AFTER SCHOOL · YEAR 12 AND BEYOND
There is more than one way forward.
Explore what fits, understand what it takes to get there, and keep useful options open while your plans develop.
No account needed to read or explore any of this.
What are you considering?
Pick as many as you like. You don’t need to know what career you want, and nothing here is saved or locked in.
Pick any that interest you. “I’m not sure yet” is a perfectly good answer.
YOUR PERSONALISED JOURNEY
What matters for you, and when
Your plan sorts everything into six kinds of moment. Only the first two ask you to do anything. You don’t need to hold the whole system in your head: we bring things forward when they matter.
NOW
Something to do now.
COMING UP
Approaching. Get ready soon.
WORTH KNOWING
Changes how something works for you.
WORTH EXPLORING
An option or opportunity you might like.
KEEP OPEN
A real alternative worth keeping.
LATER
We’ll bring it back when it matters.
Mia · Year 12 · Victoria
Interested in physiotherapy · Permanent resident · Applying for special consideration
- NOW
Finish your VTAC application
Add your courses in order and check each one’s prerequisites against your VCE subjects.
You’re in Year 12 in Victoria, applying for courses that start next year. Victorian courses take applications through VTAC.
- COMING UP
SEAS and scholarship evidence
Special consideration and scholarship applications ask for statements and documents, and they have their own deadlines.
You told us something affected your studies this year. SEAS is how Victorian institutions can take that into account.
- WORTH KNOWING
Your residency status and fees
As a permanent resident you can usually get a Commonwealth supported place, but not HECS-HELP. That means paying your student contribution up front. If you become a citizen, this changes.
Source: Study Assist (Australian Government)
You told us you’re a permanent resident. Most people assume permanent residency includes HECS-HELP.
- WORTH EXPLORING
Other ways into physiotherapy
A related degree, then a graduate-entry physiotherapy course, is another route. It takes longer, and the fees work differently.
Physiotherapy degrees have limited places, and you have one on your preference list.
- KEEP OPEN
Exercise and health science
It leads to its own careers, and can also lead on to physiotherapy later.
Exercise science is already on your VTAC preferences.
- LATER
Change of preference
Once results are out in December, you can reorder your preferences before offers. We’ll bring this back then.
VTAC lets you change preferences after results are released.
An illustration. Your plan is built from your own year, state, interests and circumstances, and shows only the moments that apply. If there’s nothing useful to keep open, it shows nothing.
Multiple pathways. Real opportunities.
No path here sits above another. People move between them all the time, and choosing one route today rarely closes the others for good.
TAFE / VETUniversity
Many universities give credit for a related TAFE diploma, so the degree can take less time.
DiplomaDegree
Some pathway diplomas and associate degrees lead into the second year of a related degree.
WorkWork + study
Part-time or online study while you keep working.
ApprenticeshipFurther study
A trade can lead on to diplomas, engineering, or running your own business.
UniversityProfessional training
Some professions need a graduate course, registration or supervised practice after the degree.
Gap / exploreStudy or work
Many offers can be deferred. Time working or volunteering can help you decide.
Any pathA new direction
People change course, provider and pathway all the time. What you’ve done often counts towards what comes next.
Your circumstances can change how the pathway works
Four things can change what you pay, how you apply and what support you can get. Tell us only what you’re comfortable with. We ask for more detail only when it changes the answer.
Citizenship & visa status
Can affect fees, funding and pathway eligibility.
Where you live
Can affect admissions systems, VET subsidies and support.
Where you want to study
Studying interstate may mean another application system.
Your circumstances
Equity and access schemes, or other support, may apply.
Your answer appears here. Nothing you choose is saved.
Key things to understand
3 of these 8 are especially relevant to you, based on what you’ve told us so far.
RELEVANT TO YOU
How applications work where you live
Each state has its own admissions centre, and some courses take direct applications.
Applying in more than one state can mean more than one application, each with its own dates.
- Victoria: VTAC
- NSW and ACT: UAC
- Queensland: QTAC
- South Australia and NT: SATAC
- Western Australia: TISC
- Tasmania: usually direct to the University of Tasmania
RELEVANT TO YOU
Early offers
Some universities make offers before your ATAR comes out.
They can be based on Year 11 results, a school recommendation or your circumstances. Not every university or course has one, and an early offer usually still has conditions, like finishing Year 12.
RELEVANT TO YOU
Hidden course costs
Tuition isn’t the whole cost.
Plan for these as well:
- Equipment and textbooks
- Uniforms
- Checks and licences
- Placement travel
- Accommodation
- Less time for paid work
Compare courses and pathways by fit, not prestige
Compare the things that matter to you. We don’t rank courses or providers, and we never pick a winner. Some alternative routes turn out to fit better.
Example: two ways towards physiotherapy
EntryMATTERS TO YOU
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- A high selection rank. Places are limited.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- A lower rank for the first degree. The graduate course is competitive.
PrerequisitesMATTERS TO YOU
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Usually English plus a science or maths. Check each course.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Fewer to start. The graduate course has its own.
Other selection stepsMATTERS TO YOU
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Varies. Some ask for nothing extra.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- The graduate course may look at your university marks and other criteria.
Professional accreditation
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Leads to registration as a physiotherapist, if the course is accredited.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- The first degree doesn’t. The graduate course does, if accredited.
Placements
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Clinical placements during the course, sometimes away from campus.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Some in the first degree. Clinical placements in the graduate course.
Time to the profession
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Usually 4 years.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Usually 5 to 6 years in total.
Fees
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- A Commonwealth supported place, for eligible students.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- First degree: usually a CSP. Graduate course: may be full-fee, with FEE-HELP for eligible students.
Campus and travel
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Depends on the provider. Check the campus and your travel time.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Depends on the provider. The two courses may be on different campuses.
Flexibility
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Focused on physiotherapy from the start.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Exercise science leads to its own careers if you change your mind.
Provider registration
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Check the provider is on TEQSA’s National Register.
- Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapy
- Check both providers are on TEQSA’s National Register.
| Bachelor of PhysiotherapyAt the providers you choose | Exercise science degree, then graduate physiotherapyAt the providers you choose | |
|---|---|---|
| EntryMATTERS TO YOU | A high selection rank. Places are limited. | A lower rank for the first degree. The graduate course is competitive. |
| PrerequisitesMATTERS TO YOU | Usually English plus a science or maths. Check each course. | Fewer to start. The graduate course has its own. |
| Other selection stepsMATTERS TO YOU | Varies. Some ask for nothing extra. | The graduate course may look at your university marks and other criteria. |
| Professional accreditation | Leads to registration as a physiotherapist, if the course is accredited. | The first degree doesn’t. The graduate course does, if accredited. |
| Placements | Clinical placements during the course, sometimes away from campus. | Some in the first degree. Clinical placements in the graduate course. |
| Time to the profession | Usually 4 years. | Usually 5 to 6 years in total. |
| Fees | A Commonwealth supported place, for eligible students. | First degree: usually a CSP. Graduate course: may be full-fee, with FEE-HELP for eligible students. |
| Campus and travel | Depends on the provider. Check the campus and your travel time. | Depends on the provider. The two courses may be on different campuses. |
| Flexibility | Focused on physiotherapy from the start. | Exercise science leads to its own careers if you change your mind. |
| Provider registration | Check the provider is on TEQSA’s National Register. | Check both providers are on TEQSA’s National Register. |
General patterns, not a recommendation, and no provider here has been checked. TEQSA, the national regulator, registers higher education providers; a professional body accredits the course. Your plan uses the real details of the courses you’re considering. TEQSA National Register (opens in a new tab)
Didn’t get the result you hoped for?
There are usually several ways forward from here, and some may suit you better than the first plan. Each route says whether entry is guaranteed or competitive.
- GUARANTEED you get in if you meet the stated conditions
- COMPETITIVE you’re compared with other applicants
- DEPENDS differs by provider and course
GUARANTEED
A pathway diploma with guaranteed entry
Some providers guarantee a place in a named degree if you pass the diploma at a set level.
Check: the exact conditions, the credit you’d get, and the extra time and cost.
DEPENDS
Diploma or associate degree
Some lead into the second year of a related degree.
Check: whether entry to the degree is guaranteed or competitive, and the marks you’d need.
DEPENDS
Enabling or foundation program
Courses that prepare you for university study. They’re often free for eligible domestic students.
Check: which degrees it leads into, and how long it takes.
DEPENDS
TAFE / VET into university
A TAFE diploma can earn credit towards a related degree.
Check: how much credit, and which universities recognise it.
COMPETITIVE
A related course
Similar subjects, often with a different selection rank.
Check: whether it leads where you want to go, including accreditation.
COMPETITIVE
Another provider, or another state
The same course elsewhere may have a different selection rank.
Check: the cost of moving, and whether it means another application.
COMPETITIVE
Transferring after starting
Moving into the course you wanted after study elsewhere. It isn’t automatic.
Check: the university marks needed, the credit you’d keep, and any extra time and cost.
Going deeper on your path
Showing every path, because you haven’t picked one yet. Pick one at the top and only yours stay here.
