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Facing Financial Hardship?
Facing Financial Hardship?
Information for students about government assistance for financing tertiary study.
Melbourne Uni Update
Melbourne Uni Update
Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Music applicants
Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Music applicants
Students who wish to apply for a place in the Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Bachelor of Music at Melbourne must submit a timely VTAC application by 28 August.
As part of your application, additional materials will need to be submitted by late September to October, depending on their chosen specialisation, such as a portfolio, audition or interview.
View audition and interview details
Access Melbourne applications open now
Access Melbourne applications open now
Access Melbourne helps us see the whole picture when students apply for undergraduate study.
Access Melbourne categories take personal circumstances into consideration as part of a VTAC application. Students may even qualify for guaranteed entry or a place in their preferred course. The 2024 guaranteed ATARs are available on our website. This includes new guarantees for the Bachelor of Agriculture and Oral Health.
The Access Melbourne eligibility calculator provides an ATAR estimate based on personal details and impacts to a students high school education.
Melbourne Uni Update
Melbourne Uni Update
Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Music applicants
Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Music applicants
Students who wish to apply for a place in the Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Bachelor of Music at Melbourne must submit a timely VTAC application by 28 August.
As part of your application, additional materials will need to be submitted by late September to October, depending on their chosen specialisation, such as a portfolio, audition or interview.
View audition and interview details
Access Melbourne applications open now
Access Melbourne applications open now
Access Melbourne helps us see the whole picture when students apply for undergraduate study.
Access Melbourne categories take personal circumstances into consideration as part of a VTAC application. Students may even qualify for guaranteed entry or a place in their preferred course. The 2024 guaranteed ATARs are available on our website. This includes new guarantees for the Bachelor of Agriculture and Oral Health.
The Access Melbourne eligibility calculator provides an ATAR estimate based on personal details and impacts to a students high school education.
Focus on VET Pathways
Focus on VET Pathways
Vocational education and training (VET) includes traineeships, apprenticeships and TAFE study.
4 out of 5 parents report that they would prefer their child to go to university than study VET, but it is crucial that both parents and students take the time to understand the VET sector, and that a preference for just university study may in some cases limit a young person's potential.
Between 20 – 30% of young people in Australia drop out of or change their university course within the first year. Many young people don’t even consider studying VET due to incorrect perceptions or through lack of understanding of the sector.
It’s no secret that employers love job applicants who have TAFE qualifications, including those who graduate from a university degree with a VET qualification.
VET graduates are considered to have ‘job ready’ skills and in the future labour market in Australia with 1 in every 2 young people expected to complete a Bachelor degree, it is more important than ever to have diverse skills, industry experience and more than one qualification (e.g., a Bachelor of Engineering with a TAFE Diploma in Project Management).
Did you know that 9/10 occupations predicted to have the most jobs growth by 2023 are in vocational training areas and in the industries with the most growth (e.g., health and community services, construction, and accommodation and food services)? Source: http://bit.ly/1mab7j7
Specific occupations with the biggest growth prediction include sales assistants, aged care workers, disability workers, enrolled nurses, electricians, chefs, and early childhood education workers etc.
Current skills shortages are in occupations such as automotive trades, food trades, construction trades, and building professionals.
A report, titled: ‘Perceptions Are Not Reality: myths, realities & the critical role of vocational education & training in Australia’, was released by Skilling Australia Foundation last year,
It revealed the following:
VET graduates earn wages comparable to, if not exceeding, that of university graduates.
VET graduates have a higher employment rate than university undergraduates. More than 78% of VET graduates are employed after training.
VET courses have adapted more readily to changing workforce needs.
There are some occupations that require a university degree (e.g., medicine, social work, law).
It is advisable that students consider undertaking VET study during their gap year (e.g., gap year traineeship or TAFE course) and concurrently with their university studies (if time permits).
Other benefits of TAFE courses include:
Higher level courses (e.g., Diploma) can provide a direct pathway into university courses with credit.
Can give you the opportunity to trial an industry or career area before you commit to university study.
