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Access schemes

Extra consideration if your studies were affected

Checked against each admissions centre's own website on 17 September 2026, for students starting university in 2027. Dates can change, so confirm yours with your admissions centre before you act.

If something outside your control affected your Year 11 or 12 studies, an access scheme may be able to improve your selection rank for the courses you apply for. It doesn't change your ATAR.

Some deadlines come before results. For example, Victoria's deadline is Friday 9 October 2026, 5pm.

First, what is an access scheme?

An access scheme is run by your university admissions centre. It considers circumstances that affected your studies during Year 11 or 12. Depending on your circumstances and the university you're applying to, it can improve your selection rank for a course. Your ATAR stays the same.

What can an access scheme consider?

The exact categories vary between states, but they commonly include:

  • Financial hardship
  • Your own illness or disability
  • Difficult circumstances at home or caring responsibilities
  • Disruption at school
  • Going to a regional or remote school
  • English language difficulties, in Queensland

Some consideration is automatic. For example, UAC starts applications automatically for some students at regional, rural or remote schools and in the lowest-ranked areas socio-economically. VTAC considers personal information and location automatically, and SATAC adds points for students at qualifying schools without an individual application.

What can an access scheme do?

An access scheme can:

  • Improve your selection rank for a course.
  • Take account of circumstances that affected your studies.

But it can't:

  • Change your ATAR.
  • Guarantee you an offer.
  • Usually get you around a course prerequisite or English requirement.
  • Apply to every university or course. Each university decides how it uses access schemes.

Some rules are specific to a state. For example, TISC says its scheme isn't considered for early offers and isn't designed for students on a non-ATAR pathway.

What will you need?

Most applications need supporting evidence, and some documents can take time to collect. It's worth starting early rather than waiting for your results.

Depending on your circumstances, you may need:

  • A statement from you explaining what happened and how it affected your studies.
  • A statement from your school. UAC, for example, can accept one from your principal, counsellor, year adviser or careers adviser.
  • A statement from a health professional if your application relates to illness or disability.
  • Evidence of financial hardship, such as Centrelink details or a concession card.

The exact requirements depend on your state and the scheme you're applying for.

What's happening in your state?

Access schemes are different across Australia. Find your state below for the schemes, evidence and deadlines that apply to you.

New South Wales & ACT – UAC

Educational Access Scheme (EAS)

For students whose Year 11 or 12 studies were seriously affected by circumstances beyond their control, such as financial hardship, illness or caring responsibilities. A university can raise your selection rank for a course, under its own policy, so the effect can differ between universities and courses. If your school is regional, rural or remote, or your home is in one of the lowest-ranked areas socio-economically, UAC starts an application for you automatically. Illness or misadventure during your HSC exams isn't covered: that goes to NESA.

You'll need

  • A statement from you, plus an educational impact statement from your school, from a principal, counsellor, year adviser or careers adviser.
  • For personal illness or disability, a medical impact statement from the health professional treating you.

Key dates

  • Thursday 19 November 2026 – documents due for December Round 2
  • Friday 25 December 2026, 11:59pm – documents due for January Round 1
  • Friday 5 February 2027 – applications close

Applications are considered round by round, so apply early.

Cost

No separate fee. Year 12 applicants are emailed in December, before the main offer round.

Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS)

Early offers based on your school's recommendation and criteria other than, or as well as, the ATAR.

Check latest dates with UAC

Victoria – VTAC

Equity schemes application

Formerly SEAS.

For students affected by their personal information and location, financial hardship, disability or a medical condition, or other difficult circumstances. It lifts your selection rank for a course, not your ATAR, and VTAC says it can either help or have no effect, never disadvantage you. You still need the course's prerequisites.

You'll need

Supporting evidence in most cases. Personal information and location is considered automatically.

Key date

  • Friday 9 October 2026, 5pm – late documents can't be accepted

Cost

Included in your VTAC application fee. VTAC doesn't tell you the outcome because each institution applies the scheme differently.

Check latest dates with VTAC

Queensland – QTAC

Educational Access Scheme (EAS)

For students whose studies were affected by financial hardship, their home environment and responsibilities, their school environment (including regional or remote schooling), English language difficulty, or personal illness or disability. It can adjust your selection rank for a course, not your ATAR. Bond University, SAE University College, Torrens University and Griffith College don't accept it.

You'll need

Evidence depends on the category. For example:

  • Centrelink details for financial hardship
  • a school statement for home or school circumstances
  • a patient statement from a registered health professional for illness or disability

Key dates

Check QTAC, as timing depends on when you apply.

