and supporting documents – 8 December 2025 (to receive an offer on 23 December)

For more information and all the details visit the QTAC website.

 

If you want to study in Victoria

There are four categories you could be eligible for:

  • Personal Information and Location 
    • Mature age (over 21 for higher ed/uni, over 18 for VET)
    • Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
    • Live in a regional, remote, or under-represented area – what counts differs by institution
    • Attend an under-represented school
    • Identify as an under-represented gender
    • From a non-English speaking background (born in a non-English speaking country, speak a language other than English at home, and have arrived in Australia after 2014)
    • First in your family to attend university
    • Note: you’ll be automatically assessed for these even if you don’t apply, but you can still apply for other criteria in other areas as well
  • Financial Hardship 
    • You are in receipt of Centrelink benefits
    • You are a dependent of a parent or guardian who is in receipt of Centrelink benefits
    • Excessive financial obligations
    • Individual or family economic hardship
    • Individual or family poverty
  • Living with a disability or medical condition 
    • You’ll need to explain how the condition has impacted on your education, and provide a statement of support from a health practitioner
  • Difficult family and life circumstances 
    • You are a refugee or asylum seeker
    • You’ve been homeless or lived in out-of-home care
    • Death of an immediate family member or close friend
    • Life-threatening or severe illness of an immediate family member or close friend
    • Separation of your parents
    • Separation of your relationship (needs to have caused a change in your living arrangements or required you to change schools and social group)
    • Excessive caring responsibilities
    • Natural disasters
    • Experienced physical, psychological, or emotional abuse at school, work, or elsewhere
    • Experienced domestic, family, or sexual violence (no statement required if you provide a letter from a support worker)
    • Disrupted education
    • Other disruptions not specified – you’ll need to provide a statement and evidence, and this doesn’t include things like an absence of local art galleries, being a school captain, or short-term teacher absences

Many of the criteria are automatically assessed (i.e. financial circumstances if you receive Centrelink payments), but you may still need to supply additional evidence or statements to support your claim.

To be eligible, you'll need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or holder of an Australian permanent resident humanitarian visa. Not all institutions recognise all of the eligibility criteria, so check directly with them if you’re unsure.

When you apply for SEAS, you’ll also be automatically assessed for equity scholarships.

If you're eligible, institutions can increase your selection rank but you're not guaranteed a place, and VTAC can't tell you how many points you could get.

 

How to apply

  • You need to complete your VTAC course application first; if you’re eligible, the application forms will become available in your VTAC account after this.
  • Some of the criteria can be automatically assessed once you complete your VTAC profile (unless you opt out).
  • If instructed to do so, you’ll need to select categories, supply your statements and supply any additional required evidence or documentation.

 

Key dates

  • VTAC timely applications close: 29 September 2025
  • SEAS and scholarship applications close: 10 October 2025
  • Access your ATAR: 11 December 2025
  • Receive an offer: 23 December 2025

For more information and all the details visit the VTAC website.

 

If you want to study in Western Australia

There are four categories you could be eligible for:

  • School environment 
    • Experiencing multiple relocations during your schooling
    • Attending a school where few students are interested in university study
    • Attending a school in a rural or isolated area
  • Financial circumstances 
    • Family financial hardship
    • Coming from a low socio-economic status background
    • Needing to work excessive hours to support family income
  • Family situation 
    • Experiencing family disruption
    • The death of a close family member or friend
    • Lack of a supportive home study environment
    • Supporting family member/s with an illness/disability
    • Indigenous background
  • Personal health issues 
    • Living with a medical condition/disability
    • Sustaining an accidental injury that disrupted your schooling through the year
  • Other considerations 
    • Refugee/asylum seeker status
    • Leaving foster care
    • Other things not covered above

You complete your EAS application AFTER you’ve completed your initial TISC application and paid the processing fee – technically, you can apply directly to the universities but if you apply through TISC then they’ll process your application for all the universities.

 

How to apply

  • Complete your TISC application and pay the fee.
  • Log back into TISC and select ‘Educational Access Scheme’.
  • You’ll need to provide supporting documentation which could include your statement, Year 11 and 12 reports, a school statement, any Centrelink statements or documentation, medical evidence, or any other requested documents.

 

Key dates

  • EAS applications close: 28 November 2025
  • Access your ATAR: 19 December 2025
  • Receive an offer: 24 December 2025

For more information and all the details visit the TISC website.

 

If you want to study in South Australia or the Northern Territory

SATAC do things a little differently; they apply a 5 point adjustment to all students in certain specified schools, and to eligible individual students in other schools.

For your school to qualify for equity adjustments they consider:

  • The school’s remoteness
  • The percentage of students who gain an ATAR in your school
  • The mean ATAR achieved, and
  • The school’s Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA)

You don’t need to apply for this type of adjustment, it will be made automatically when you apply through SATAC and they calculate your selection rank.

If you don’t attend a qualifying school, you can apply for individual adjustments if, during the school year when you gain your ATAR (usually Year 12):

  • you or your parents receive a Commonwealth means-tested income support payment
  • you or your parents are the holders of a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
  • you are the holder of a School Card (under the Government of South Australia’s School Card scheme)

 

How to apply for individual adjustments

  • Start your SATAC application.
  • If you receive the support payments or have a card in your own name you’ll provide your Centrelink CRN, otherwise you’ll need to supply supporting documents.

For more information and all the details check out the SATAC website.

 

If you want to study in Tasmania

UTAS offer special consideration if you’ve experienced challenges or disadvantage. These could include:

  • A serious or debilitating illness
  • An extended period of educational disadvantage or personal hardship

To be eligible, you'll need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or holder of an Australian permanent resident humanitarian visa. You’ll need to have been affected to a substantial degree, and be able to support your application with independent documents

 

How to apply

  • Apply to UTAS and complete your application.
  • Complete the online form and provide any requested documentation.

 

Key dates

  • Starting in Semester 1 2026 – applications close 4 January 2026
  • You’ll receive an outcome by the end of January at the latest

Find out more about special consideration at UTAS here.