In focus: Further education, VTAC, SEAS and Scholarships

Year 12 students, you are now able to apply for university and TAFE courses across Australia. For most courses, you apply via state-based Tertiary Admission Centres. 

You will need access to a computer or smart phone, your student ID number, your USI and a PayPal account or credit/debit card. 

You will be able to apply for special consideration, some access and equity scholarships and some early entry/guaranteed programs via the Tertiary Admission Centres.

Key Dates for Tertiary Applications for 2022 Entry

Year 12 students are reminded of the key application dates for all states:

Help with VTAC – Digital Resources

These resources can be accessed from the “A guide for…” tile on the VTAC homepage:

Year 10 Guide assists students in choosing senior secondary studies for the right reason. It contains information about researching tertiary education, choosing senior secondary subjects, and how the ATAR is calculated.

Year 11 Guide provides information about researching tertiary education, choosing year 12 studies, and understanding the ATAR.

Year 12 Guide provides information about researching tertiary courses, including meeting course requirements, and a guide through the stages of the VTAC application process, including applying for courses, SEAS, and Scholarships.

Recorded VTAC presentation for students and parents: The recorded VTAC presentation can be played on-demand via the VTAC media YouTube channel, which also contains further videos relating to applying, SEAS and scholarships, the preference system and scaling.

Demos: students can use the demonstrations page in VTAC to learn the documentation, requirements and steps for creating an account or applying for courses, SEAS and scholarships

Summary of downloadable resources is available here and includes:

• Printable PDF guides to researching and applying for courses
• Factsheets about Coursesearch, ATAR, Casper, Applying, Preparing for interviews, auditions and folios, and loads more…
• Printable worksheets relating to career goal setting, choosing subjects for senior years and researching courses.

Useful Tips for a University Degree Wannabe (UDW)

UDW: definition - a person who is convinced they want to go to University but are not sure where or exactly what they want to study!  Also suffers from ATAR anxiety.

• Choose a degree that allows some flexibility in selecting a sequence of units that is right for you (sometime called generalist degrees as opposed to specialist degrees).
• Make sure the program offers opportunities for practical work experience (sometimes called Industry Based Learning)
• Do not base your decision solely on what your friends are doing
• LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!!  Make sure travel time from your residence to the campus is within what you are willing and able to do on a day to- day basis
• Do not just pick courses based on ATAR alone
• Do your research
• Build options into your plan
• Consider VET study as a way of getting a taste of an area and to secure a less expensive and time intensive qualification.

Pathways Programs to University 

Year 12 students are encouraged to build options into their career plan. Sometimes students do not quite meet the entry criteria to go straight into a university course – maybe their ATAR was not high enough, or they did not attain the minimum study score in a prerequisite subject. The encouraging thing is that many universities have recommended pathway courses to degrees they offer. Please see the attached document for some of the Pathways Programs available.

Private colleges and TAFE institutes

You will need to apply directly to some institutes. Each private college and TAFE institute will set their own application dates and selection requirements.

There are a range of pathways you can use to achieve your career goals

There seems to be a myth in society that individuals will have less opportunities if they don’t go directly to university, but it’s important to note that there are many pathways to learning, training and employment. Consider viewing the Pathways for education, training and employment chart attached for a visual outline of pathway options. 

Source: CEAV A Parent Guide to Career Planning, Leah Pappas PM. 

Study Assist and Beyond School Study Guide – How to finance further study?

Individuals considering further study beyond school are strongly encouraged to check out the Study Assist webpage. Part of this online resource includes the Beyond School Study Guide which outlines key details for Year 12s relating to tertiary study, different pathways, government assistance and loan programs. 

Scholarships: students applying for tertiary study are strongly encouraged to consider and apply for any relevant scholarships. Scholarships recognise high achievers, support students who have faced difficult circumstances, help regional and rural students through relocation and accommodation grants, and encourage Indigenous students to enter higher education. Applying for scholarships may be as simple as ticking a box in your VTAC application or involve a more extensive process. The type, value and duration of scholarships vary. Extensive (though not exhaustive) info on the wide range of scholarships available to students seeking tertiary study can be found on the VTAC website > Scholarships section. Year 12 students (and their family) may also like to see the attached Scholarships Resource. Detailed information and advice relating to scholarships has be emailed to Year 12 students and is available in the accessible Resource Folder located outside Jericho 10.

