VET Student Loan Student Entry Procedure

In accordance with the VET Student Loans Bill 2016 and the associated VET guidelines, all students wishing to apply for a Commonwealth VET Student Loan must be assessed for academic suitability to undertake a high level VET qualification. This is a student protection measure introduced by the Commonwealth Government from 1 January 2016.

Qualifications that are eligible for a VET Student Loan can be found on the Approved Course List on the Department of Education and Training website here.

This academic assessment is in addition to any entry requirements that may be required for the specific course you are undertaking. In high demand courses where there are more applicants than there are available places, there may also be additional selection criteria.

Ways to assess your academic suitability

In order to apply for a VET Student Loan to cover your course fees or part of your fees, you must meet one of the criteria below and provide evidence, if applicable. Either:

• you need to have completed your senior secondary certificate of education*, awarded by an Australian authority or agency. Please provide a copy when you apply to enrol. TAFE NSW is required to store this for five years after you enrol. OR
• you need to have completed an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification at Certificate IV level or above. Please provide a copy of your certificate, if this was achieved at a provider other than TAFE NSW. If you studied with TAFE NSW, just tell us where you studied and we can verify it for you. OR
• you need to undertake a literacy and numeracy assessment using an approved assessment tool and display competence at or above Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Your college will advise you how to undertake this assessment. It is free of charge.
• Our Enrolment team must be confident that you complete this test independently and have the required skills. If you undertake a literacy and numeracy assessment, your college will inform you of your results as soon as practicable after the assessment. A copy of your results will be stored for five years after you enrol and may be provided to the Commonwealth if requested.

If you are not able to meet any of these requirements, you will not be eligible to apply for a Commonwealth VET Student Loan.

*In NSW, you may obtain a copy of your Higher School Certificate from 1967 onwards for a cost of $43.50. Delivery is within 7-10 days, with an option for priority delivery at a higher fee. Go to the Board of Studies website for more information. http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc-results/replacement-exam-results.html