Important QTAC Information

Year 12 students have received their QTAC 2017 Guide for tertiary study applications from 2^nd August until 30^th September. Students will be offered an appointment with the Careers Counsellor throughout Term 3 (I encourage parents to attend with their student where possible) to discuss ordering their preferences. A ‘How to Apply’ session will be delivered during Personal Development classes after the QCS Test has been completed. Please note, those students interested in studying in Melbourne will need to apply through the VTAC process.

There have been some changes made to the QTAC offers process this year, with early offers commencing for some courses from 18^th November (the last day of school for Year 12 students). It is important to be aware that students need to respond to their offer within a set time frame. This could be within 4 days or 7 days, depending on the date of the offer as advised at the time of the offer. Therefore, if students are attending Schoolies Week celebrations, it will be important for them to continue to check the status of their QTAC applications online and via email and respond promptly. Students are also able to nominate their parents to access information and act on their behalf when they complete their QTAC application.

Key dates for the QTAC application and offer process are outlined below:

2016

• 2^nd August: QTAC online applications open: http://www.qtac.edu.au/.
• 27^th September: If paying by BPAY, lodge and pay for your application by this date. Your payment must reach QTAC by 30^th September to avoid the $138 application fee.
• 30^th September: On-time application due date for a $37 fee.
• 1^st October: Application fee increases from $37 to $138.
• 18^th November: Depending on the courses you apply for, you could receive an offer from this date onwards.
• 8^th December: Application and documentation due date (including the Educational Access Scheme documentation if requested by QTAC) for courses commencing in Semester 1 2017.
• 15^th December: Major offer round for creative and performing arts and some other courses for entry in Semester 1 2017.
• 16^th December: Year 12 results mailed by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
• 17^th December: Year 12 results available from Learning Accounts on the Student Connect website at: https://studentconnect.qcaa.qld.edu.au/.
• Late December: OP ineligible ranks will be available on your QTAC application.

2017

• 9^th January: Final date for change of preference in the major offer round on 16^th January, before 10.00am.
• 16^th January: Major offer round for Semester 1 2017 courses.
• 2^nd February: Offer round for Semester 1 2017 courses with vacancies.

Note: QTAC will notify you by email if you have received an offer. If you receive an offer, but don’t respond to it, the offer will lapse and you will no longer be considered for a course. If this happens, contact QTAC immediately. Remember to use your private email address NOT your school email address on your QTAC application.

Special Consideration Through QTAC

QTAC's Educational Access Scheme (EAS) helps applicants who have experienced difficult circumstances that have impacted negatively on their senior studies. The categories of EAS are:

• Financial hardship;
• Personal illness and disability;
• Home environment and responsibilities;
• Educational disruption; and
• English language difficulty.

Through EAS you may receive bonus ranks towards entry to your preferred course. You can apply for EAS as part of your QTAC application. QTAC will send you an email containing a cover sheet for each relevant category if you need to send documentation to support your EAS application. You then mail or deliver the required documents with the cover sheet(s) to QTAC. Read more about EAS in the QTAC Guide on page 10 or at: http://www.qtac.edu.au/applications/application-resources/assistance-schemes/educational-access-scheme.

The QTAC Guide

This book is a very important resource for students wishing to apply for Queensland tertiary courses that commence in 2017. Following are some of the items you can find in the Guide:

• How to apply through QTAC and some myths about the process (page 5).
• Ordering preferences and how to reorder them for multiple offer rounds (page 6).
• Responding to an offer, including offer round dates (page 14).
• Key dates and fees (page 19).
• Courses that have fixed closing dates i.e. you must apply for them by a certain date or you miss out (page 20).
• Courses that have their major offer round on 15^th December 2016 (page 21).
• A section on assistance schemes (page 24). Institution websites will provide you with more information on this as well.
• Course descriptions and requirements (the index on page 30 will help you navigate this section).
• Information about tertiary institutions you apply directly to i.e. not through QTAC (page 172).
• Information about the tertiary institutions you can apply to through QTAC (page 190).

Year 12 students are advised to read the information in this booklet carefully. Use the ‘Contents’ page on page 3 to find specific topics. The on-time due date for QTAC applications is 30^th September 2016. The application fee up to this date is $37. From 1^st October 2016, the fee increases to $138.

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor