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2 Table of contents Key dates... ii Fast facts... ii Contacting UAC... ii What are Educational Access Schemes (EAS)?... 1 What is long-term educational disadvantage?... 1 How do Educational Acccess Schemes work?... 1 What disadvantages can be claimed?... 1 Adding disadvantages to EAS applications... 2 Supporting documentation... 2 Applying for EAS a step-by-step guide... 3 EAS correspondence... 4 Viewing correspondence from UAC... 4 EAS acknowledgement letters... 4 EAS eligibility letters... 4 Important dates for eligibility letters... 5 Things to remember... 6 Apply early and avoid a rush... 6 A handy reference to key issues... 7 Educational Impact Statement... 8 Educational Impact Statement Section A... 8 Problems we experience with impact statements... 9 Tragic circumstances... 9 School letters/record of attendance Sample record of attendance letters...13 Some common errors Non-UAC applicants Overseas documentation not translated into English Unreadable photocopies Educational impact statement (EIS) Medical impact statement (MIS) Evidence of arrival in Australia Missing long periods of Year 11/12 for other than medical reasons (D01D) The mythical 5 bonus points! Untrue or incomplete information Page i

3 Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklets A number of EAS booklets with application forms are sent to schools. Students can also download an EAS booklet and application form from UAC s web site at Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page ii

4 What are Educational Access Schemes? Most of UAC s participating institutions have Educational Access Schemes (EAS) to help students who have experienced long-term educational disadvantage gain admission to university. EAS are available for educationally disadvantaged students who: belong to a group which is statistically under-represented in the student population, and/or by virtue of their individual experience/s, have been impeded in their studies. What is long-term educational disadvantage? To be eligible for EAS consideration educational performance must have been seriously affected, normally for a period of at least six months (before the end of October 2015), during Year 11 and/or 12 or equivalent, due to circumstances beyond the control or choosing of the applicant. The six-month eligibility period for current Year 12 students claiming educational disadvantage stops at the end of October Disadvantages that occur after October 2015 are not eligible for EAS consideration, as the disadvantages can no longer impact the applicant s educational performance and qualifications that will be used by the applicant when applying for admission. Ongoing disadvantages must have been experienced by the applicant for at least six months prior to the end of October Disadvantages may extend beyond the end of October 2015, but must have impacted the applicant s educational performance for six months prior to that time. Current Year 12 students who become ill just before/during HSC exams may be eligible to submit an illness/misadventure appeal with the NSW Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) by completing an Appeal Form available from their school principal and/or BOSTES. For further details about BOSTES Illness and Misadventure, visit How do Educational Access Schemes work? Institutions use EAS to make offers of admission in one of two ways. They: set aside a certain number of places for Educational Access Schemes applicants, or allocate bonus points. For details of how institution schemes work, see page 11 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. What disadvantages can be claimed? Institutions provide EAS consideration for 25 different types of educational disadvantage under six categories of disadvantage: financial home environment disrupted schooling personal illness/disability refugee status English language difficulty school environment. Full details of the eligibility criteria and required supporting documentation for each of the 25 disadvantages are listed in Table 2: Types of disadvantage on pages of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 1

5 Adding disadvantages to EAS applications Applicants can add disadvantages to an existing application using a Supplementary EAS application form available from UAC s website at See page 2 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet for more information about adding disadvantages. Supporting documentation Applicants must provide all the required statements and supporting documentation for each disadvantage claimed. Details of required documentation are listed in the Documents required column of Table 2: types of disadvantage on pages of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. Where documentation is not provided to UAC, assessment of the claim may not be possible. UAC will not contact any EAS applicant in relation to missing or insufficient supporting documentation for their EAS application. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 2

6 Applying for EAS a step-by-step guide All students must apply for undergraduate admission through UAC before submitting an EAS application. An EAS application received before an application for undergraduate admission has been submitted to UAC can t and won t be assessed. Step 1 Early August EAS application material (Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet and application form) is available at UAC also sends copies to schools. Step 2 Schools let students know about EAS and how to obtain application material. Step 3 Schools ask students to read the EAS application material thoroughly to: check eligibility in Table 2: Types of disadvantage check how to complete the application identify and collate necessary documentation. Step 4 Schools urge students to submit EAS applications with all documentation to avoid a last minute rush. The on-time closing date for undergraduate admissions is Wednesday 30 September EAS applications close to receive eligibility letters in time for the Main Round on Monday 30 November The last date for applications to be considered in Main Round offers is Wednesday 6 January The final closing date for EAS applications is Friday 15 July Read Key dates on page 3 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet for more information. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 3

