• Section 1 - Summary
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Policy
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Part A - Eligibility for Admission
• Part B - General Requirements for Admission
• Identity and Age
• General Selection
• Legislative or External Requirements
• English Language Requirements
• Part C - Course Eligibility Criteria
• Application
• Special Admissions Schemes
• Part D - Selection Process
• Equity in Access
• Converting Offer to Enrolment
• Alternative Offers
• Packaged Offers
• Part E - Deferment
• Part F - Readmission
• Part G - Review of Decision
• Part H - Dealing with Instances of Falsified, Fraudulent or Misleading Documentation
• Section 5 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure outlines the principles that guide Victoria University (VU) in the admission and selection of students for all courses of study, ensuring processes are transparent and decisions are consistent and fair. 

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to current and future students undertaking:

1. Award coursework study in higher education (HE) and vocational education (VE), both domestic and international, onshore and offshore, including online offerings;
2. Higher degrees by research;
3. Apprenticeships, traineeships and trade-based study; and
4. Non-award units or courses of study including industry-based courses.

Section 3 - Policy

(3) Admissions Policy

Section 4 - Procedures

(4) The admission and selection of applicants to any course of study at VU is at the discretion of the Accountable Officer in line with the following procedures.

Part A - Eligibility for Admission

(5) To be considered eligible for admission at VU a person must demonstrate that they:

1. Satisfy the general requirements for admission; and
2. Meet minimum VU admission criteria and English Language requirements, including literacy and numeracy requirements in the case of VET courses; and
3. Meet minimum academic or training requirements (or equivalent) for the course level they are seeking to study; and
4. Satisfy Genuine Student Visa requirements if they are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident; and
5. Satisfy published course admission criteria and selection tasks; and
6. Meet any other legislative or external requirements relevant to their eligibility to study.

(6) For competitive courses, meeting the minimum admission requirements allows an applicant to be considered for entry, but does not guarantee an offer. In such cases, applicants may need to meet a standard higher than the minimum to be successful.

Part B - General Requirements for Admission

Identity and Age

(7) To be eligible for admission to VU applicants must provide verifiable proof of their identity, citizenship and date of birth in support of their application.

(8) Any applicant admitted to VU must be at least 15 years of age by the course start date.

1. A person under the age of 17 years at the course start date may only be admitted with written permission by the Executive Dean of the relevant College or equivalent. 
2. Any applicant admitted to VU VET programs must be at least 16 years of age by the course start date except for VET Delivered to Secondary School Students (VDSS) and Victorian Certificate of Education – Vocational Major and Victorian Pathway Certificate students, and apprentices and trainees who have selected VU as the place of learning who must be at least 15 years of age by the course start date.

(9) International applicants who, should they be successful in gaining admission, will be under 18 years of age at the time of enrolment may also be required to satisfy additional requirements, including those outlined in the Safety and Welfare of Children and Young People – International Student Welfare Procedure, and must provide written, binding consent from a parent or legal guardian in order to be permitted to enrol.

(10) Admission of international applicants under the age of 18 years may require approval from additional relevant regulatory authorities.

General Selection

(11) Where a person can demonstrate that they meet all relevant criteria in (5)(a), they are eligible to be considered for admission to a course but an offer of a place is not guaranteed.

(12) Where an applicant does not meet VU or course admission criteria, where possible VU may make an alternate offer for a course for which the applicant satisfies the admission criteria.

(13) Where a person does not meet the relevant criteria in (5)(a) and (5)(d), they are not eligible for admission to VU.

(14) In cases where there are documented barriers to meeting admission thresholds VU may waive course admission criteria if an applicant clearly demonstrates they have capacity to successfully complete the course.

(15) A recommendation for a waiver to be considered will be directed by the Manager Admissions, Pathways and Credits (Domestic) or Manager, International Admissions to the relevant Executive Dean or Centre Manager or delegate to make a decision based on the evidence provided.

(16) VU reserves the right not to admit applicants who are currently excluded or suspended from study at VU or any other institution.

1. An outstanding or unresolved debt to VU may be considered grounds not to admit a person as part of the selection process.
2. Applicants who have met the admission criteria but have previously been excluded from VU or any other institution on academic progress grounds must demonstrate that they have an improved likelihood of success in the course for which they are applying.
3. The Vice-Chancellor reserves the right to refuse admission where, when assessed by the Director, Admissions, Enrolments, and Graduations or the Chief International Officer (VU Global) the applicant’s conduct would provide reasonable grounds to take action to exclude the applicant from study.

