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Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
What is the Educational Access Scheme (EAS)?
QTAC's Educational Access Scheme is for current and former students who have experienced difficult circumstances that have adversely impacted on their studies.
If you experience difficult circumstances you should seek compensation though your school or education provider in the first instance. Your school or education provider may make arrangements to help you. You might receive consideration such as extra time for assignments, access to technology, or adjustments to the type of assessment activity. If you do receive compensation you are unlikely to receive it again when you apply through QTAC . However, if you do not receive compensation or if the compensation is not sufficient then QTAC's Educational Access Scheme may assist.
Depending on your situation, institutions may add bonuses to your rank/OP to increase the competitiveness of your tertiary study application.
What is not considered under EAS?
EAS is not intended to compensate for the consequences of decisions that you make (such as participating in competitive sport) or normal life risks (such as not adjusting to university life).
How do I apply for EAS?
You can apply for EAS as part of your QTAC application. If you indicate in your QTAC application that you wish to be considered for EAS you will need to select which categories of EAS apply to your circumstances by ticking the relevant boxes. At the end of your application you should print a cover sheet for each category of EAS you have nominated. EAS cover sheets contain questions that you MUST answer and indicate what you MUST provide to QTAC for your EAS application to be considered, i.e. documentation and personal statements.
If you wish to nominate for EAS after you have lodged your QTAC application, you can access the cover sheets for each of the categories by clicking here. Please note that you must also advise QTAC Information Services on 1300 GO QTAC (1300 467 822) that you intend to nominate for EAS and which categories you intend to apply for. QTAC can then update your application accordingly.
What documentation do I need to provide?
Your EAS application MUST be substantiated by appropriate documentation. This may include assessments from professionals such as doctors, psychologists or solicitors. For each category the cover sheet will specify the documents that must be provided. These documents should be provided, along with the completed cover sheets, as soon as possible to QTAC.
To see a table listing the required documents for each EAS category, please click here.
If you are unable to provide the specified documents then you must provide a written statement outlining why you are not able to do so. You should provide any alternative documents that you have available and which will help to support your EAS application. QTAC will evaluate your application, including your statement indicating why you cannot provide the specified documentation, and may refer your application to the institutions to which you have applied for a final decision.
What is an Educational Support Statement?
In addition to your EAS cover sheets you should print the Educational Support Statement at the end of your QTAC application. If you have been enrolled in any form of study at any time in the three years prior to your QTAC application, you MUST give the education provider a copy of the Educational Support Statement to complete and submit to QTAC.
The Educational Support Statement gives the education provider an opportunity to describe the difficulties that you have experienced and to let QTAC know how much assistance has already been offered. It is your responsibility to ensure that your education provider completes the Educational Support Statement and returns it to QTAC in time to be considered as part of your application.
If you have been enrolled in study within the last three years but cannot provide an Educational Support Statement for any reason you MUST contact QTAC for further information otherwise your EAS application will not be considered.
How will my EAS application be assessed?
The information you provide in your EAS application is treated confidentially and is only made available to the EAS Specialist assessors and relevant personnel at the institutions to which you have applied.
Once your documentation has been received at QTAC, your EAS application will be reviewed by the assessor at QTAC who will take into account all of the information provided by you and the education provider. The assessor is not evaluating the severity of your circumstances, but is looking at the impact of these circumstances on your education.
How will my EAS application affect my QTAC application?
Your EAS application cannot negatively affect your QTAC application, it can only improve your chances of selection into courses.
Each institution determines how your experiences will be recognised. In many cases, institutions will apply bonuses to your OP/rank if your experiences have affected your previous study and you have not already been adequately compensated by the education provider.
Some institutions may take other action to assist you. For instance, on the basis of your EAS application institutions may contact you to provide information about scholarships and bursaries or other support services. Most institutions will require you to complete additional information to access this assistance. Please contact the institution directly to obtain information about the range of assistance available and application methods.
What kinds of circumstances are recognised under EAS?
You can apply on the basis of one or more of the following categories:
Category 1: Disrupted schooling
If you have experienced disruption such as frequent change of schools, significant peer conflict, or transferred interstate in Year 11 or 12 you may wish to apply for consideration under this category. This category may also apply if your access to education was limited due to your gender, or as a result of ethnic, cultural or family demands and expectations. You can apply for recognition under this category if the disruption happened at school, TAFE, university or another education setting.