Applying and preferences
- Apply through your state’s admissions centre, or directly where a course asks
- List courses in the order you want them, the one you most want first
- Check prerequisites and any extra requirement: a test, interview, audition or portfolio
- Note early-closing courses, and scholarship and access scheme dates
- Offers come in rounds. You can usually change your preferences between them
- Accept your offer, then enrol by the date given
How university fees work
These are separate things. A CSP isn’t the same as HECS-HELP.
- Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
- The government pays part of your tuition. You don’t repay it.
- Student contribution
- The part of a CSP you pay.
- HECS-HELP
- A loan that lets eligible students defer their student contribution.
- Full-fee place
- No government subsidy. You pay the whole tuition fee.
- FEE-HELP
- A loan that may help eligible students defer full tuition fees.
- SSAF and SA-HELP
- A separate student services and amenities fee, and the loan that can cover it.
Staying local
- How long the commute would take, and what it costs
- Regional campuses near you
- Regional study hubs, which give you a place to study online with support
- Online or hybrid courses
Moving away
- Residential colleges and university housing, which often take applications early
- Private rental: bond, furniture, sharing
- Travel home
- Support for moving away to study, which may be available
Open this if you might move to study. It opens by itself when you tell us you live regionally or want to study in another state.
What might this pathway really cost?
Tuition is only part of it. Here’s what to plan for. Your plan adds real figures wherever a course or provider publishes them.
Tuition and fees
- Student contribution or tuition fee. Depends on your course, and whether you have a Commonwealth supported place.
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF). Most universities charge it each year. SA-HELP can cover it for eligible students.
Other costs
- Textbooks and software
- Equipment or uniforms for some courses
- Placement travel, and accommodation if a placement is far away
- Police checks, Working With Children Checks and vaccinations
- Moving and accommodation
- Less time for paid work during placements
What if my plan changes?
EduTrail stays with you after you start. Plans change, and there’s usually a way to change with them.
Census date, once you’ve started
The deadline to pay up front, apply for a HELP loan, or withdraw from a unit without paying for it. Withdraw after it, and you may still be charged or owe a HELP debt. Your plan shows it before it arrives.
Transfer to another course
Units you’ve passed may count towards it. A CSP doesn’t move with you: you apply for the new course.
Change your study load
Studying part time can help, but check any effect on payments or visas.
Take leave or defer
Most providers let you pause. There are dates and limits.
Withdraw
Before the census date, it usually costs nothing. After it, it may.
Change institution
Usually a new application. Ask about credit.
Change pathway
University to TAFE, TAFE to an apprenticeship: all of these happen.
Get support
Student advisers, counselling and disability services are there for this.
First in your family, or new to Australia?
You shouldn’t need someone at home who’s done it before. Turn this on and your plan explains each term the first time it comes up, instead of assuming you already know it.
COMING UP · EXAMPLE
SEAS applications
SEAS closes soon. Apply through VTAC.
Common questions
No. University, TAFE, an apprenticeship, work and taking time to explore are all real ways forward, and many people combine them or move between them.
That’s common, and it’s fine. Try a few things, keep options open where it costs you little, and let your plan show you what’s coming up. You don’t need to pick a career to get started.
Your ATAR is your rank compared with other students. A selection rank is what a course uses, and it can include adjustment factors. Adjustments change the selection rank for that course, not your ATAR.
Yes. You may need to apply through each state’s admissions centre, and some universities take direct applications. Your plan puts all the dates in one timeline.
Not always. Some courses are subsidised or offered as Free TAFE, which can cover tuition, but there may still be other costs such as materials, tools or uniforms. It depends on your state, status and course.
No. A CSP means the government pays part of your tuition. HECS-HELP is a loan that lets eligible students defer the part they pay. You can have a CSP without being able to use HECS-HELP.
No. Permanent residents can usually get a CSP but pay their student contribution up front. Permanent humanitarian visa and Pacific Engagement Visa holders can be eligible for HECS-HELP, if they meet the other conditions. If you become a citizen, check again.
There are usually other routes: a pathway diploma, a related course, another provider, or TAFE into university. Some are guaranteed if you meet the conditions. Others are competitive.
Many offers can be deferred, often for a year, but not all. Check the course, any scholarship and your accommodation before you decide.
The deadline to pay up front, apply for a HELP loan, or withdraw from a unit without paying for it. Every study period has one.
You’re employed and paid while you train. You find an employer or a Group Training Organisation, sign a training contract, and do structured training with a registered training provider.
Help with the practical things: costs, moving, applications and dates. Your learner can invite you to see their plan, and it stays theirs.
See your paths. Know what’s next.
Your plan is built from your year, where you live, what interests you and your circumstances. It shows what matters now, keeps your alternatives open, and makes sure you don’t miss something just because you didn’t know to ask.
Free. Nothing is shared with a school or university.