Legislative or External Requirements

(17) In addition to VU and course admission criteria, a person's eligibility for admission and to enrol at VU may also be subject to meeting relevant legislative or external requirements, as per Section 5.

(18) The University has a responsibility to inform prospective students and enrolled students:

1. of the requirement for satisfactory police check and/or working with children check in any University course that has such a requirement;
2. that failure to obtain a satisfactory police check and/or working with children check will impact on the likelihood of gaining the award in the first instance;
3. that failure to obtain a satisfactory police check and/or working with children check will impact on the likelihood of gaining employment in the industry in the longer term.

(19) VU will not admit a person where to do so would be contrary to Australian law.

English Language Requirements

(20) All applicants must meet the minimum English Language requirements for the level of study for which they are seeking entry. Minimum English Language requirements are stated in the Admissions - English Language Admission Requirements Procedure.

Literacy and Numeracy Requirements – VET Courses

(21) Applicants for VET courses complete a literacy and numeracy assessment which is used to determine suitability for course admission. After applying for a VET course, applicants are provided access to bksb via a secure link with a unique identifier. Bksb is an Australian Government approved assessment tool mapped to the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

(22) Bksb results are assessed and stored in the Student Management System and used to determine the academic suitability of applicants and for reporting.

(23) Applicants are advised of their bksb results as part of their course application outcome. 

Part C - Course Eligibility Criteria

(24) A person seeking admission to a course must be able to demonstrate that they have met the minimum VU admission criteria and English Language criteria for the course they are seeking to study.

(25) Course admission criteria and English Language requirements are developed using the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and any accrediting or professional body standards, and are used to benchmark an applicant's potential to succeed at the level of study they are seeking admission to.

(26) Course admission criteria and English Language requirements are endorsed by Academic Board prior to the declaration of a course by the Vice-Chancellor. 

(27) International qualifications will be assessed to establish an equivalent level in the AQF framework in order to establish eligibility against course-level admission criteria.

(28) Teaching areas are able to (where relevant) set course-specific admission criteria that are higher than the minimum VU criteria, and/or may include additional selection tasks. Admission to VET courses will include a pre-training review to determine suitability. 

(29) All course-specific admission criteria must be documented and made available to persons who are seeking to apply for admission to the course.

(30) All course-specific entry requirements should be endorsed by the Academic Board with demonstrable capacity to assess an applicant's capacity to succeed in the course and applied reasonably, equitably and fairly for all applicants.

Application

(31) Applicants generally apply for admission through one of the following formal application processes:

1. Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC);
2. Direct Application to VU, including Research applications;
3. VU Global;
4. Internal applications;
5. Epsilon, the Victorian register of apprenticeship and traineeship training contracts;
6. Pathway students from Victoria University TAFE, Centre of VU Transitions or external pathway providers; and
7. Partner institutions for offshore international places.

(32) Admission criteria are applied fairly and equitably to all applicants.

(33) Application information, along with any selection tasks (including pre-training reviews) are used to determine eligibility for an offer.

(34) For VET courses, the Pre-Training Review identifies completed equivalent units of competence and grants credit transfer for these units where applicable.  No tuition fees applly to credit transfers. Refer to the Admissions - Course Admissions and Pre-Training Review Procedure (VET) and the Credit - Skills Recognition Procedure (VET).

(35) Any information provided as part of the application that is false or cannot be verified by the University will be grounds to not offer a place at VU.

(36) Any information provided as part of the application that is later found to be false or unable to be verified will be grounds to revoke the offer of a place at VU, regardless of whether the student has subsequently accepted the offer by enrolling.

(37) Non-disclosure of information pertinent to course application/ inherent requirements will be considered grounds to not offer a place at VU.

(38) If non-disclosure is later discovered, this will be grounds to revoke the offer of a place at VU, regardless of whether the student has subsequently accepted the offer by enrolling.

(39) To be considered for selection, all completed applications must be submitted by the relevant deadline, via the correct channel.

Special Admissions Schemes

(40) VU offers special admission schemes and determines:

1. the eligibility requirements and selection criteria; and
2. the manner in which consideration is given to applicants.

(41) A common set of eligibility criteria applies to all special admission schemes. To be eligible for a special admission scheme, applicants must:

1. meet the minimum age and English language proficiency requirements of the University
2. achieve the required score in any prerequisite subjects for the course
3. fulfil any additional requirements for the course; and
4. meet the eligibility criteria for the special admission scheme.

