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Parents & caregivers

Are you currently supporting a person who is considering tertiary education? This page helps parents and carers strengthen their knowledge of the application process through VTAC by sharing resources and key advice.

VTAC’s role

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) is a hub for tertiary course applications in Victoria. VTAC receives, processes and forwards applications to the institutions you have applied to. We don’t decide who gets into a course—that’s the institutions’ job. We just make the process a lot easier for you and them. We also process special consideration claims through the SEAS application and some scholarship applications.

VTAC Application Top Tips:

  1. Please familiarise yourself with the application key dates and deadlines . This will ensure that crucial tasks are completed on time and that the person you’re supporting isn’t disadvantaged by missing an important point in the application process. The VTAC Newsletter provides timely advice on the application process through VTAC, including guidance on processes such as the preference and offers system, special consideration through SEAS, the ATAR and subject scaling, and scholarships. Sign up today.
  2. Visit our webinars and Youtube page for step by step guidance on applying.
  3. If you’re assisting with course research, VTAC CourseSearch has all the information you need. With up to 2,000 course listings detailing major studies, prerequisites, career options, ATAR profiles, and other criteria, it’s your best source of information on tertiary courses available in Victoria. Check out our fact sheet on how to get the most out of VTAC CourseSearch.
  4. Understand the preference and offers system with these key points:
    • Applicants should list courses in the order they want to get into them – their most wanted course at #1, their second most wanted at #2 and so on.
    • On each offer round, each applicant will be eligible for one offer. If they meet the requirements of multiple preferences, they will receive one offer and that will come from the highest preference to make an offer.
    • This means that if they meet the requirements of preferences #4, #5 and #6, they will only receive an offer for preference #4. They won’t find out about the lower preferences as those places will have gone to other applicants.
    • Any preference listed higher than all offered courses will be considered in the next round of offers. Using the above example, preferences #1-3 will be considered as they are higher than the offered fourth preference.
    • Change of preference opens in between each offer round, meaning that applicants can move courses above the offered preference for consideration. If they receive a preferred offer in a subsequent round, they can accept that and withdraw from the previous offer. Note that only preferences listed higher than offered courses will be considered.
    • Preference placement is never used as part of the selection process. Applicants have the same chance of being made an offer for a course whether it’s their first preferences, last preference or somewhere in between.
  5. All official offers are made on set offer rounds as detailed on the VTAC dates page. If your Year 12 has received an early offer from a university, they still need to apply for that course through VTAC. If they are hoping for an offer from a preferred course then the preferred course should be listed higher on their preference list than the early offer.
  6. If you need additional assistance, get in touch with our Customer Service team. We're available by phone 9:30am-5pm, Monday to Friday at 03 9926 1020.
  7. Get a feel for an institution by visiting their open day. It’s an excellent opportunity to experience the on-campus culture, ask questions of staff and students, join in the organised activities and check out any faculties of interest.

Download a fact sheet:

Additional resources:

  • The VTAC Year 10 Guide is designed to encourage students to begin thinking about their post-secondary education life and includes great advice about what to consider – and what not to consider – when choosing VCE subjects.
  • The VTAC Year 11 Guide discusses the process of researching tertiary courses, such as attending open days and considering prerequisite and ATAR requirements.
  • The VTAC Year 12 Guide has detailed information on researching courses and includes step-by-step instructions on how to apply for them through VTAC.
  • Not every tertiary study journey begins straight after secondary school, which is why we also have the VTAC Mature Age Guide. It provides advice for those applying without school support and step-by-step instructions on the VTAC process.