Insert title hereInsert subtitle hereVTAC webinar – Preparing for

SEASMonday 31 March 2014 – 4.30pm – 5.30pm

Primarily for students who have suffered long-term disadvantage

Students should prepare early: make appointments, collect supporting statements now – not when applications open.

Category 1: all applicants are encouraged to tick the box. Now includes Non-English speaking background

SEAS deadline is: Tuesday 7 October 2014

Special ConsiderationSpecial Entry Access Scheme (SEAS)

SEAS allows selection officers at institutions to grant special consideration for course entry to applicants.

SEAS does not exempt applicants from meeting course requirements.

Applicants must meet course prerequisites, attend all interviews, sit any required tests and submit all required folios and forms.

SEAS and Selection

Register through the VTAC website to set up a user account from 4 August 2014.

Once registered, applicants need to create a course application. SEAS becomes available once a course application has been submitted. Once submitted, it can be updated up until closing date and time of 5pm, 7

October.

Applying for SEAS

All of the categories will be on one page and it will look something like this.

Applying for SEAS

Category 1: Personal Information and Location◦Age◦Gender ◦ Living or school postcode ◦ Recognition as an Indigenous Australian◦Under represented schools ◦Non-English speaking background

Category 2: Difficult circumstances

Category 3: Disadvantaged financial background

Category 4: Disability or medical condition

Category 5: Schools schemes - PPP, SALT, REEP.

SEAS Categories

Is designed for applicants who wish to be considered for circumstances based upon information they provide when registering and/or applying for courses.

Applying for Category 1 is as simple as ticking a box giving VTAC permission for those circumstances to be considered.

All applicants should apply for this category.

Category 1 – Personal Information and Location

Applies to applicants whose education has been affected by family or other life circumstances.

Impact statements and statements of support are a requirement of this category.

In their impact statement applicants should include information on how the circumstances have had an adverse impact on:◦ Their ability to study and perform assessment tasks◦ Accessing educational resources◦ Attendance in school/tuition

Category 2 – Difficult Circumstances

This category applies to applicants whose education has been impacted by a disadvantaged financial background which includes such factors as:◦ Individual or family poverty◦ Excessive financial obligations◦ Economic hardship.

The category isn’t limited to applicants in receipt of Centrelink benefits. ◦ Applicants who aren’t in receipt of Centrelink benefits must

submit an impact statement and a statement of support.

Category 3 – Disadvantaged financial background

Applies to applicants who have experienced educational disadvantage as a result of a disability or medical condition.

Applicants who have experienced a medical condition, must provide a statement of support from the treating health care professional that details the condition, its duration and impact.

Important to start making appointments now and preparing impact statements and statements of support.

Category 4 – Disability or medical condition

This category applies to current Year 12 students who attend schools that are explicitly nominated under◦ Federation University – Regional Education Entry Program (REEP)◦ La Trobe University – Schools Access La Trobe (SALT)◦ Victoria University – Portfolio Partnerships Program (PPP)

Applications for under-represented programs at other institutions are through Category 1.

Under-represented schools are decided by institutions who should have a list of under-represented schools on their website.

Category 5- Schools schemes

Good impact statements are:◦ Heartfelt and personalised

◦ Succinct

◦ Explain the context, date and impact of the disadvantage

Impact statements that don’t have impact:◦ Statements that say “See scholarships” or “it’s too hard to explain”

◦ Long winded statements or those that say “call me for more information”

◦ Blank impact statements, that assume a statement of support is sufficient

◦ Orchestrated or professionally moderated statements

SEAS Impact Statements

Applicants should ask those providing a Statement of Support to:◦Clearly outline the situation, or if Category 4 (Disability or

medical) condition◦ Include a timeline ◦Outline how an individual has been impacted

Encourage students to make medical appointments now.

Remember, statements of support can be submitted online.

Evidence and impact is the key.

SEAS Statement of Support

If providing evidence you must be:◦ familiar with the issue.◦ exposed to the educational impact.

Evidence must: ◦ be brief, to the point, corroborate the impact statement ◦ be tangible and clear about the issue◦ provide a timeframe for the disadvantage

Evidence and impact is the key

Bad statements of support In previous years students were disadvantaged by poor

statements of support. For example:◦ Call me for more details ◦ Student has told me ◦ School is aware of the circumstances – if this is so, be explicit!

VTAC will not contact the school! ◦ Vague support i.e. not mentioning the circumstance ◦ Generic statements that didn’t differentiate between student

impact when a group is affected.

Everyone is encouraged to answer yes to Category 1. ◦ Being proactive you can do this as a class exercise ◦ Inform students of the categories available and their eligibility.

Tragedies in the last few days before SEAS closes are better handled by the VCAA exam allowance rather than SEAS: ◦ Using the VCAA process alleviates pressure for generic

statements which don’t help applicants.

Remember: It is easier to edit something that exists rather than create a new file.

The last minute rush

The following guidelines have been provided by Natalie Millan from Chisholm Institute and the TAFE Careers Practitioner Network

The Statement of Support should include a sentence or paragraph for each of the following:◦ How long the supporting person has known the student.◦ Knowledgeable commentary about the medical condition and/or

difficult circumstances.◦ Support and reinforce the circumstance(s) the student has described in

their impact statement.◦ Comment on how the circumstance(s) have affected educational

performance.

Guidelines for Careers Professionals

The supporting statement must explain how the condition and/or circumstances impacts on the student’s ability to study more than describing what the condition is.

Supporting statements are to be brief and to the point about reinforcing what the student has written in their impact statement.

Also, remember that supporting statements can be submitted online.

Key Messages

Now five categories of SEAS – Non-English Speaking Background part of category 1.

SEAS application is on one page SEAS is not a 2 month process it begins now! Evidence and impact are keys◦ Clear and concise impact and support statements ◦ Bad statements disadvantage student ◦ Generic statements disadvantage◦ Incomplete impact statements disadvantage ◦ Last minute rush – use the VCAA process

Finally

SEAS Statistics by Institution 2013/14

Institution SEAS ApplicationsAustralian Catholic University 4197

Deakin University 7180

Federation University 1902

La Trobe University 2066

Monash University 4589

RMIT University 3015

Swinburne University 4020

University of Melbourne 4362

Victoria University 4255