7 EAS correspondence Viewing correspondence from UAC Students must provide an address when they apply for undergraduate study through UAC. UAC will send an message to them when they have correspondence about their EAS application. When they receive an alert from UAC, they should go to Check & Change at to view their correspondence. We recommend they go to Check & Change regularly. They ll need their UAC application number and UAC PIN. Some accounts might send s from UAC to their junk folder. Students should add the domain uac.edu.au to their list of safe senders. It s their responsibility to check s regularly (including their junk s) for any messages from UAC. EAS acknowledgement letters EAS acknowledgement letters let your students know that their EAS application has been received and is being processed by UAC. Your students will receive an EAS acknowledgement letters within ten days of their EAS application being received at UAC. Students need to sign in to Check & Change to view any correspondence from UAC. Applications will not be processed and UAC will not send an EAS acknowledgment letter if your students have: not submitted a UAC application for undergraduate admission not signed their EAS application form applied using a previous year s EAS application form provided an incorrect UAC application number or name an ineligible citizenship status. If your student submits an EAS application and doesn t receive an acknowledgement letter within ten days of anticipated receipt by UAC, they should call UAC on , from mobiles on (02) , between 8.30am and 4.30pm (Sydney time) Monday to Friday. UAC doesn t make allowances or take responsibility for late courier or mail deliveries, or applications lost in the mail. EAS eligibility letters After an EAS application has been assessed your students will receive an EAS eligibility letter. This lets applicants know whether or not they re eligible for EAS consideration under each institution s scheme. Students need to sign in to Check & Change to view and download any correspondence from UAC. A student s eligibility status for each institution is Yes or No whether or not they have included that institution in their preferences. UAC assesses all EAS applications centrally on behalf of participating institutions but individual institutions have their own policies on how EAS assessments are considered when making offers. This means that even though assessment is the same for all institutions: students may be eligible for EAS consideration at some institutions but not at others students may be allocated a different number of bonus points by different institutions (by the institutions that allocate bonus points). Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 4

8 Important dates for eligibility letters Applicants who submit their EAS application by 4.30pm on Monday 30 November 2015 will receive their EAS eligibility letter between Friday 18 December and Tuesday 22 December 2015 (before Main Round offers). No eligibility letters are issued before this date. This means that if an EAS applicant wishes to change their course preferences, they already know their EAS eligibility for every institution. Change of preference for the Main Round closes at midnight on Wednesday 6 January Applicants who submit their EAS application after Monday 30 November 2015 and prior to Wednesday 6 January 2016 will receive their EAS eligibility letter after Thursday 21 January 2016, which is after the closing date for change of preferences for Main Round offers. For more information read Key dates on page 3 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 5

9 Things to remember Apply early and avoid a rush To avoid the panic and stress, we urge you to reinforce with your students the need to start their EAS application process early, in line with their application for undergraduate admission through UAC. This will: help you give you more time to complete Educational Impact Statements help your students give them more time to gather all relevant documents. You should advise your students to provide all information and documents specified in the Table 2: Types of disadvantage on pages of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. UAC will not follow up or contact any EAS applicant regarding missing or insufficient documentation. We recommend that EAS applicants submit their application for undergraduate admission and their EAS application, with the required supporting documentation, before Wednesday 30 September This way, they avoid having to pay additional fees for their application for admission (ranging from $157 to $187 for admissions) and it frees their time as they prepare for their HSC examinations. However, applicants have until Monday 30 November 2015 to submit their EAS application to know the outcome by the Main Round on Wednesday 20 January Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 6

