Updating Your Preferences

You can add, remove, and adjust the order of courses on your preference list during each change of preference window. For more information, please see the "How do change of preference deadlines work?" article.

Your ability to update preferences is not affected by accepting, deferring, or rejecting an offer.

Consideration for Future Rounds

If you receive an offer, you will only be considered for courses ranked higher on your preference list in future rounds. If you are unsure about the order of your preferences, you can amend your preference list between offer rounds, during the change of preference windows.

Once offers have been made, you should only amend your preference list if you make a genuine change-of-heart decision about your course options. This will help ensure that places are available to as many deserving applicants as possible.

Change of Preference Dates

You can find the change of preference dates on the VTAC Key Dates page.

Once you have submitted your course application and paid the processing fee, VTAC will begin processing your application. Payment confirms that your application is valid and ensures you are considered for eligible offer rounds

Application Assessment Process
  • VTAC will prepare your application for the institutions on your preference list to make their selection decisions.
  • Your application will be sent to all institutions listed in your course preferences after the change of preference window closes for each offer round.
  • The selection teams at each institution will assess your application based on their selection criteria, and make offer decisions accordingly.
What you need to do next
  • Submit your Equity Schemes (SEAS) and scholarships application (if relevant).
  • Provide any documentary evidence required for your educational history and/or Equity Schemes (SEAS) and scholarships claims.
  • Complete any additional requirements under the “Additional Information” section of your VTAC account.
  • View the relevant course pages in CourseSearch to ensure you meet all of the requirements for the courses on your preference list.
  • Review the Key Dates page on the VTAC website to understand all of the relevant key dates and deadlines.
  • Keep an eye on your inbox for any updates from VTAC.

How to Pay

You can pay online once you’ve entered your course preferences. Accepted payment methods include PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard.

Step-by-step Instructions:

  1. From the course preferences screen, click the "Submit and pay" button.
  2. Click "Make payment".
  3. Choose your payment method:
    • To pay via PayPal, click "PayPal".
    • To pay by Debit or Credit Card, select “Debit or Credit Card”.
  4. Follow the prompts to enter your PayPal or card details.

Confirmation of Submission

Once payment is completed, you will be taken to a confirmation screen that advises the course application is successfully submitted. You will also receive a confirmation email, and can see a date and time stamp of "Your course application is submitted" under the “Activity Log” in the “Inbox” menu item.

How VTAC Course Preferences Work

VTAC allows you to select up to eight courses, which must be ranked in the order of your preference. Your number one course should be your most desired option, and the lower courses should be pathway options that can be ‘stepping-stones’ into higher course preferences upon completion.

You will receive only one offer per round, and it will be for the highest course on your preference list that you qualify for. This makes it very important to list courses in the order of your preference.

Tips for Listing Your Preferences

  • Prioritise your choices – List your dream course(s) at the top of your preference list.
  • Check eligibility – Only include courses for which you meet the essential requirements (e.g. subject prerequisites) and admission criteria.
  • Consider backup options – Add pathway courses lower down your list.
  • Choose wisely – Only select courses you would genuinely be happy to study.

If you are unsure about your course selection, you can amend your preference list between offer rounds, during the change of preference windows. For more information please see the "How do change of preference deadlines work?" article.

Once offers have been made, you should only amend your preference list if you make a genuine change-of-heart decision about your course options. This will help ensure that places are available to as many deserving applicants as possible.

Updating Your Course Preferences

To update your preferences, you must be registered and have submitted a course application through VTAC in the current application cycle. Changes can only be made during the relevant change of preference window for the next offer round. See the “How do change of preference deadlines work?” article for more information.
 
Steps to update your preferences:

  1. Log into your VTAC account
    • Use your registered email address and password to sign in.
  2. Navigate to 'My course preferences'
    • This can be found in the drop-down menu of the same name.
  3. Select 'Update course preferences'
    • This will allow you to make changes to your preference list.
  4. Make the relevant changes to your preference list.
    • See below for additional steps depending on what type of change you need to make.
  5. Save your changes
    • Select 'Save and exit' to finalise your preferences.
  6. Check for confirmation
    • You will receive an email confirmation once your preferences have been successfully updated.