Category 2: Financial hardship
This category is applicable if you are from a low income background and have struggled to afford educational resources such as internet at home or textbooks. In some instances you may be able to apply on this basis if financial hardship has forced you to work excessive hours of paid work while you were studying.
Financial hardship is assessed predominantly on your total family income. As an indication, if you or your parents receive a full rate of benefit from Centrelink you may be eligible for consideration under this category. Please note, some factors other than income are taken into consideration when assessing financial hardship.
If you are a dependant, applying under this category requires you to provide information about your parent’s or guardian’s income, including providing evidence of Centrelink benefits where relevant. If you are financially dependent upon your parent's or guardian's income and you are under 23 years of age, then you are considered to be a dependent.
If you are partnered you will need to provide information about your partner’s income. Some institutions require that you provide a written statement outlining the impact of your financial hardship on your education.
Category 3: Home environment and responsibilities
You can apply for this category if your home environment has made it difficult for you to study. The circumstances recognised within this category include family conflict, abuse, divorce, illness or death of a family member, and caring responsibilities. Caring responsibilities can include being forced by circumstances beyond your control to become independent and care for yourself while you are still at school, or having extensive caring responsibilities for siblings or other family members (in excessive of normal contributions to domestic arrangements).
Category 4: English language difficulties
You can only apply for this category if you have lived in Australian for less than 10 years. You can only receive consideration under this category if your most recent study was negatively impacted by a profound level of difficulty communicating in English. If you have been enrolled in education where the medium of instruction was English (in any country) for more than five years, you would not normally be able to apply on this basis, although some exceptions do apply, especially if the language spoken in your home is not English. Applicants who are hearing or speech impaired should apply under the category Personal illness and disability.
Category 5: Personal illness or disability
If you have experienced severe and long term, or severe and recurrent illness or disability you can apply for consideration under this category. You should only do so if your education provider has not been able to provide sufficient compensation for your circumstances.
This category is not intended for students who experienced mild or short episodes of illness, or for students who experienced illness that is well managed with medical treatment and therefore had limited impact on educational outcomes. In the normal course of events your school or education provider should make arrangements to assist you if you experience short term illness (i.e. the flu) or if you have long term but minor medical conditions or disabilities. Your education provider may not be able to make adequate provision if your illness or disability have been long term (more than a few weeks) or has been recurrent (reappeared on a regular basis over a long period of time).
Category 6: Refugee status
If your education has been disrupted as a result of being a refugee or displaced person, you can apply under for this category.
To apply as a refugee you need to provide documents that demonstrate your official refugee status as recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the Red Cross.
If you are not recognised as an official refugee, but you were displaced as a result of war, conflict or instability in your country of origin, you need to provide a certified copy of your dated entry visa to Australia and a letter from a community support organisation in Australia that supports your assertion that you were a displaced person prior to arrival in Australia.
QTAC will determine whether the documents provided are sufficient to demonstrate that you were a migrant of humanitarian concern.
QTAC encourages applicants applying under this category to also apply under any other EAS category that may be relevant to them, which may include Disrupted schooling, Home environment and responsibilities, Personal illness and disability and/or Financial hardship.
Category 7: School environment
If your school environment was disrupted by significant events (such as a building being destroyed), or you had frequent changes of teachers, or a lack of subject choices, or if the school is remote or rural (e.g. more than 100km from a town of 10 000 plus) then you can apply for this category. Your application on the basis of school environment MUST be supported by your school. If your school is not prepared to support your application for this category of disadvantage then you must contact QTAC for further information.
Category 8: Natural disasters
This category is for events such as flood, bushfire, cyclone or earthquake that may have directly affected your studies. In most cases the effect is addressed by the education provider. For some students, however, the effect is significant and will have an ongoing impact on their education. If your education has been affected by these events then you can apply for this category.
QTAC encourages applicants applying under this category to also apply under any other category that may be relevant to them, which may include Disrupted schooling, Home environment and responsibilities, Personal illness and disability and/or Financial hardship.
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