The Student Admissions Policy establishes a framework for admitting prospective students into the College which is supported by fair, transparent, consistent, and timely procedures. This policy will also address student's application for leave or withdrawal from course.
This policy applies to all admissions of potential and returning students of all courses.
educational disadvantage - means that the acquisition of knowledge or skills by a student has been inhibited by: the social environment from which the student comes; or the extent of financial resources which have been available to the student; or a diagnosed physical or mental impairment; or limited English proficiency where English is not the common language of communication in the home environment (Students in this group must still demonstrate an aptitude to read and write in English at a level necessary to satisfactorily study at undergraduate level); or any other circumstance not listed above, which is claimed by the student to be an inhibiting factor, and is agreed by the College.
leave from studies - when a student takes a break from studies while still enrolled in the course, this is considered a leave for domestic students.
For overseas students, it is a condition of their student visas that they complete their course within their student visa durations. As such, overseas students are not allowed to take a break from studies while still enrolled in the course. They will have to apply for Leave from Studies and return home (Visa Requirements do not allow overseas students to take a break from studies and remain in Australia).
'Defer' course commencement - when a domestic student has been accepted into a course and chooses not to commence, the student and course are moved to a status of Deferred.
Overseas students must commence and complete their courses within their Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) periods. If they are unable to commence their courses at the commencement of their COE periods, they will have to “defer” their course commencement, according to Standard 9 of the National Code 2018.
Course Withdrawal - a formal decision by the student to discontinue their studies, advised by the Course Withdrawal form.
Administrative Course Withdrawal - a decision made by the Academic administration to withdraw a student from their course. This may occur due to a student not being compliant with College guidelines, College Code of Conduct, or if they have not enrolled and studied for 3 consecutive semesters.
The College will endeavour to make admissions accessible to a diversity of students who demonstrate potential for success in further study. Special consideration will be given to applicants who have been disadvantaged in their education but who exhibit academic potential.
Processes for the selection and admission of students shall be governed by the following principles:
- Alignment with the College's Christian values
- Capacity to attain the College Graduate Attributes
- Fairness
- Consistency
- Transparency
- Timeliness
- Academic capacity
The College reserves the right to place an admissions quota on any course it offers.
The College shall take into account the educational disadvantage experienced by a particular applicant when determining selection and admission.
General Entry Requirements for all Courses
A potential student is required to:
- demonstrate, in an interview with an academic staff member, their suitability for the course concerned;
- provide contact details for a Christian character referee, who will endorse the application, by completing a Confidential Reference form supplied by the College.
Exceptions to the above entry criteria may be considered at the discretion of the Dean of Studies.
Overseas students must be at least 18 years of age upon commencement.
Summary of Specific Entry Requirements for Each Course
Specific entry criteria apply to each course offered by the College including English proficiency. Some entry pathways require a minimum ATAR. Details of the entry requirements for each course are described in each course outline available on Eastern’s website.
Special Consideration
Where a minimum ATAR is required for the entry pathway into a program of study no student with an ATAR will be admitted without such an ATAR unless adjustment points are awarded that subsequently raise the rank of the student to the minimum ATAR. Adjustment points will be based on the following, to a maximum of 10 adjustment points in total.
| Category | Description | Adjustment Points |
|---|---|---|
| Mature Age | Over 21 on commencement of course | + 6 points |
| Indigenous | Of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent | +10 points |
| Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) | Arrived in Australia within 6 years of course commencement from a NESB | + 2 points |
| Low SES Home Address | SEIFA 2016 (or as updated by ABS) Decile 1-2 | +10 points |
| Regional | Outside the metropolitan area | +3 points |
| Disability or Medical Condition | Dependent on condition | Up to +5 points |
| Other Mitigating Circumstances | Other signs of educational disadvantage | Up to +5 points |
Deciding Officers
The deciding officers for admission to VET courses are the Dean of Students and the Registrar. The deciding officers to determine eligibility for Victorian Government VET funding is the Registrar and the Dean of Students.
The deciding officers for Higher Education courses for prospective students applying via the general entry requirements and the course entry requirements are the Course Co-ordinator and the Registrar.
The deciding officers for Higher Education courses for prospective students applying under special admission provisions are the Course Co-ordinator, the Registrar and the Dean of Studies.
A letter of offer shall be sent by the College to indicate that a student is accepted into the College for the course of study agreed upon with the College. The student may accept the offer by returning a signed Student Agreement.