(42) For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants, Moondani Balluk – Indigenous Academic Unit VU provides tailored supports, including:

1. Assistance with higher education and vocational education course applications
2. Tracking certain course applications with the Admissions department and respective Administrative Officers
3. Providing guidance and advice to applicants regarding pathways, including engaging with relevant College and Admissions staff to help with information and provide advocacy
4. Recommend and implement additional support services, including financial, academic and pastoral support to the applicant during their studies.

(43) VU may offer admission alternative entry modes into courses or intakes that are not administered via the formal admission processes as per clause (31).

(44) Alternative entry may be made available in circumstances where:

1. The duration or delivery of the course would make formal application, offer and enrolment administratively cumbersome; and/or
2. The language and literacy levels of applicants could result in the application process being a barrier to admission; and/or
3. There is a formal training plan, a memorandum of understanding or an agreement or letter of intent/contract to provide training; and/or
4. VU would be commercially disadvantaged in its relationship with external organisations if it imposed a formal direct entry application process.

(45) In all cases of alternative entry, the primary considerations must be for the equity of admission to the course and the person's potential to succeed at the level of study.

Part D - Selection Process

(46) Authority to select or deny applicants for admission for particular courses rests with the Manager Admissions, Pathways and Credits, and the Manager, International Admissions, in conjunction with the relevant Executive Dean or Centre Manager. 

(47) This authority is exercised through published selection criteria endorsed by Academic Board and applied by authorised selection staff. 

(48) Staff involved in selection must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest by completing and submitting a Declaration of Potential or Actual Conflict of Interest Form to their manager, in accordance with the Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure (link).

(49) Where a conflict of interest is identified, the staff member must immediately withdraw themselves from the selection process, pending advice from their manager.

(50) Selection criteria for each course requiring formal application must be documented and approved by the relevant College authority, and made available to all staff with delegated authority to select applicants for admission to the course. Criteria should be reviewed in accordance with the Courses Lifecycle Policy and Procedures. 

(51) All VU and course entry requirements are applied consistently and fairly to all applicants.

(52) Where the application information is insufficient to determine a selection outcome, VU may request additional or supporting information. Failure to provide additional or supporting information within the required timeframe may impact the outcome.

(53) VU may also seek permission to obtain additional or supporting information from external bodies. Where permission is not granted this may impact the ability to make an offer.

(54) Selection and the publication of admission information is conducted in accordance with the Higher Education Standards Framework and Admissions Transparency requirements. Important information about Admissions Transparency and how VU conducts selection is available on the VU website.

(55) All completed applications will receive a formal selection outcome.

(56) In line with VU's commitment to equitable access to educational opportunities, and to actively engage with and serve its communities, VU will seek to offer eligible applicants a place at VU, whether in their chosen course or an alternative deemed suitable based on the information supplied in the application.

(57) Where the applicant demonstrably meets all relevant criteria for admission and is selected by the Accountable Officer, a formal offer of a place in a course at VU will be made in writing signed by the Vice-Chancellor and/or delegate in the case of international students.

(58) An offer in any other form, including in conversation or by written communication other than signed by the Chief Student Officer and Registrar or the Chief International Officer, will not constitute an offer of admission to a course at VU.

Equity in Access

(59) VU is committed to equitable access to education for people of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities and will utilise recognised access schemes to support this goal.

(60) Wherever possible applications will not be held for pooling or competitive selection at a later point and offers will be made based on an individual applicant's suitability for the course.

(61) Pooling applicants for competitive selection may only occur with approval from the relevant Executive Dean or Centre Director, and must cosider impacts across all admissions centres.

(62) When selecting competitively, all eligible applicants are ranked using documented methodology, with offers made in order of rankings.

(63) Quotas may be used where necessary due to course profile, delivery capacity, or placement availability, with approval from the relevant Executive Dean.

Converting Offer to Enrolment

(64) Students must accept and complete their enrolment by the final enrolment date for their course intake, subject to the conditions of the Enrolments Policy. Enrolment must be finalised no later than the last day specified for enrolment in that intake period.

(65) Failure to enrol by this date may result in cancellation of the offer or deferral to a future intake, subject to course availability and University policy.

(66) An offer of a place in the course will include the fee liability category (domestic, international, government-subsidised, full fee) based on student eligibility. An applicant must be able to provide verifiable proof of their eligibility to accept the offer and enrol, in line with the relevant requirement or legislation.

