Quick start: Current Year 12 students
Applying for tertiary education as a current Year 12 student
This page provides an overview of the course research and application process and leads you to key information on this website, including:
Am I eligible to apply through VTAC?
Apply for courses through VTAC
Consider applying for special consideration (SEAS)
VTAC receives, collates and forwards applications to institutions. This includes requests for special consideration (SEAS), scholarship applications and other supporting documentation that may be required by institutions.
VTAC also has the role of calculating the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
After selection decisions are made by the institutions, VTAC sends messages of offer to successful applicants.
Research courses
Find courses you want to apply for in CourseSearch.
Find out about the institutions you are considering applying to.
Research the course requirements (including prerequisites) for each course that interests you. These are listed by applicant category (see below).
See the Year 12 Guide for detailed information on course research, including questions to ask and visiting open days.
Am I eligible to apply through VTAC?
Most current Australian Year 12 students who are successfully completing the VCE, VCE VM or equivalents are eligible to apply through VTAC for courses. You must meet citizenship and residency requirements.
The types of courses you can apply for depends upon the qualification —VCE or VCE VM—you complete. Check minimum tertiary entrance requirements for which courses you are eligible for.
Apply for courses through VTAC
Most current year 12 students cannot apply for mid-year course entry. Only domestic or international year 12 students studying on the Northern Hemisphere timetable can apply. Applications open 3 August 2026 for courses commencing in 2027.
Create a VTAC account and complete your profile. Most applicants will need to get a Unique Student Identifier (USI) before they can complete their profile.
Learn about the process of applying for courses and create a course application by logging into your VTAC account.
You can apply for up to eight courses in order of preference. Make sure you meet the course requirements (including prerequisites) for each.
Consider applying for equity schemes (SEAS) and scholarships
If there have been circumstance that have made it difficult for you to do your best at study, you should consider putting in a equity schemes (SEAS) and scholarships application. equity schemes such as SEAS also allows institutions to identify applicants from under-represented groups when making selection decisions for some courses. There are scholarships available for all kinds of reasons: such as those to support students with financial disadvantage, difficult circumstances and the need to relocate for study. There are also scholarships for Indigenous Australians, community service and academic merit. Find out how to apply for equity schemes (SEAS) and scholarships.
Changed your mind?
If you change your mind about a course or find a new one, you can use change of preference at certain times of the year to change your application. This includes before and after your results are released.
Get your results
You will receive your ATAR in December. Learn about the ATAR and how to access it.
Course offers
Find out about offers and how to enrol or defer.