Can give you a qualification you can use to gain part time work whilst undertaking university study.
Do you know you can study a huge range of vocational courses at TAFE? TAFE provides students with the opportunity to:
Undertake applied learning
Gain ‘industry ready’ experience
Learn about industries and careers
Obtain a qualification in a relatively short time frame.
The following are example courses you could consider:
The following are example courses you could consider:
Jane knows she loves working with people, has excellent written and verbal communication skills, is creative, loves thinking outside the box, is highly organised and enjoys solving problems. She explores the following TAFE courses:
Public Relations
Marketing
Advertising
Professional Writing and Editing
Broadcast Journalism
Liberal Arts
Library and Information Services
Sheridan loves sciences and health and is considering working in rehabilitation, medical sciences or allied health in the future. She explores the following courses:
Dental Technology
Nursing
Massage and Myotherapy
Allied Health Assistance
Laboratory Technology
Pathology Collection
Paul knows he loves helping people and that he would like to work in counselling, case management, or human services in the future. He explores the following courses:
Community Services
Youth Work
Disability Services
Mental Health
Alcohol and other Drugs
Aged Care
To search for TAFE courses, use the following websites:
TAFE NSW - http://bit.ly/1mgtM05
MySkills (Australia wide) - http://bit.ly/2gWp25g
It’s important to note that many courses have optional or compulsory information sessions that run between now and the end of the year.
You will need to ensure that you attend these sessions and also fulfil any portfolio or selection task requirements.
Key VET websites include:
Key VET websites include:
VET – VCAA, https://bit.ly/2CKD9Va
‘VET. It’s right now’, https://bit.ly/2yhKLdT
Skills Road, https://bit.ly/2P2YazQ
SkillsOne, https://bit.ly/1zCKBUG
Myfuture, https://bit.ly/1t6Uj62
Australian Apprenticeship Pathways, https://bit.ly/2Glf3PD
Free TAFE for priority courses in Victoria
If you live or work in Victoria, you may be eligible for a fully subsidised course at a Victorian TAFE Institute next year.
To check your eligibility and to search for TAFE courses and providers, use the websites:
Victorian Government, https://bit.ly/2nR7NGs
It’s never too early to start considering your future career directions. Many students often feel lost about what they would like to study and many feel like they don’t know where to start.
It’s never too early to start considering your future career directions. Many students often feel lost about what they would like to study and many feel like they don’t know where to start.
There are many things to consider:
Complete Year 12 or leave school early?
Vocational or higher education?
Have a gap year or go straight into further study?
Can I afford to move away if I can’t study locally?
For students and their families who haven’t been to a university or TAFE information session, there are even more questions:
Where can I study the course I am interested in?
How do I choose between several courses across several institutions?
How much will my course cost?
How do I find out about scholarships?
What if I don’t obtain the ATAR I need?
What is university and TAFE actually like?
These decisions can be difficult to make, and then you have the added pressure of focusing on your studies and other commitments like sport, hobbies and employment.
Not only can it be tough for students, but also for families!
Where do we access information?
How do we best support our child?
How can we afford the costs associated with further study?
Will Youth Allowance be available?
Apart from meeting with your career adviser early in the year, it is a great idea to attend information sessions run by vocational and university institutes. Many run focus days and information seminars throughout the year, and most run Open Days in August and September.
By attending information sessions, you and your family will be able to do the following:
Speak directly to current students and lecturers about the courses you are interested in.
Look around the campus and get a feel for the culture of the institution (e.g., does it have a modern or traditional feel? Do you think it would be easy to meet people? Would you prefer to study at a small or large campus?).
Learn about scholarships, course costs, government fee assistance, global exchange programs and accommodation options.
Ask about alternative pathway programs available in case you don’t get the ATAR you need for your course.
Attend workshops and sessions on the courses you are interested in and compare facilities and student services between institutions.
Attending information sessions will assist you in setting new career goals or firming up ideas you already have. Having a course or courses in mind can also assist you in feeling more motivated to work hard at school.
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