Good to know

An assessment can take up to 6 weeks, so apply early.

Adjustment factors

These are separate from the access scheme.

Set by each university: for example for results in particular subjects, or for living in a regional or remote area. QTAC notes these used to be called bonus points. There is also an Elite Athlete Adjustment Scheme.

Check latest dates with QTAC

Western Australia – TISC

Education Access Scheme (EAS)

For Year 12 students whose senior schooling was affected by exceptional circumstances. It may improve your selection rank or help you get into university, but it usually won't override English or prerequisite requirements. It isn't considered for early offers, and illness during the WACE exams goes to SCSA's sickness and misadventure process instead.

You'll need

A signed applicant statement, a school report and a school statement, plus other documents depending on your circumstances.

Key dates

  • Friday 27 November 2026, 5pm – main round
  • Friday 8 January 2027, 5pm – second round

Cost

No separate fee. Apply after your TISC application.

A note about WA

TISC's access scheme is separate from the way WA calculates its ATAR.

Your Tertiary Entrance Aggregate is your best four scaled scores, plus 10% of your best Language Other Than English score and 10% of each of your Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Specialist scores. It is then converted to your ATAR. A change to this was proposed in 2024 and has been postponed.

Check latest dates with TISC

South Australia & Northern Territory – SATAC

SATAC uses extra points added to your university aggregate, which is then used to calculate your selection rank for a course. The maximum is 9 points in total.

Universities Equity Scheme

Up to 5 points, either because you attend a qualifying school, which is automatic, or through an individual application, for example if you or your parents received a means-tested Centrelink income support payment, you were eligible for a School Card, or you held a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.

Apply

As part of your SATAC application.

Universities Language, Literacy and Mathematics Scheme

Either 2 or 4 points.

Check latest dates with SATAC

Tasmania – UTAS

Schools Recommendation Program

Early offers for Year 12 students, for up to five courses, working alongside your ATAR. Medicine and paramedicine aren't included and are assessed once ATARs are released. If you're missing a prerequisite, UTAS offers foundation units to catch up.

Key dates

  • Monday 5 October 2026 – applications close
  • Thursday 29 October 2026 – final round

Special consideration

For applicants who meet the general entry requirements but whose results may have been affected by challenges such as a serious illness or an extended period of educational disadvantage or personal hardship. Year 12 students can't apply on their final results alone: illness at exam time goes through TASC.

Key date

  • Monday 4 January 2027, 11:59pm – decisions come by 30 January 2027 at the latest

Check latest dates with UTAS

Access schemes and exam-time special consideration are different

This is an important distinction.

Access schemes

Access schemes look at circumstances that affected your Year 11 or 12 studies. They're generally handled by your university admissions centre and can affect your selection rank.

Exam-time special consideration

Special consideration is for something that happened around your final exams, such as illness or misadventure. It's generally handled by your state's curriculum authority, usually through your school, and deals with your exam results.

They don't replace each other. For example, UAC says illness or misadventure during HSC exams isn't considered under its access scheme and goes to NESA. TISC says the same for WACE exams and SCSA. If both apply to you, you may need to apply for both.

Exam-time special consideration in your state

  • Victoria VCAA

    Derived Examination Score (DES)

    The closing date for each exam is on your own exam timetable.

    Check latest dates with VCAA

  • New South Wales NESA

    Illness and misadventure

    Give the form and evidence to your principal within one week of your last exam.

    Check latest dates with NESA

  • Western Australia SCSA

    Sickness/misadventure

    Check latest dates with SCSA

  • South Australia and the Northern Territory SACE Board

    Derived result (Form 32)

    Your school sends it, with a school and medical report, within 3 days of your last exam.

    Check latest dates with SACE Board

  • Tasmania TASC

    Derived exam ratings

    Applications open 7 days before each exam and close 2 business days after. For written exams, no earlier than 2 November and no later than 24 November.

    Check latest dates with TASC

  • ACT BSSS

    Special consideration for short-term misadventure

    Apply through your college, with documentation.

    Check latest dates with BSSS

Talk to your school first.

How much could an access scheme lift your rank?

There isn't one answer. In most states, each university decides how much an access scheme can affect your selection rank, and the effect can differ between universities and courses. South Australia and the Northern Territory publish a maximum of 9 adjustment points.

For more on how selection ranks work:

Adjustment factors and selection ranks

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