1. VTAC Information Session
2013

2. What is VTAC? VTAC Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
is the body that processes the tertiary applications,
Scholarships & SEAS applications
- is not a government body
is a non-profit organization
scales VCE Study Scores & calculates the ATAR
VCAA Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority
designs VCE Curriculum & Assessment
provides VTAC with VCE Study Scores

3. Resources for parents & students
VTAC Guide 2014 is a reference book
definitive resource
Blog for everyone
Facebook – preferred method for parents and students Facebook.com/vtacguide
Twitter 3

4. How to use the VTAC Guide
Important dates & fees – p 1 - 2
Relevant Information pp
Index of courses pp 63 – 120
Course Information pp 121 – 424
An index of major study areas pp
Relevant Information includes SEAS, Scholarships, Accomodation, Enrolment & Deferment Policies

5. Types of Courses CSP Commonwealth Supported Places
Course codes end in 1 e.g (CSP)
Deakin University – Health Science
Full Fee Course codes end in 2
Payment is required up front
(Some type 2 courses available for admission into degree courses at TAFE
but majority are for courses at Independent Tertiary Colleges)
Example Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College (DFP)
(Domestic Fee Place)
International Fee courses – end in 3 e.g (IFP)
TAFE Courses – majority are government funded and end in 4
Useful web site

6. Online course entry
VTAC heading: This heading is created for the VTAC Guide and CourseSearch only.
Campus, VTAC course code and fee-type: Only courses with applications through VTAC have VTAC course codes. These codes show which institution, campus, course and type of course fees you are applying for.
Check the application method.
Qualification, title, length: The official title of the course and number of years to complete the course.
Brief description about the course.
All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

7. Online Course Entry continued
Major studies: Provide a broader picture of what the course is about. Should be used as a research tool. i.e. Journalism
Prerequisites: Are compulsory – if a student doesn’t meet prerequisites then won’t be considered for the course.
Middle-band: Provides additional bonus to the ATAR – it can assist students whose ATAR is a bit lower than the required ATAR.
Selection mode: provides a broad overview of what is considered as part of the selection.
Extra requirements: are compulsory requirements that must be done, in addition to applying. Must be taken seriously.

8. Independent Tertiary Institutions
- offer courses on a full fee basis
- range from 1-4 years full time
- subject to an accreditation system
e.g Photography Studies College
Endeavour College of Natural Health
Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College

9. Qualifications through VTAC
VET qualifications
Higher education
Certificate III
Certificate IV
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
Undergraduate
Advanced Diploma
Associate Degrees
Bachelor
Post graduate
Masters
Graduate entry teaching

10. V
Refer to Page 11 – Colour Coding of Courses

11. Application Procedure
Students must register for a VTAC ID by logging on to
Students answer a number of questions …VTAC ID will be given
Students will be asked to select their own Pin number
Students log into VTAC User Account to apply for courses (using VTAC ID and Pin)
The VTAC User Account is also where students will
- apply for scholarships
- apply for SEAS (can only proceed after preferences submitted)
- update personal details
- change pin
- change preferences
- VTAC
- get their ATAR & Offer

12. Login to VTAC User Account
Register
Receive VTAC ID and PIN
Login to VTAC User Account
Apply for courses
Apply for Scholarships
Apply for SEAS

13. To register with VTAC and enter preferences online you need Java installed on your computer

14. What the registration includes:
Identification:
Students need to include their name and date of birth as registered with VASS and on CourseLink. If different use what’s registered then change.
Citizenship type

15. The year 12 question!
If the student answers no, the following screen appears:

16. Registration continued…
Residential address
Always use an Australian address – if students are going overseas check messages from the message centre in the User account.
Include a four digit PIN
Confirmation for students before submitting:

17. The VTAC user account
The SEAS application is activated once the course application has been submitted.

18. The course application
To add course preferences: Select institution and/or course or type in the course code.
To move a course on the preference list use the up/down buttons.
To delete a course use the x button.

19. Information and permissions

20. Confirmation screen

21. Payment screen

22. Cost of applying $27 immediate online payment (timely applic)
$ Late application
$ Very Late application
Student’s responsibility to complete application accurately, answer all relevant questions and provide required information.
Payment is via:
Credit card/Visa or MasterCard Debit
PayPal
Don’t pay by the due date, the application won’t be processed and passed on.

23. Extra Requirements What is an Extra Requirement?
e.g. Interview,Form,Folio,Audition
What is Additional Information?
Information Session, Bonus Points
Pre-requisites Units 3 & 4 a study score of at least 30 in English (ESL) or 25 in any other English (Raw score not the scaled up score)
VTAC Personal Statement Online access via VTAC User Account

24. Listing Courses Courses should be arranged in order of preference
Maximum of 12 courses
Applications close 27 September 2013
Safety net ….if still unsure students should…….
Assess skills & strengths
Use Job Guide, Course Search in VTAC site
Know course options – single degrees,
combined degrees, TAFE
Have obtained information from Institutions,
Open Days, parents, teachers…
Employment prospects
Style of learning TAFE (hands on) Uni (theory)
Location & style of Campus
Investigate majors, minors …..