(67) An offer may be made conditional on the applicant subsequently meeting criteria such as but not limited to providing confirmed academic results before they are permitted to enrol.

Alternative Offers

(68) Where an offer cannot be made in the course for which the applicant has applied, but the applicant is deemed suitable for another course based on the information supplied in the application, an alternative offer can be made.

(69) Alternate offers are made with respect to the applicants preferred academic outcome and should consider realistic means by which the applicant may gain entry to their preferred course.

Packaged Offers

(70) VU may make packaged or sequenced offers, where students are offered a guaranteed pathway through a number of levels of study, conditional on them progressing through each level successfully and sequentially.

(71) In packaged and sequenced offers, students will be admitted to the next level of study only once their eligibility to progress has been confirmed. A new application is not required, however VU may require the student to indicate that they are seeking to be admitted to the next level in line with their original offer.

Part E - Deferment

(72) The Executive Dean or Centre Director has the discretion to permit deferment for each intake in particular courses at particular locations. The ability to defer an offer may not be possible for all courses or intakes at VU.

(73) An applicant may only defer the acceptance of their offer once, and only prior to accepting their offer.

(74) International applicants may only defer by application to VU Global. If the international applicant has already accepted their offer, VU is required to report this deferral to the relevant government department.

(75) An applicant may only defer the acceptance of their initial offer once and may not defer at subsequent levels of a sequenced or packaged offer. Once an applicant has accepted the first level of such an offer by enrolling, they are deemed to be an enrolled student of VU and not eligible to defer any course to which they have gained admission as a result of this offer.

(76) The period of deferment will normally be 6 months to one year depending on course availability.

(77) The period of deferment will normally be no longer than one year, except in exceptional circumstances where approval to defer the acceptance of an offer is granted by the relevant Executive Dean or Centre Director.

(78) Upon receipt of a complete and timely request to defer acceptance of an offer for which deferment is available, VU will continue to consider the person an applicant in that course and not a student at VU.

(79) By granting deferment, VU does not guarantee that the course offering will be available to the applicant at the end of the period of deferment.

(80) Where the course is no longer available for an intake at the end of the period of deferment VU will seek to make an appropriate alternate offer where possible.

(81) As the applicant has deferred the acceptance of their offer, the fee liability category will be as applicable at the time of commencement of their studies, as determined by their enrolment.

(82) Where the applicant's eligibility for a particular fee arrangement may have changed over the period of their deferment, the applicant will have their eligibility for this arrangement reassessed prior to being permitted to enrol.

(83) At the end of the period of deferment the applicant will be invited to enrol to accept their offer. Failure to do so by the relevant enrolment deadline may result in the offer being lapsed.

Part F - Readmission

(84) Applicants who fail to accept their offer by enrolling before the relevant enrolment deadline may reapply for admission to the course and will be subject to the same requirements as all other applicants at the time of applying.

(85) Students of VU whose enrolment lapses may reapply for admission to their course and will be subject to the same requirements as all other applicants at the time of applying.

(86) International applicants must accept their offer by the acceptance deadline set by VU Global in their offer letter. 

Part G - Review of Decision

(87) An applicant who is not offered a place, or is made an alternate offer, is entitled to seek a review of the selection decision on the following grounds:

1. The applicant demonstrably met all relevant VU and course admission criteria; and
2. The application was lodged completely, including providing all requested additional or supporting information, on time and in the correct manner; and
3. The Admissions policy and/or procedure was not correctly applied.

(88) A request to review the decision must be lodged in writing, addressed to the Director, Admissions, Enrolments, and Graduations or to the Chief International Officer (for international onshore students) within 10 University business days of the selection decision.

(89) The Director, Admissions, Enrolments, and Graduations (and/or delegate) or Chief International Officer will arrange for a review of the selection decision by:

1. The relevant Executive Dean or their nominee if the application was rejected on course specific grounds, or
2. A Senior Officer of VU if the application was rejected on general VU criteria.
3. A written outcome will be provided within 10 University business days of the date received by VU.

(90) Where the outcome is in favour of the applicant, and an offer is subsequently made, the applicant will be required to meet all relevant enrolment criteria in order to enrol. Where a new offer is made too late for the applicant to reasonably enrol and commence study, with a view to their ability to succeed in the course, a deferment may be applied on the applicant's behalf. VU Global will assess the suitability of a deferral for international offshore students. 

(91) A request to review the decision may be dismissed where the applicant cannot substantiate their request in line with clause (87).