SEAS: Special Entry Access Scheme, students applying for tertiary study via VTAC should consider completing a SEAS application. In particular, all Year 12 MSCW students should select Category 1 (which considers demographic factors) and this year, should also carefully consider whether to complete Category 4 including the Covid-19 rating. Some students may also seek to complete Categories 2-4 as appropriate.

Accommodation: another area of great variation and requiring sound research. Sometime in August, Year 12s will be emailed advice relating to accommodation options. Upcoming Open Days also present a great chance to find out more about accommodation options, with admission to some accommodation options highly competitive and deserving future students attention now to avoid missing out.

Entry Programs: Some universities have schemes which allow eligible domestic students to gain entry to a course even with an ATAR below the published ‘Lowest Selection Rank’. Three well know examples include Access Melbourne (The University of Melbourne), Monash Guarantee (for Monash University) and Deakin Regional Access Scheme .

This year we are also seeing a large number of universities offer entry programs which are not connected with the ATAR such as ACU, Swinburne, VU, Latrobe and now RMIT and Fed Uni have joined in to provide this great option. It is worth checking institutions which are likely to feature in your preferences for these opportunities.

UAC Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS)Students considering applying for a course at an interstate university or campus might like to consider also applying for the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS).  The Schools Recommendation Schemes (SRS) enables schools to recommend current Year 12 students – who are also UAC applicants – for early offers of undergraduate admission.   The aim of SRS is to help more Year 12 students gain access to higher education, especially those students who might otherwise not be offered a place. 

SRS applications close at midnight on 19 September 2021. 

Students can find out more by visiting UAC - Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS).

Open Days

These are happening thick and fast at the moment, albeit virtually. This provides a really valuable opportunity for all students especially Year 10 – 12 to explore options and are especially accessible this year for rural and regional students. Check the calendar previously provided, Simon/PAM Career notices and also each institution’s website – registrations and planning your experience is recommended. 

Need help?

Because each university, TAFE and private college sets their own dates and processes for scholarships and accommodation, Year 12s are strongly encouraged to double check key dates for course applications, accommodation and scholarships. Those wanting help with setting up a VTAC account or with specific questions relating to their VTAC account or interstate applications are encouraged to make an appointment to speak with Mrs Martin.

Considering Teaching – Don’t forget to check entry requirements

If you are planning on applying for an undergraduate education degree in the future, you will need to be aware of selection criteria for each state. 

Victorian courses

• Achieve a minimum ATAR of 70: Some universities will require a higher ATAR. You may be able to access entry into courses with a lower ATAR if you are eligible for ATAR adjustment factors. 
• Complete the CASPer test: this is an online video-based situational judgment test. The test is designed to measure ethics, empathy and communication (selected universities will require this), https://takealtus.com/casper/  (aim to do some by 14 November to be eligible for December round offers)
• Achieve prerequisites: meet the requirements for prerequisite subjects. 

There are also some alternative options for students considering teaching:

• Pathways Course, which in some cases doesn’t take any longer, just seeks to see if you are adequately prepared with the skills and knowledge, so provides a more supported first year course which can lead to a direct transfer into your preferred teaching program.
• Complete an undergraduate course in an area of interest and then look to complete a graduate entry teaching program.
• Government supported alternative programs like the High Achieving Teachers Program offered by Teach for Australia and Latrobe University

Considering Nursing – English language skills requirement

All future nursing and midwifery students please be aware The English language skills registration standard (2019) came into effect on 1 March 2019. This registration standard applies to all nurses and midwives applying for initial registration, regardless of whether they qualified in Australia or overseas. For the majority of Year 12 students, this is evidenced via your schooling and results, but note that there is an additional form required as part of your VTAC process. VTAC will make contact with relevant students to advise of any additional documentation requirements.

Scholarships to Study Abroad

Whilst it is probably not recommended at the moment, if in the future you are 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