25. Special Consideration – Special Entry Access Schemes Pages 28 - 42
Different types of special consideration:
SEAS through VTAC
Others directly to the institution
The Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) is the umbrella program run by a number of institutions through VTAC
Allows selection officers to grant special consideration to applicants who have
experienced educational disadvantage
It is not a get out of jail free card or a guarantee of getting into a course

26. SEAS Continued To access the SEAS application, applicants must:
Register with VTAC and create their VTAC user account and
Submit a course application
SEAS only becomes available after the course application has been submitted.
No course application, no SEAS.
Support documentation must be in by the closing date.
Students can go in and change/resubmit their SEAS as many times as they like before the closing date.
Closes: 5.00pm 8 October

27. SEAS Categories include
Category 1: Personal information and location
Category 2: Non-English speaking background
Category 3: Difficult circumstances
Category 4: Disadvantage financial background
Category 5: Disability or medical condition
Category 6:
Schools Access La Trobe (SALT)
University of Ballarat (REEP)
Victoria University (PPP) schemes.

28. Other institutions recognise these factors, but take their applications via Category 1.
Applicants should apply for Category 1 to be considered for other university under-represented schools schemes.

29. SEAS Key to a successful submission: Meet all the eligibility criteria
Tell the truth
Keep the application individual
Demonstrate IMPACT
Clear and concise supporting documents
Provide a timeframe for the disadvantage

30. Scholarships The scholarships application:
Opens 9.00am 6 August Closes 5.00pm 18 October 2013
All students are encouraged to apply - let the system sort out if you are eligible or not.
Victorian universities provide their own scholarships to assist students both through VTAC and directly.
Scholarships determined via the VTAC scholarships application may be awarded to:
students suffering with financial difficulties
Indigenous Australians and
other equity and access groups as defined by each institution.

31. The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The ATAR:
Is not a score out of 100 it is reported as a rank between 0.00 and 99.95
Allows tertiary institutions to compare students who have completed different combinations of VCE studies.
Is calculated by VTAC solely for use by institutions.
An ATAR of means that a student with that ATAR has achieved VCE results that places them in the top 25% of the Year 12 age group.

32. Results and Change of Preference
Results will be available on 16 December
- internet ….resultsandatar.vic.edu.au
- SMS (must pre register)
Change of Preference 16 – 23 December (12noon)
Period where students can add, remove or put
preferences in different order.
Mrs Connolly available at school

33. Golden Rules of Change of Preference
Before changing preferences students should check:
Last years selection data – don’t panic if the ATAR is slightly lower, still put it down. Selection data fluctuates annually.
Extra requirements to make sure they are complete
Prerequisites – to make sure they meet them.

34. How to read selection data
The Clearly in: is the ATAR at or above which everyone who applied and was eligible for this course received an offer.
The % below is the percentage of offers made to applicants with an ATAR lower than the clearly in.
This also gives you some idea on the percentage of people who had an ATAR lower than the clearly in but received bonuses to boost them up into the offered group.

35. Offers Round 1 17 January 2014 Round 2 6 February 2014
Accepting an offer
Offers and enrolment instructions can be accessed by logging
into VTAC User Account (on VTAC website) at the specified periods for each
offer round.
Students also receive an offer letter by mail if VTAC fees paid.
Verbal offers have no status.
To accept the course students must enrol in the course.

36. The Offer Rounds
If students do not pay their processing fee they won’t be considered for offers.
All offers are provisional and subject to accurate information being supplied by the applicant.
Rounds of offers:
Round one offers – majority of offers are made
Round two offers – smaller number of offers – filling places
After round 1:
Negotiated offer (for all applicants)
Supplementary offers (for all applicants)

37. Offers Continued Always accept an offer you receive
Never wait to see if you get a better offer in round two
If you don’t accept any of the offers you have been made, you are not eligible for a supplementary offer
Negotiated offers are no guarantee for an offer, unless the institution accepts you

38. Enrolment How do I enrol? Enrolment procedures will be outlined in
offer letter (also available on student VTAC User Account)
Students can only enrol in one course and are
required to attend in person on a specific
date and time.
If unable to attend sudents must nominate a
Proxy…..plan ahead

39. Negotiated Offers
Ensure course requirements have been met, including extra requirements such as interviews, folios etc.
Check place availability with the course selection officer and what additional documentation you may have to provide. Then:
Complete the negotiated offer request in the VTAC user account
If the status is pending, the student can choose to change their course request.
If the status is approved, the student will receive an offer in the next round and is not eligible for any further offers.
If the status is rejected the student can submit another request for another course.

40. Supplementary Offer
Available only if student has not received an offer in Rounds 1 or 2 or
Have not been granted an Negotiated offer
Have given VTAC permission to release their application to all courses with vacancies

41. Things to remember Applying Interstate
Always check for new/cancelled courses
Change of Address
Change of Pin Number
Deferring
GAP year
Don’t panic

42. Important dates VTAC Applications Open now
VTAC Applications Close September
SEAS Schemes close October
VCE Results & ATAR December
Via mail December
Change of Preference closes 23 December
First Round Offers January
Second Round Offers February