10 A handy reference to key issues Topic You need to know EAS booklet page Key dates Lists key dates for EAS. page 3 What is long-term educational disadvantage? The eligibility period for current Year 12 students claiming education disadvantage closes at the end of October page 2 Who can apply for EAS through UAC? Who can t apply for EAS through UAC? UAC applicants for undergraduate admission. page 2 EAS is not open to international applicants. page 2 Adding disadvantages to a submitted EAS applications Applying for EAS Sign and date the EAS application form Elite athletes/performers Table 1: Institution policies Applicant s statement How institution schemes work Table 2: Types of disadvantage Financial hardship and Centrelink information Participating institutions Applicants can add one or more disadvantages using the Supplementary EAS application form. UAC doesn t accept EAS application forms from previous years; student must complete the EAS application form. If UAC receives an EAS application form from a previous year, their application will be returned to them. We can t and don t process EAS applications that haven t been signed. If students don t sign the form their application will be returned to them. Elite athletes/performers can t claim for disadvantages that are a result of their sporting and/or performance commitments. Summarises institutions policies on course exclusions; minimum ATAR requirements and disadvantaged schools. Must be completed and signed by the applicant, unless there are exceptional circumstances. See the EAS application form for more information. Outlines the EAS method allocation of places or bonus points used at each institution. Lists the 25 disadvantages that applicants can claim and the supporting documentation required. Applicants don t have to attach Centrelink documents to their application if they are currently in receipt of a Centrelink income support payment. When they apply they only have to provide their Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) UAC uses this to get their Centrelink information electronically. Contact information for each institution participating in EAS. page 2 pages 3, 5, 8 and 9 pages 3 and 5 page 4 page 7 page 9 page 11 pages page 15 page 24 Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 7

11 Educational Impact Statement The Educational Impact Statement (EIS) is an essential part of an EAS application for 13 of the 25 disadvantages. The purpose of the EIS is to provide independent evidence that an applicant has been educationally disadvantaged as well as the extent of the educational impact of the disadvantage. The EIS needs to confirm the information included in the Applicant s statement. If the information cannot be confirmed, the claim will not be assessed. UAC does not assess EAS applications on unsubstantiated information provided by applicants. A separate EIS must be completed for the following disadvantages: F01C, H01A, H01B, H01C, H01D, H03A, H03B, H03C, H04A, L01A, L01B, P01A and S01D. If we don t need an EIS we ll need some other form of supporting documentation. Check Table 2: Types of disadvantage on pages in the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. EAS assessors rely on the information provided in the EIS to verify the claims being made and to gain an understanding of the impact of the educational disadvantage/s experienced by the applicant. Assessment outcomes are based on the impact of the disadvantage, which may vary between individuals. Help us to assess applications accurately. As the responsible person who completes the statement, ensure that: you know (either directly or indirectly) about the educational disadvantage/s described by the applicant and you know whether they have affected the applicant s educational performance you re able to make an assessment about the impact the disadvantage has had on the applicant s educational performance. Read page 9 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet for information about who can complete the EIS. Educational Impact Statement Section A Educational disadvantage Don t forget to complete the Duration of disadvantage (years/months). Explain how and/or whether the educational disadvantage has affected the applicant s educational performance. Indicate the impact the educational disadvantage has had on the applicant s educational performance, all levels of impact are assessed. If there has been no impact on educational performance you can state this in your comments. Details of responsible person Complete relevant sections schools don t have to complete address information but should include their school stamp to authenticate the information. What you write in the EIS must be specific to the applicant. We understand that some school staff may have to complete many EIS which is very time consuming. However, vague and generic statements are not helpful in the assessment process. Please write a personalised Educational Impact Statement for each student. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 8

12 Problems we experience with impact statements Problem: Solution: Problem: Solution: Problem: Solution: Problem: Solution: Problem: Solution: Some students are creative and add their own comments to those written by school staff. Students must not alter or add to the EIS in any way. To prevent this happening, we ask that the person who completes the EIS, add their signature at the end of their comments in Section A. At some schools different staff complete different sections of the Educational Impact Statement. This makes is difficult for assessors to determine the authenticity of the supporting statements, as the signature handwriting doesn t match some/all sections of the document. We ask that the person who completes and signs Section B, adds their signature to the end of the comments in Section A to indicate that they have read and agree with the comments. The same person has completed both the EIS and the Medical Impact Statement. This is not permitted please emphasise this with your students. The EIS must be completed by the school/college principal, counsellor, year adviser or careers adviser. The Medical Impact Statement must be completed by a registered health professional who is treating the students medical condition/disability. The Impact box has not been ticked on the EIS. Please ensure your school indicates the level of impact the educational disadvantage has had on the applicant s educational performance. All levels of impact are assessed. The Impact box has not been ticked on the Medical Impact Statement. Please emphasise to your students the importance of their registered health professional completing this part of the Medical Impact Statement. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 9