If provisional acceptance is offered, the prospective student will be advised that admission into any course of study is considered provisional until formal application and admission procedures have been satisfactorily completed.
Letters of acceptance will indicate that acceptance is contingent upon the students demonstrating that:
- satisfactory academic progress is being made;
any other factors deemed necessary by the deciding officers.
For Overseas Students
- Upon receipt of the application form (either online or paper-based), and if the prospective student meets the general entry and course-specific entry requirements, a letter of offer will be issued to the prospective student.
- If the prospective student accepts the offer, the prospective student must return a signed student agreement.
- Upon receipt of the signed student agreement, the student will be advised to pay the initial fees as indicated in the student agreement.
- Upon receipt of the agreed initial fees, the College will issue a Confirmation of Enrolment and record the overseas student’s enrolment in PRISMS.
Probation Process
If the student has not demonstrated satisfactory academic progress as described in the
College's Student Progress Policy, the College has the prerogative to flag a student's enrolment in a course as probationary.
Students will be removed from probation on satisfactory academic progress as described in the College's Student Progress Policy.
If a student is placed on probation, the College shall have the prerogative to limit enrolment into particular units of study, disallow enrolment in particular units of study, or by particular modes of study, and revoke any waived pre-requisites for future units of study.
Withdrawal from Course Process
A student may withdraw from a course at any time by notifying the College using the Course Withdrawal Form.
Financial penalties may apply according to the College’s Refund Policy (https://policy.eastern.edu.au/policy/refund-policy).
For Higher Education courses, academic penalties will apply to each unit where the Course Withdrawal form is received after the census date of the unit. The Student will receive a result of “withdrawn fail” for the units so affected.
With regards to onshore overseas students, the College will notify the Department of Education, Skills and Employment through PRISMS that the student ceased to be enrolled in the College by cancelling the student’s Confirmation of Enrolment.
Deferral at Course Commencement Process
A student may defer from a course by notifying the College prior to course commencement, using the Course Deferral Form.
Students may defer for up to one year and are required to notify the College of their intention to
commence their study by completing a Return to Study Form. If the accreditation of the course has been renewed while the student was deferred the student may be placed in the newly accredited course and required to meet the newly accredited course’s rules for graduation.
With regards to overseas students who are onshore or potentially onshore, the College will notify the Department of Education, Skills and Employment through PRISMS that the College is deferring the overseas student’s enrolment for a period which will affect the start and end dates of the CoE. Financial penalties may apply according to the College's Refund Policy.
Leave from Studies during Course
A student may apply for leave from a course at any time by notifying the College using the Leave from Studies Form.
Financial penalties may apply according to the College’s Refund Policy.
For Higher Education, academic penalties will apply to each unit where the Leave from Studies form is received after the census date of the unit. The Student will receive a result of “withdrawn fail” for the units so affected.
Students may apply for leave from studies for up to one year and are required to notify the College of their intention to return to study by completing a Return to Study Form. If the accreditation of the course has been renewed while the student was deferred/on leave, the student may be placed in the newly accredited course and required to meet the newly accredited course's rules for graduation.
Students who apply for leave while on probation will remain on probation when they return.
Overseas students should refer to the relevant policy.
‘Compassionate or compelling’ circumstances are generally those beyond the control of the overseas student and which have an impact upon the overseas student’s course progress or wellbeing. These could include, but are not limited to:
- serious illness or injury, where a medical certificate states that the overseas student was unable to attend classes;
- bereavement of close family members such as parents or grandparents (where possible a death certificate should be provided);
- major political upheaval or natural disaster in the home country requiring emergency travel and this has impacted on the overseas student’s studies;
- a traumatic experience, which could include:
- involvement in, or witnessing of a serious accident; or
- witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime, and this has impacted on the overseas student (these cases should be supported by police or psychologists’ reports)
- where the College was unable to offer a pre-requisite unit, or the overseas student has failed a prerequisite unit and therefore faces a shortage of relevant units for which they are eligible to enrol.
With regards to onshore overseas students, the College will notify the Department of Education, Skills and Employment through PRISMS that the College is granting the overseas student leave from studies for a period which will affect the end date of the CoE and a new CoE will be produced. The overseas student will be advised to contact the Department of Home Affairs regarding any implications on their student visa.