There’s more than one way to get into uni

When you’re at school, it can seem like all everyone cares about it getting a high ATAR so you can get into uni. But something probably no one bothered to tell you is that there are plenty of other ways you can bump up your ATAR and still get accepted into uni.  

Improve your selection rank

Completing any certificate III, certificate IV, diploma, or advanced diploma with TAFE Queensland can improve your QTAC selection rank and help you meet university entry requirements.  

Successfully completing a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification can be used for tertiary selection in two ways:

• as one of the five inputs into a student’s Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), and/or
• on a standalone basis for tertiary admission (this may also apply to non-ATAR eligible applicants, for example mature-aged students).

Universities and higher education institutions may allocate you a selection rank depending on the level of qualification completed. The below table is a general guide only. Please contact your preferred provider to confirm their current admissions requirements. Additional admissions policies may also apply for recent Year 12 graduates with completed VET qualifications. For more information visit the QTAC website.

*Based on grade point average (GPA) equivalent of 4.

Benefits of combining TAFE and uni

A big benefit of completing a certificate or diploma before starting your studies at university is that it can give you a head start on your future career. While your friends are waiting tables on the weekend to help pay their way through uni, you could be working and gaining skills and experience in your chosen industry with a nationally-recognised qualification already under your belt.  

Plus, if you complete a diploma it could give you up to a year’s worth of credit towards a bachelor degree in the same field. So not only could your diploma get you into uni, you’ll then be able to transfer straight into the second year of your degree and graduate at the same time as your classmates – except that you’ll have two qualifications instead of just one.  

You can find out more about the full range of university pathways available on the TAFE Queensland website.