 
Adding a course:

  1. Find the course you want to add
    • Use the available filters (Institution, Qualification, and Keyword search) to locate the course.
    • See the “How do I search for courses on the preference screen?” article for more information.
  2. Add the course to your preference list
    • Use the green plus button on the right-hand side of the course to add it to your preference list.
 
Removing a course:
Click the red cross on the right-hand side to remove a course. Important note: always double-check before removing a course, as some have early closing dates and may not be able to be re-added. View the list of courses with early closing dates on the VTAC website.   Reordering your preferences:
Use the arrows on the right-hand side to move courses up or down your list.
 
How the course preference list works: Ensuring that your course preferences are correctly ordered in order of your preference is crucial, as VTAC will only issue one offer per round for your highest eligible preference. Please see the “How does the course preference list work?” article for more information on ordering your preferences.

Withdrawal policy

Once a VTAC application has been submitted, you must proceed with this application for the current application cycle. Applications cannot be withdrawn due to a change of mind or to apply directly to an institution.

Choosing Not to Proceed

If you no longer wish to proceed with your application, simply ignore further communication from VTAC, including any offers you may receive.

Exceptional Circumstances

If you wish to discuss your application options or believe you have exceptional circumstances requiring withdrawal, please contact us at (03) 9926 1020.

Why You May Not Be Able to Add a Course to Your Preferences

There are several reasons why you might be unable to add a particular course to your preferences, including eligibility requirements and course availability. Below are some steps to help you determine the cause.

Steps to Confirm Course Availability

  1. Review Course Availability on CourseSearch

    • Confirm you meet the criteria of a permitted applicant category under the course requirements section.
    • Ensure the course is available under a fee type you qualify for:
      • Commonwealth Supported Places and Domestic Full-Fee Places are only open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents.
      • International applicants can only apply for courses with International Full-Fee Places.

  1. Check the Application Method

    • Confirm that VTAC is the correct application method, and contact the institution if you are unsure.

  2. Check for Early Closing Dates

    • Some courses may have early application deadlines due to additional selection requirements like interviews or auditions.

    • If a course has a deadline and is not in your preference list by that date, you will not be able to add it.

    • This information is available in the course entry on CourseSearch, and is updated on the following VTAC page.

Need Further Assistance?

If you have reviewed all the above steps and still cannot add a course to your preference list, please contact VTAC for support.

Submitting Your Course Application

Once you have selected your course preferences, you must submit your application in order to be considered for offers.   Click “Submit and pay” on the course preferences screen to proceed. Once payment is completed, you will be taken to a confirmation screen that advises the course application is successfully submitted.   Important notes: You can edit your course preference list as many times as you would like after submission during the change of preference windows. See the “How do change of preference deadlines work?” article for more information.   VTAC will not consider any applications that have not been submitted. Apply early and submit payment to lock in the lowest fee possible, and ensure you have enough time to submit other applications, such as Equity Schemes (SEAS) and scholarships, and complete other course requirements.  

Searching for Courses on the Preference Screen

When searching for courses, you have the option to filter by institution, qualification level, keyword search, or by inputting the course code. Instructions are provided below for each of these filtering options.

You can also use the helpful CourseSearch tool to create a favourite list, then input the course code for each of your favourites to add them to your preference list (see Input the Course Code below).

  Filter by institution:   Click on the tick-boxes next to any institution you are interested in, then click "Apply filter" to view all available courses at the institution(s). You can apply further filtering options are described below.   Filter by qualification level:   Click on the tick-boxes next to any course level you are interested in, then click “Apply filter” to view all courses at that level.   Filter by keyword search:   If you have already applied a filter, the keyword search field will be available. If you have not applied another filter, click “Apply filter” to list all courses. This will show the keyword search field.   Input the keyword you wish to search, followed by an asterisk (*). For example, if you wish to search for all courses with “Nursing” in the title, input “Nursing*”, then click “Apply filter”.   Input the course code:   If you have found courses on CourseSearch or an institution page with the VTAC code, you can input the code directly into the keyword search field to find the course.   Be sure to not have any other filters applied that prevent the course from displaying.    Tips for inputting the course code:
  • Clear all filters by clicking “Reset filter”
  • Click “Apply filter” to list all available courses, 
  • Input the course code, and hit “Apply filter” again
  • Add the relevant course to your preference list