So many ways to go to university for the class of 2020

Despite, or even because of, the coronavirus, there are more ways for school leavers to enter university in 2021 than ever before.

The class of 2020, hard hit by the coronavirus, is being offered many ways to enter university.

There are more ways for school leavers to enter university in 2021 than ever before, with new schemes to help out students in year 12 whose study has been affected by COVID-19 or who have suffered other educational disadvantages.

Some universities are offering students special educational support, including free online preparatory courses, while others have expanded early entry and school recommendation schemes.

Other programs are assessing students on the basis of their year 11 results instead of their year 12 ATAR. Institutions offering this opportunity include the University of Western Australia, the Australian Catholic University, the University of Adelaide and the Australian National University.

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Because of COVID restrictions university open days have gone online this year. Griffith University has taken the concept to the extreme with an 11-week online “open house” which started on July 14.

Although universities have long offered special entry to students suffering disadvantage, this year the coronavirus has led to a host of new initiatives as well as the expansion of existing ones.

In some cases, where students have had their year 12 studies badly interrupted, universities are ready to adjust the content of first year subjects next year. Monash University said it was preaprepared to adapt its first year curriculum in 2021 if it was advised by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority that year 12 study in 2020 had been disrupted.

La Trobe University is offering incoming students free online courses to prepare them for university. It will allow year 12 students to enter without an ATAR (which students are able to opt out of if they choose). Or if a year 12 student does better in specified online courses than their ATAR, the university will admit them on that basis, rather than the ATAR score. Some of the online courses are offered as late as January 2021.

Southern Cross University also has a free six-week online course starting on August 31, called Transition to Uni, which both year 12 students and others who completed year 12 in recent years, can take to secure a university place.

Swinburne University has a new early entry program which allows students into certain courses without an ATAR, as long as they complete year 12, have a school recommendation and meet English language requirements.

Federation University said it was working with the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre on a broader range of adjustment factors for students affected both by the coronavirus pandemic and the bushfire disasters.

The University of Southern Queensland has a new early offer scheme which is solely based on a recommendation from a student’s school principal. A number of universities, including UTS, Charles Sturt and CQUniversity, are also expanding their school recommendation schemes which offer students entry based on a school principals assessment of a student’s aptitude.

James Cook University is offering a new early offer scheme to students which is based on school results to date and the student’s school recommendation.

Edith Cowan University has a new initiative to offer an intensive four-week enabling course to students who just miss the ATAR cut-off for their chosen course. It is also giving early conditional offers to students based on predicted ATAR scores or year 11 results.