Equity access schemes

RMIT’s access schemes ensure that people from the widest range of backgrounds have an opportunity to access RMIT programs.

What is an equity access scheme?

Equity access schemes are designed to account for educational disadvantages by considering personal circumstances. These schemes offer adjustments to selection that may help individuals gain university entry. Factors such as financial hardship, health conditions, living with a disability, being from a regional or remote area, or underrepresented group can be considered.

How do equity access schemes work?

If your circumstances have impacted on your academic performance, you may be eligible to apply for equity access. Eligible applicants can receive an adjustment to the calculation of their selection rank, which can increase the chances of receiving an offer.

For programs that select primarily on ATAR, your selection rank is calculated by combining your ATAR with any eligible adjustment factors, such as equity or subject adjustments, and is specific to each program.

For programs that select on Range of Criteria, where selection is based on your performance in selection tasks such as interviews or folio presentations, you will receive an equivalent level of adjustment to your results in these selection tasks. Equity consideration does not exempt you from having to complete selection tasks. You must complete all requirements, including attendance at interviews, folio presentations and completion of pre-selection kits.

However, applying for tertiary programs is a competitive process, and being allocated equity adjustments or additional consideration does not guarantee you entry to RMIT or to your preferred program. You still need to meet the program’s admission criteria and university requirements, and compete with all other applicants for a place in the program. All applicants must complete any listed prerequisite subjects and achieve the published study scores.

The only exception is the English study score requirement for Indigenous Access Program applicants and SNAP applicants applying for degree programs.

Who can apply for equity access?

To apply for equity consideration, you must be:

applying to study a certificate IV, diploma, advanced diploma, associate degree, or undergraduate degree (excluding 1-year honour’s degrees), and
an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or
an Australian Permanent Resident, or
an Australian Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder, or
a person seeking asylum.

Individual equity access schemes have their own eligibility criteria.

What equity access schemes does RMIT offer?

Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) - for VTAC applicants
RMIT Access - for direct applicants

A SEAS or RMIT Access application allows RMIT to apply equity-related adjustments to your selection rank, by taking into consideration circumstances that have affected your performance in your studies.

You can apply if you are a mature age applicant, an Indigenous Australian, from a regional or rural area, from a non-English speaking background, a female applying for a program in which women are under-represented, living with a disability or medical condition, have experienced disadvantaged financial circumstances, and/or have experienced difficult circumstances.

For programs that select on ATAR, this takes the form of an adjustment to the calculation of your selection rank for a program or programs. The maximum equity adjustment you can receive when applying for SEAS or RMIT Access is 16 points (or 20 aggregate points).

The eligibility requirements for each SEAS and RMIT access categories are outlined on the Apply for equity access page. The size of the adjustment to your selection rank depends on the ATAR you achieve. Adjustments are expressed in two ways so that you may best make use of the information:

The number of aggregate points you may receive to your ATAR aggregate
The number of ATAR points that this is equivalent to.

For programs that select on a range of criteria, where selection is based on your performance in selection tasks such as interviews and folio presentations, you will receive an equivalent level of consideration in these selection tasks.

Apply for equity access

The SNAP access scheme provides priority entry to RMIT programs for students from designated Victorian secondary schools.

Eligible SNAP students that have an ATAR within 20 points of the lowest selection rank (including adjustments) for their preferred program or programs can receive an equity adjustment. Depending on their initial ATAR and the competitiveness of the program/s, this may deem some applicants eligible for an offer.

For programs that select on a range of criteria such as folio or interview, SNAP applicants receive equivalent consideration on their performance in these tasks.

Am I eligible for SNAP?

The Indigenous Access Program is a priority access scheme which aims to support the increased participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in diploma and degree programs.

Under this program, consideration is given to applicants’ relevant life, work, educational and training experience as preparation for study, in addition to any formal qualifications.

All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants will be contacted by the Ngarara Willim Centre and invited to participate in the program.

Apply for the Indigenous Access Program

RMIT and VTAC apply adjustments to the selection ranks of applicants from low socio-economic status areas. This applies to students applying for certificate IV, diploma, advanced diploma, associate degree and degree level courses that select primarily on ATAR.

This adjustment is automatically applied – you don’t need to do anything.

VTAC applicants

For VTAC applicants, the adjustment you can receive is derived from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data and whether your address ranks as low, medium, or high-SES based on the ABS’s Statistical Area 1 (SA1) measure. If your address is classified as LOW, you will receive an adjustment of 5 aggregate points, or up to 4 ATAR points.

Direct to RMIT applicants

For RMIT direct applications, the adjustment you can receive is determined by your postcode. This is based on a different set of ABS data – the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Education and Occupation. If your postcode is listed as LOW, you will receive an adjustment of 5 aggregate points, or up to 4 ATAR points.

SES and Regional postcodes eligible for consideration under SEAS Category 1 Personal Information and Location

You can check your postcode using the Regional Adjustment calculator below:

*The ‘A-SES2021’ value is the SES value for that postcode (based on postcode population aged 15 to 64, 2016 SEIFA Index of Education and Occupation). Data is not available for all postcodes indicated by No Data value

Female staff member holding iPad while facing male student turned away from camera

Any questions about RMIT's equity access schemes?

Reach out to the Study@RMIT team if you have any questions about your application, including whether you or your child may be eligible for RMIT's equity access schemes.

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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Equity access schemes