Universities like to enrol a diverse group of students. That means they offer some places to students who come from backgrounds which are under-represented at universities. They also offer places to students who have experienced some form of long-term academic disadvantage.
Long-term academic disadvantage includes:
- living in a rural or remote area
- having extensive family responsibilities
- coming from a non-English speaking background
- having a disability
- coming from a school where going to uni has not been the norm.
If your child has been disadvantaged by one of these issues, encourage them to find out if there are special entrance or access schemes at the university of their choice. Information about these schemes is available via the VTAC Guide or the university concerned.
These schemes are still competitive, but in many cases they will allow entry to a student who falls just below the normal cut-off score for a particular course.
Research a variety of access programs at different universities. As a start, check out the following sites:
VTAC site: http://www.vtac.edu.au/seas/index.html
University of Melbourne: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/scholarships/ugrad/future/access.html
Monash University: http://www.monash.edu.au/study/access/index.html
Deakin University: http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/applications-enrolments/applications/access-equity.php
RMIT: http://www.rmit.edu.au/programs/applications/equity
Remember too, that students can begin a course with a lower ENTER requirement and apply later for a transfer.