Tertiary updates

VCE Results and ATAR Service

Students in Year 11 completing a Unit 3 and 4 Study and Year 12s can register with the VCE Results and ATAR Website to receive their results on Monday 11 December. You will need your VCAA Student Number. https://resultsandatar.vic.edu.au/results/applicants.htm

Key dates reminder

For a full list of cancelled, amended, and new courses, visit VTAC Course Updates 

The VTAC website is www.vtac.edu.au

Change of Preference

Changing a university preference is a common thing, especially as students find out their options or reconsider their previous choices. 

That's why Study Work Grow publish a Change of Preference Guide each year, and in this edition they cover: 

• Changing your preferences
• Important dates
• More information
• University info sessions and contacts

Bond University Medicine

Bond University’s brand-new Medical Guide is now available online - see attached. It covers the Biomedical Science pathway option, detailed Medicine Program information on yearly assessments and course content, FAQs and entry criteria and process.  Further to this, Bond is also hosting a Medicine Webinar for interested students on the 15 November to go over everything.  Here is a link to more information and for students to register.

CSU – Scholarships are open

Any students planning to go to Charles Sturt next year, please note CSUs scholarships are officially open. With over $3 million worth of scholarships and grants; from accommodation scholarships to small grants to help buy a laptop – there’s so many available. To help students narrow down what they could be eligible for, CSU got an online tool to help. See this link for more details. 

Deakin Casper Test Reimbursement

Are you a student intending to study Teaching at Deakin in 2024?  If you have sat the Casper test and receive an offer to Deakin, you will be eligible for a reimbursement of the cost of this test.

The payment amount of $80 will be made after student commences at Deakin in Trimester 1 2024. The payment is open to Deakin education students who have accepted their offer into an initial teacher education degree and enrolled to start studies in 2024 in a course that requires the Casper test as an entry requirement.  Deakin will identify and communicate directly with students at the point of admission.  Find out more at The Casper test | Deakin

LaTrobe University Alternative Casper Test

If you want to study an initial teacher education program at La Trobe, our AFTA is a free and on-demand alternative to the CASPer test.La Trobe University has developed the Aptitude for Teaching Assessment (AFTA). Approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching, it is a non-cognitive scenario-based aptitude test that students can use as an alternative to the CASPer test. Please note: It can only be used for entry into initial teaching education programs at La Trobe.

Nursing courses

Complete the nursing and midwifery English language proficiency declaration form via your TAC account/s.

Pathways to university study

October Career Newsletter focus was on pathways. So this is just a reminder, that it is well worth building a range of options into your career plan for both the best and worst case scenarios.

Students considering university study in 2024 are encouraged to check the attached document relating to some of the Victorian university pathways programs.

Scholarships resource – The Country Education Foundation

The Country Education Foundation has developed a resource to assist Year 12 students to find and apply for university scholarships. To access the resource, go to http://bit.ly/2yGMSGX 

Scholarships for Women In STEM

The Women of STEM Scholarship is a national program and provides women aged 18-20 who are entering their first year of a STEM degree at university with financial grants of $5,000 per year for the life of their degree (to a maximum of 5 years). Applications open Friday 15 December 2023 and close Friday 16 February 2024. Learn more here.

Scholarships to Study Abroad 

Looking to study abroad but worried about the costs? Good news! There are hundreds of scholarships to study abroad, including general scholarships and more specialized funding schemes. Some are offered by government agencies, some by individual universities, and others by external funding organizations and charitable enterprises.

The Top Universities website is an excellent resource to learn more about what scholarships are on offer.  Students can search for region-specific scholarships or country-specific scholarships.  Students can even search for subject-specific scholarships.

Students are encouraged to browse Top Universities - Study Abroad Scholarships  

University Study Abroad & Exchange Programs

Students who choose to take up an opportunity to do some of their university study overseas get the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture, study at an overseas university, and really get to engage with students and lecturers at those institutions.  An added bonus of many study-abroad programs is that students get to study for one or two semesters at these overseas partner institutions and earn credit towards their degrees.

Find out more about the Study Abroad programs offered by browsing the following links:

TAFE Gippsland Cert IV Engineering

From 2024 TAFE Gippsland will offer the Certificate IV in Engineering. This qualification does not require any applicants to have a trade and is suitable for school leavers (especially Year 12) who have an interest in engineering related roles and have good maths capacity.  The qualification combines units from CII up to CIV level which is great as it prepares the students for those higher-level units.

