Some jobs require a university qualification, such as nursing, teaching and social work. There may be scholarships, funding and other types of support you can access to help you continue your education. Ask your caseworker or careers advisor to help you get more information.
To find out more about what courses are available and what support you can get, go to:
Website: www.education.gov.au/higher-education
To help you choose the right uni course, have a look at the Course Seeker website.
There are also loads of uni courses you an do online. To find out more about these go
to Open Universities.
Different universities may specialise in different areas, so check out uni websites for a list of courses available. You can put off the cost of university fees by applying for a Higher Education Loan Program (HECS-HELP). This way, the cost of attending university is put off until you are earning a much higher wage, sometimes years after finishing your degree.
Why not you? provides a central national portal for information about all of the support available to kids in care who want to undertake higher education. Whether it is scholarships, accommodation grants or university bursaries.
Universities usually have a “Census” date that is a few weeks after the beginning of each semester. This allows you to enrol in a degree to try it out. If you find out that university is not for you, you can withdraw before the Census date without any costs. However if you decide are not going to continue studying for the course you have enrolled in, it is important to withdraw your enrolment, as there can be large fees and fines not withdrawing after the Census date.
The Good Universities Guide
This guide helps you to locate Universities with the types of courses you are looking for and lists vital information for any prospective students about campuses and courses. It is also a good way to find out the contact details of universities across the country. Copies of The Good Universities Guide are available at Secondary Schools or can be purchased through the website.
www.thegoodguides.com.au
Help for young people with a care experience in:
Victoria
The Raising Expectations program is helping to increase the number of young people leaving care and care leavers going to TAFE and uni.
There are hundreds of care experienced students studying vocational and higher education courses at Raising Expectation partners, Federation University Australia, La Trobe University, Swinburne University of Technology and Victoria University.
Together, universities and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare partner to ensure that young people with a care experience get the information, support and services necessary to access and succeed in higher education
To find out more about your options or to ask a specific question about further study, visit www.raisingexpectations.com.au/chat
New South Wales
Western Sydney University, CREATE Foundation and Aon Charitable Foundation have teamed up to help create opportunities for young people who have experienced out of home care. They recognise challenges are faced by these young people which affect their school, university, work and family life. Different opportunities are being created for young people to help reach their potential in education, work and the community. Some of these opportunities include finical support with Western Sydney University now offering a variety of scholarships for young people who have experienced out of home care. These scholarships include:
- Foster Care Angles Dannielle Raemer Scholarship https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/informationabout/scholarships_home/all_uws_scholarships/FOSTERCAR
- NSW Department of Family and Community Services Out-of-Home-Care Pathways scholarship https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/informationabout/scholarships_home/all_uws_scholarships/DEPFAMPAT
Northern Territory
You can apply for a higher education scholarship.
Queensland
TAFE Queensland also provide a variety of different pathways to get into the university course you want. Check out their university pathways guide or their website for more information on courses and how to apply.
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