13 Tragic circumstances Every year a small number of schools have tragic circumstances that affect more than one student, for example, the death of a Year 12 student. In these circumstances it is very important that EAS advisers who complete the EIS differentiate the impact on students. For example, it is likely that close friends of the deceased will experience deeper impact than that of acquaintances, while others in the same year may be affected only slightly. A standard letter from the school attached to each EAS application does not differentiate the impact and makes an equitable assessment of the EAS applications very difficult. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 10

14 School letters/records of attendance Students must provide from their school one or more of the following supporting types of documentation for most disadvantages claimed: educational impact statement (EIS) school letter record of attendance (a record of attendance confirms the period the student attended the school, it is not a record of absences see below). Record of attendance A record of attendance confirms the period the student attended the school. It is not a record of absences. The record of attendance must: be on the school letterhead confirm the period the student attended the school be signed by the principal or another senior person at the school. Information required in the above supporting documentation differs depending on the type of disadvantage. Check Table 2: Types of disadvantage on pages of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet for more information about documentation. Some Types of disadvantage ask schools to include the period of enrolment in supporting letters if you don t include this where required, you will disadvantage your students. Following is a summary of what s required from the school, including sample letters for types of disadvantage where we need a standard type of letter, to make your task easier. EAS advisers may find this useful as a handy reference. Type of disadvantage ED codes Documentation required from schools Disrupted schooling Financial hardship Home environment and responsibilities English language difficulty Personal illness/disability Distance education * sample letter included D01A*, D01B* & D01C* D01D F01C H01A, H01B, H01C, H01D, H03A, H03B & H03C H04A L01A* & L01B* P01A S01D* Record of attendance from each secondary school attended Letter, on school letterhead, confirming the missed period/s of school Educational impact statement Educational impact statement Educational impact statement and a letter, on school letterhead, confirming any missed period/s of school Educational impact statement and Record of attendance Educational impact statement and a letter, on school letterhead, confirming any missed period/s of school Educational impact statement confirming student is studying as a result of circumstances beyond their control or choosing Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 11

15 Sample record of attendance letters These can be used for: Disrupted schooling DO1A, DO1B and DO1C English language difficulty LO1A and LO1B. Depending on the type of disadvantage, supporting documentation from the school must include: (a) when the student started at your school (b) when the student left or confirmation of current enrolment. Student has left your school Date School letterhead To whom it may concern This is to confirm that [Joanna Student] attended this school from [date] to [date], which covered Years 7, 8 and 9. [signature] JT Boss Principal Student is currently enrolled at your school Date School letterhead To whom it may concern This is to confirm that [Joanna Student] has been a student at this school since [date] and is currently enrolled in Year 12. [signature] JT Boss Principal Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 12