This qualification does not provide a trade certification, but it does provide high level skills in engineering and also is a pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering. See the attached flyer for more information.

Tax File Number

Year 12 students are reminded yet again that they cannot enrol in a CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) university course next year without a Tax File Number (TFN). Students who do not have one can use:

the ATO link to for instructions to apply.

Students without a passport may need to have their identity verified through an interview at a participating Australia Post office. To find out about participating Post Offices, visit TFN Application.

Initial Teacher Education Courses in Victoria

To be eligible for initial teacher education courses in Victoria, you will need to do the following:

• Meet academic admission requirements, including a minimum ATAR and course prerequisites (NB: Alternatives like the Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation might exist, so chat to Careers if you do, or are likely to, fall short of this requirement).
• Complete and pass a test designed to assess your suitability to be a teacher (measures personal competencies such as ethics, empathy, and communication skills).

Test options include:

• Casper test: Sit this test to be eligible for all Victorian universities, https://acuityinsights.app/casper/ Students wanting to be eligible for December round teacher education course offers need to do this no later than 12 November. 
• Australian Catholic University (ACU): Students applying to ACU in Victoria for initial teacher education courses can complete the free ACU Teacher Selector Statement. This is can only be used for entry into ACU initial teacher education courses. It can be used as an alternative to the Casper test, or in addition to it, https://bit.ly/3rAvGTq 
• Monash University: Has just introduced the Monash Teaching Suitability Test (see below). This is a free online test and can only be used for entry into Monash initial teacher education courses. It can be used as an alternative to the Casper test, or in addition to it, https://bit.ly/3tgzrhl 

University of Melbourne – Satisfying subject pre-reqs

Besides completing prerequisite subjects through the VCE, students can also satisfy subject prerequisites by taking a couple of alternative studies or tests. Students might choose to study a single subject through Melbourne’s Community Access Program (CAP), or study the Diploma in General Studies.  Click here for more information - Satisfy Subject Prerequisites.

What do I need to remember to be successful in my first year of Uni?

• I should attend orientation and transition activities – that way I can find out about support and advisory services available to me!
• I need to seek assistance to learn expectations of my lecturers – I will have to learn about tertiary essay writing, using sources, avoiding plagiarism, and managing my time, etc.
• I must remember to ask for help – no-one will necessarily be offering any!
• I will need to be an independent learner – my lecturers and tutors will not be reminding me about deadlines!
• I will need to take charge of my own learning – no-one will be checking up on me to see if I am keeping up with work or assignments!
• I will need to organise my time effectively – there are no bells to remind me where to be!
• I must remember that my classes may be much larger than what I have been used to at school – I will receive less individual attention!
• I must make friends – building new friendship groups will help me cope and help me stay motivated!
• I will be learning new skills that will be critical for my success – I will have to learn important research and referencing skills!

Are you interested in studying a language while at Uni?

Having a second language is great for your future employment prospects. Did you know that you can study a Diploma of Languages whilst you are studying a Bachelor degree at most universities? 

You don’t need to have any previous experience with the language you are interested in. The following are examples of Diploma programs at several universities:

• University of Melbourne: http://bit.ly/2dNWJBV 
• Monash University: https://bit.ly/35RAeFf 
• La Trobe University: http://bit.ly/2elX5k6 
• Deakin University: https://bit.ly/2JcPd1u 
• RMIT, http://bit.ly/2eYjqWR 
• Australia National University, http://bit.ly/2dBGTHt 

Year 9 and 10 Students – University Early Admission Programs

Did you know that at some universities, you can apply for programs that enable you to receive an offer before your final Year 12 results are released?

These are called ‘early admission’ programs and they provide a way for universities to take into consideration factors other than just your ATAR for admission into courses. 

Some universities take into consideration your Year 11 results for university entry. This is very important to know for students starting Year 11 or advancing into Year 11 subjects. 

Students with a successful early entry application may receive a ‘conditional’ or ‘unconditional offer’.

Conditional offer: Means that you will need to meet additional criteria to receive an offer (e.g., a minimum ATAR). 

Unconditional offer: Means as long as you complete Year 12 and achieve the course prerequisites, you will receive an offer (the ATAR will not be taken into consideration). 

Check out the Study Work Grow Early Entry Guide for more information.

Year 11 Students

Any 2024 Year 12s considering further study at University of Melbourne or Australian National University is encouraged to check their eligibility and the application timeline for the UoM Hansen Scholarship and the ANU Tuckwell Scholarship. Please book a follow up career appointment with Mrs Martin if you are interested in applying.