Monash University Special Admissions Scheme

For some people, the opportunity to demonstrate their potential for university study may have been restricted due to their financial, geographical, cultural or personal circumstances.

Through the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), special consideration in admission to an undergraduate course at Monash University may be granted if you are a citizen or permanent resident of Australia who:

is mature aged
is of Australian indigenous descent
attended school in a regional and remote area
attended a school under-represented in higher education
is from a non-English speaking background
are experiencing difficult personal circumstances
are experiencing financial disadvantage
has a disability or medical condition

You apply for SEAS consideration through VTAC when you submit your course application. VTAC will provide the relevant information to Monash University if you have one or more Monash preferences. Students who apply for SEAS consideration and are offered and accept a place at Monash University, may also be contacted by us to offer you additional opportunities.

The criteria and requirements for eligibility at Monash are described in the table below. The scheme works by adjusting your ATAR. Bonus points are added to your aggregate study score and the ATAR is then recalculated. This increases your chance of receiving an offer but does not guarantee it. You can be considered in more than one category and the bonus points added together.

Further details are available from the VTAC website. If you are directly applying for entry to an undergraduate course at Monash University (not via VTAC) you should contact the Admissions Unit to discuss a SEAS application.

Category		Criteria	Requirements	Bonus to aggregate (maximum 20)
1	Mature age	21 years of age or older on 1 Jan 2011 when applying for university place as a non school leaver	Select Category 1: Personal information and location on the SEAS application form. You are not required to answer any additional questions or provide supporting documentation for this category. VTAC will take the information from your course application so long as you request them to do so by selecting Category 1.	5 points
	Indigenous Australian	Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; OR identify as a person of such heritage AND accepted as such by an Indigenous community. You may be contacted by the Monash Indigenous Student Services Unit (ISSU) for verification of your Indigenous status.		9 points
	Regional or remote school	Completed year 12 at a school classified by postcode as in a regional or remote area based on the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)		Up to 9 points
	Under-represented school	Completed year 12 at a school identified by Monash University as having low representation in higher education based on a combination of Student Family Occupation (SFO), Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) and transition to university data. Refer to the school list.		Up to 9 points
2	Non-English speaking background	Born outside Australia in a non English speaking country and arrived in Australia in the last 6 years (after 1 January 2005)	Provide A certified copy of your entry visa AND The front page of your passport with photograph (if you have more than one passport provide a certified copy of each) AND A certified copy of the initial entry stamp for arrival in Australia	3 points
3	Difficult personal circumstances	This is not an exhaustive or prescriptive list and is provided only as a guide. Circumstances impacting on your senior secondary schooling may include: Being a refugee Severe family disruption including dealing with alcoholism or drug addiction Long-term illness of a family member; illnesses which would be considered as serious and long-term such as cancer or psychiatric illness Abusive living environment: physical, psychological or emotional abuse over extended period by a person close to you Disruption of education due to constant relocation; relocating to several different schools Divorce/separation of parents; difficult separation or divorce of parents changed living conditions; requirement to change schools and social group Homelessness: no fixed address and you do not live with your family or family members Excessive family responsibility; family dependent on you for financial, emotional or physical support Recent death of an immediate family member or friend Natural disaster such as drought, bushfire or flood.	Provide An impact statement outlining the nature of your circumstances and how it has negatively affected your preparation for tertiary study. AND A statement of support from a medical practitioner, lawyer, counsellor, teacher, religious or community leader etc.	Up to 5 points
4	Disadvantaged financial background	Disadvantaged financial circumstances including: Individual or family poverty Excessive financial obligations Economic hardship Being in receipt of a Centrelink benefit (not including Family Tax Benefit) is considered to be sufficient demonstration of financial disadvantage. Therefore, applicants providing evidence of a Centrelink benefit are NOT required to make an impact statement.	If you are in receipt of a Centrelink benefit, provide Your Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) or Customer Access Number (CAN) or other evidence of receipt of a Centrelink benefit. If you are not in receipt of a Centrelink benefit, provide An impact statement outlining how your financial background has negatively affected your preparation for tertiary study AND A statement of support from a relevant person with knowledge of your financial situation eg Accountant, Lawyer, Social Worker etc.	Up to 9 points
5	Disability or medical condition	A disability, impairment or medical condition that has affected studies leading to disadvantage in your preparation for tertiary study.	Provide A statement giving details of the nature and period of the condition, and outlining how it has affected your preparation for tertiary study. AND A statement of support from the relevant health professional or educational practitioner.	Up to 5 points

This special consideration can only be applied if you meet the University's minimum entry requirements including those for age, English language requirements, and the specific prerequisites of courses for which you are applying.

If you do not have an ATAR that is close to course cut-offs, or you do not have relevant previous qualifications, you can find out about alternative pathways to qualify for admission to Monash.

Closing date

Applications for SEAS open on Monday 1 August 2011 and close on Tuesday 11 October 2011 for consideration towards applications for study at Monash in 2012.