• Section 1 - Key Information
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Key Decisions
• Section 5 - Policy Statement
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Section 7 - Definitions
• Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

Section 1 - Key Information

Section 2 - Purpose

(1) This Policy outlines the principles governing the eligibility and selection of applicants to coursework courses, including the use of entry requirements, the application of rankings through ATAR and the award of credit. It ensures that the University meets its relevant obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, the Higher Education Support Act 2003, and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.

(2) This Policy and its Procedures should be read in conjunction with the:

1. Education Agent Management Policy
2. English Language Entry Requirements Policy
3. Enrolment Policy
4. Short Courses Policy
5. Student Fee Policy

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Policy applies to:

1. all award coursework courses, including those courses delivered in partnership with third parties, and Single Subjects;
2. all applicants for and students of award coursework courses. Any separate provisions relating to international students are outlined where appropriate. For the purposes of admission and credit Non-Resident applicants/students (as defined in this Policy) are subject to the same provisions as domestic students.

(4) For provisions in relation to higher degrees by research refer to:

1. the Graduate Research Admission Policy
2. the Graduate Research Candidature Policy for credit matters.

(5) Third party representatives appointed by the University to collect and collate applications and issue offers on the University's behalf are bound by all provisions in this Policy and its related documents.

Section 4 - Key Decisions

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(6) The University ensures that its admission policies and procedures are robust, and that admitted students have appropriate preparation for study. This is achieved by:

1. Academic Board approval of entry requirements, including General Admission Requirements;
2. the granting of credit in accordance with the principles and conditions outlined in the Credit Standard;
3. monitoring the success of student cohorts according to the basis of their admission, including the amount of credit granted, whether by the University or third parties;
4. the maintenance of accurate, reliable, and secure admissions records and assurance of these processes through regular review.

(7) Admission and selection processes are transparent, equitable and clearly communicated. This is achieved by ensuring that: 

1. entry requirements for individual courses are equivalent for domestic and international applicants, and for all offerings of the course regardless of delivery mode or campus;
2. information regarding entry requirements, core participation requirements, other conditions for entry, deferral and transfer procedures, pathways and credit arrangements is made available and easily accessible to prospective students and is regularly updated;
3. students are informed of their rights and obligations before accepting or declining their offer. This includes information about all fees and charges, and students’ rights and obligations in relation to course acceptance, changes to offers, deferment and withdrawal;
4. where quotas or limits on admission numbers are established for specific courses, indicative thresholds for entry for specific intakes are published on the University’s website.

(8) The University encourages and supports participation from persons who have experienced disadvantage or are from a group underrepresented in higher education. This is achieved by the provision of:

1. special entry access schemes and alternative entry programs, including pathways between Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels;
2. additional targeted programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, such as sub-quotas for designated courses and culturally appropriate pathway programs;
3. opportunities for applicants to discuss any need they may have for Reasonable Adjustments to their course to accommodate a disability (as defined in this Policy), or ongoing health condition, before applying and/or prior to accepting their offer.

(9) The University is bound by agreements with external admissions centres and complies with all associated rules and conditions. All students currently undertaking an Australian Year 12 or equivalent must apply through the relevant admissions centre.

(10) Applicants who satisfy all applicable entry requirements are eligible to be considered for entry to the course but are not guaranteed an offer of a place in that course. Entry into all La Trobe courses is based on competitive selection and there may be limited places available.

(11) The University reserves the right to withdraw or cancel an offer of enrolment in the circumstances outlined in the Admissions Procedure.

Section 6 - Procedures

(12) Refer to:

1. Admissions Procedure
2. Admissions Schedule
3. Admissions Procedure - Credit
4. Admissions Standard - Credit

Section 7 - Definitions

(13) For the purposes of this Policy:

1. alternative entry program: an umbrella term for programs designed to provide an alternative avenue for applicants to meet entry requirements for courses to the University other than more traditional means such as completion of Year 12.
2. applicant: a person who has made a formal application to undertake a specific course of study at La Trobe University but who has not yet enrolled in that course of study.
3. ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank): a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all other students calculated by an Admissions Centre (eg, VTAC,UAC) for the use of tertiary institutions to compare the overall achievement of students who have completed different combinations Victorian Certificate of Education studies, or equivalent Year 12 qualifications in Australia, in the same year.
4. Core Participation Requirements(CPRs): abilities, attributes and behaviours that are required to undertake learning activities and professional experience in designated courses. CPRs are not entry requirements.
5. disability: a student with a disability is one who identifies as Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic and/or of another minority neurotype with Neurodiversity support needs, or lives with or have a mental health condition, ongoing medical condition, or disability (including physical, neurological, intellectual, sensory, acquired brain injury, or specific learning difficulty).
6. entry requirement: minimum required prior preparation for study, which may include but is not limited to, specific educational qualifications, prerequisites, professional experience and expertise, or other life experience with a demonstrable relevance to the field of study.
7. international student: a student who is not a domestic student at the time of the relevant study, who will be studying in Australia on a temporary student visa.
8. Non-Resident: all applicants/students who are not classified as domestic or international as defined in this Policy in relation to their visa/citizenship and location status. Non-Residents include:
   1. non-domestic students who are studying in a domestic course that is delivered entirely online, where they do not need a student visa for their enrolment;
   2. non-domestic students studying on campus within Australia while on any temporary visa other than the student visa;
   3. any student enrolled in a non-domestic course (including Australian domestic students studying overseas in a course delivered by an offshore partner institution);
9. pathway program: a course of study that is designed to lead to entry to a subsequent qualification.
10. Single Subject: a subject in which a student enrols independently of a direct enrolment in a course at the University. This includes inbound cross-institutional enrolments, or subjects enrolled in as part of a designated entry scheme such as subjects that are taken as part of the Victorian Certificate of Education.
11. special entry access scheme: an admissions scheme where criteria are used to add adjustments to an applicant’s raw ATAR score.
12. student:
    1. a person enrolled at the University in a course leading to a degree or other award; or 
    2. a person who is designated as a student or is of a class of persons designated as students by the Council.

Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

(14) This Policy is made under the La Trobe University Act 2009.