16 Some common errors Here are some common errors we find in EAS applications. Bring these to your students attention when you advise them about EAS. Non-UAC applicants Error: Remedy: Applicants submit their EAS application before they have applied for undergraduate admission through UAC. Ensure your students are aware that they must apply for undergraduate admission through UAC prior to submitting their EAS application. They need to record their UAC application number in section 1 of the EAS application form. Overseas documentation not translated into English Error: Remedy: Applicants provide documents in a language other than English without a translation: this makes assessment impossible. All documentary evidence in a language other than English must be accompanied by a translation from an appropriate translation organisation. See page 4 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet for information on providing documents. Unreadable photocopies Error: Remedy: Applicants provide unreadable photocopies particularly visa and passport date stamps: this makes assessment impossible. All photocopied documents must be readable: this will help achieve the best possible outcome for the applicant. Educational impact statement (EIS) Error: Remedy: Applicants forget to have this section completed: we don t assess applications if an EIS is not completed for each disadvantage claimed, where it is stated in the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet that an EIS is required. It must be completed and the person who completes it must complete the Impact section. Medical impact statement (MIS) Error: Remedy: Applicants list P01A Personal illness/disability and forget to have this section completed. Applicants who claim P01A must arrange to have this statement completed by the registered health professional treating their medical condition/disability. The registered health professional must tick one of the impact boxes. Evidence of arrival in Australia Error: Remedy: Applicants passport/visa documents don t clearly show the date of arrival in Australia. For D01B, L01A, L01B, L01C and R01A applicants must attach documents to show date of arrival in Australia and/or visa information. If an applicant's passport/visa document does not show this date clearly then the applicant should contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, complete the appropriate paperwork and get movement record documentation. This process should be started as soon as possible because it will take time to obtain the documentary evidence. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 13

17 Missing long periods of Year 11/12 for other than medical reasons (D01D) Error: Under D01D, applicants claim internal school events/board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) issues, which are not considered by institutions under EAS, for example: lack of subject teacher or teacher disruption/leaving building renovations relocation of school shared school library truancy and suspension voluntary student exchange programs. Remedy: These cannot be claimed under EAS. An example of circumstances which may be considered under this type of disadvantage are: parents are itinerant workers. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 14

18 The mythical 5 bonus points! EAS administered by institutions operate differently, as explained in How institution schemes work on page 11 of the Educational Access Schemes (EAS) booklet. However, we continue to hear from people who believe that EAS applicants receive a blanket five bonus points from all institutions; this feedback comes from schools, students and parents. It is wrong. Some institutions add bonus points to applicants selection ranks to take into account their educational disadvantage, while other institutions have a specific number or percentage of places allocated for EAS applicants and eligible EAS applicants compete for these places. Each institution has its own policy. If you receive any queries about the mythical 5 bonus points direct people to the Educational Access Schemes booklet, UAC s website at and of course to institutions respective websites. Bonus points don t change your ATAR As described above, sometimes institutions allocate bonus points. Bonus points are added to a student s selection rank not their ATAR. Generally, the most frequently asked questions about ATARs and bonus points are: If I m eligible to get bonus points, does my ATAR change? No. If institutions allocate bonus points they are not added to your ATAR. Bonus points are not ATAR points, they are just that bonus points. Bonus points don t change your ATAR; bonus points change your selection rank for a particular preference or course. There are some instances where your ATAR might be recalculated, if: BOSTES provides amended HSC results to UAC students complete additional courses, and students repeat courses you ve already completed. If your ATAR is recalculated, you ll receive a new ATAR Advice Notice. Otherwise, your ATAR never changes. If bonus points don t increase my ATAR, then how do they work? Institutions allocate bonus points for different circumstances. Examples include students who show a strong performance in specified HSC subjects; students who live or attend school in an area defined by the institution and students who ve applied for consideration through EAS. For most Year 12 applicants, their selection rank for entrance to higher education is their ATAR. However, if institutions allocate bonus points to you, then your selection rank for a particular preference or course = ATAR + bonus points. As the bonus points schemes for each institution, and often for each course at the same institution, are different then the student s selection rank can be different for each course they list in their course preferences. Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 15

19 Untrue or incomplete information Each year UAC cancels some EAS applications. Why? Some students submit EAS applications in which the EIS (or MIS) is written by someone other than the responsible person named in the statement; others submit fraudulent documents. In most cases the cancellations are unfortunate as the applicants concerned usually have a genuine case and the schools would have gladly completed the EIS. Alert students to the consequences of submitting untrue or incomplete information in their EAS application. Depending at which point untrue information is detected their: EAS application could be cancelled UAC application for admission to university could be cancelled enrolment at a university could be cancelled. Applicants give institutions permission to do this when they sign the Declaration and authority on their Educational Access Schemes Application edition Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT) Pty Ltd Quad 2, 8 Parkview Drive Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127 Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW ASK UAC ( ) from mobiles: (02) from overseas: [email protected] ABN ACN Educational Access Schemes Schools Package Page 16