(92) The review is final and cannot be appealed within VU.

Part H - Dealing with Instances of Falsified, Fraudulent or Misleading Documentation

Identification

(93) Admissions staff must remain vigilant when assessing documents.

(94) Common indicators of fraudulent documentation include:

1. Inconsistent formatting, fonts, or logos.
2. Missing official seals, stamps, or signatures.
3. Unverified institutions or test providers.
4. Discrepancies between declared qualifications and supporting evidence.

Initial Action

(95) If fraud is suspected, the Admissions Officer must:

1. Place the application on hold.
2. Record details of the suspected issue in the admissions system.
3. Notify the Admissions Manager immediately.

(96) The applicant must not be informed at this stage until verification steps are completed.

Verification

(97) The Admissions Manager (or delegate) will:

1. Contact the issuing institution, testing authority, or relevant body to verify the authenticity of the document.
2. Use trusted verification platforms (e.g., My eQuals, Digitary, official government portals).
3. Maintain written evidence of verification checks.

Outcome and Action

(98) Based on findings, the following actions apply:

1. If the documentation is confirmed authentic, the application processing resumes, the hold is removed and no further action is required
2. If the documentation cannot be verified, the applicant is contacted and asked to provide clarification or alternative evidence within a specified timeframe (e.g., 10 working days).  The application remains on hold until satisfactory evidence is provided.
3. If the documentation is confirmed fraudulent, falsified, or misleading, the application is rejected and the applicant is notified in writing of the decision and reason, referencing relevant policy.
4. A record is kept in the admissions system for future applications.
5. For international students: report to the Department of Home Affairs/PRISMS if required.

(99) For serious or repeated offences, refer to Risk and Compliance/Office of the General Counsel for further action, which may include barring the applicant from reapplying for a defined period.

Section 5 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(100) HESF: Standards 1.1 Admission; 2.2 Diversity and Equity.

(101) ESOS Act - National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018: Standard 1 Marketing Information and Practices; 2 Recruitment of an Overseas Student; 9 Deferring, suspending or cancelling the overseas students' enrolment.

(102) Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2025: Standards 2.1, 2.2 Information; 2.7 Feedback, Complaints and Appeals.

Section 6 - Definitions

(103) Admission - The act of admitting an applicant into a course of the University, following a successful application and acceptance of the offer of a place in a course.

(104) Authorised Agent - An organisation or individual which has a current signed contract with the University to recruit onshore international students to the University on behalf of the University.

(105) Authorised Enrolment Delegate - VU staff who have completed the Authorised Enrolment Delegate Training and are able to complete the Skills First Eligibility assessment in the enrolment process for TAFE applicants.

(106) Course Approval - The endorsed process for development, consideration and verification of new or replacement courses of study. The process of approval involves consideration of both educational and financial matters by governance and management committees.

(107) College - An organisational unit described as a College or any other organisational unit with the primary responsibility for the delivery of award courses, foundation courses or English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS).

(108) Deferment - An agreement to allow an applicant to defer taking up the place they have been offered until a later time.

(109) Direct Applications - The process of admitting a student via direct application to the University rather than via VTAC or other externally managed batch processes. Direct applications also include offers made by one of the University's authorised agents.

(110) Domestic Pathway - Pathways delivered in Australia and related to students who are Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents. Domestic pathways can be internal or external pathways.

(111) General Admission Criteria - The University-wide entry requirements that applicants must satisfy to be eligible for selection to each level of course offered by the University.

(112) International Pathway - Pathways delivered in Australia (and/or) overseas and related to students who are or will be on an international student visa. International pathways can be internal or external pathways.

(113) Offer - A document stating what course the University is prepared to admit a person into, with any relevant conditions that must be satisfied before enrolment can take place. The University may make unconditional or conditional offers as appropriate.

(114) Selection - The process of assessing applicants for a course and deciding which applicants can be made an offer of a place in the course.

(115) Selection Methodology - The methodology employed to decide whom amongst the eligible applicants will be selected to be made an offer of a place in the course for which they applied. Selection methodology is usually used in cases where a course is competitive (more applications than places available) and applicants are ranked. Selection methodology includes ranking methodology.

(116) Selection Tasks - Activities an applicant must undertake as part of the selection process, such as providing a folio, attending an interview or completing and submitting a supplementary form. These tasks need to be met in order to be eligible for an offer into a course.

(117) Selection Officers - VU teaching staff who have been authorised by the teaching managers to complete the selection process for VE applicants.