Glossary

Education ‘speak’ for the uninitiated is a mine field, and there are many new words and acronyms which you will hear. Here is a reasonably comprehensive list to help you translate the jargon:

If you can’t find the terminology that you are look on this ‘post’, then we recommend the following link/s: Job Guide

• Advanced Diploma: Course of study of approximately 2-3 years – can be completed at university but usually at a TAFE
• Aggregate: The total scaled study scores on which the ENTER is based. This is made up of English, plus the next best three unit 3-4 scores, plus 10% of a fifth and sixth study where appropriate.
• Amenities fee: Fee charged by a tertiary institute to cover use of their facilities and equipment.
• Apprenticeship: Vocational training program usually lasting 3-4 years.
• ASBA: Australian School Based Apprenticeship – part time apprenticeship – usually 1-2 days per week whilst still attending school on the other days.
• ATAR : Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank – a ranking of all students – based on their scaled study scores and used primarily to determine tertiary offers
• Campus: The location of a university or TAFE institute e.g. LaTrobe university has a campus at Shepparton
• Certificate 1-4: TAFE courses beginning with Certificate 1
• Change of preference: Two designated periods of time during October & December when students can change the order of preferences on their VTAC applications (or add new courses / delete courses from the preference list.). The December period is useful as students receive their results during this time.
• Clearly in ENTER: The cut off point (ENTER) at which all applicants for a particular course will get an offer.
• Conditional acceptance or rejection: Accepting or rejecting an offer on condition that you will still be considered for other offers in later offer rounds.
• Course codes: Digit codes for courses- used in the application process.
  • Courses ending in 1 = Commonwealth Supported Place
  • Courses ending in 2 = Full Fee Paying
  • Courses ending in 3 = International Student
• Course entries: Details of courses in the VTAC guides- each contains details of the length of the course, its title, pre-requisites, structure etc.
• Courselink: A program on the VTAC website which allows students to search for relevant courses and practice their online application.
• CSP: Commonwealth Supported Place (previously known as a HECS place) – the Federal Government subsidises the cost of the course to the student, who pays a contribution also (cither upfront when enrolling or later when employed).
• CY12: Current Year 12 student.
• Degree: The qualification you gain after completing an undergraduate course at a university eg Bachelor of Arts.
• Diploma: A course of study of approximately 2 years – can be completed at a university but usually at a TAFE.
• Eligibility: Ability to meet requirements for tertiary entry of a particular course.
• Enhancement Study: A university study undertaken while at secondary school
• ENTER: Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank – a ranking of all students – based on their scaled study scores and used primarily to determine tertiary offers Expires 2009 & replaced by ATAR
• Extra requirements: Additional requirements a student must undertake when applying for some courses eg present for an audition, prepare a folio of work, complete a special information form
• FEE-HELP: A loan scheme that assists eligible students pay their tuition fees up to a lifetime limit of $50,000. A loan fee of 20% applies for undergraduate courses
• Fee-paying place: A tertiary place for which the student pays all the fees directly to the university at the time of enrolment
• Fringe ENTER: The point at which 95% of all applicants got an offer. (This takes into account middle band selection.)
• General Service Fee: A general levy imposed on all students at TAFE colleges.
• Handbook: Document which sets out all information about courses etc for any tertiary institute.
• HECS-HELP: Loan program where Commonwealth Supported students defer their HECS debt until they are working and earning over a certain amount of money.
• HELP: Higher Education loan program
• Increment: Used in calculating the aggregate of the student- a fifth and sixth study for which the student receives 10% of the study score
• Industry recognition: TAFE studies which have the endorsement of industry groups and so are accepted as accredited industry training.
• Infonet: VTAC’s web-based online application system.
• Irregular offer: An additional chance for an applicant to change preferences – a form can be down-loaded from the VTAC website – candidates use it to apply for course lower on their list of preferences than what they’ve been offered, or to apply for a course not on their list of preferences.
• Lapse date: The date by which you must take action eg accepting an offer.
• Lecture: University or TAFE lesson style – a large group of students being taught by one instructor, usually with no chance to ask questions.
• Major: The focused study area of a degree program at a university – concentrated on in the second and third years.
• Materials fee: Fee charged by a tertiary institute to cover the cost of materials involved in studying a course (eg art supplies).
• Middle band: Process by which a percentage of applicants near the clearly-in point are re-ranked on the basis of further information (eg performance in external exams, completion of particular studies etc.)
• Minimum tertiary entrance requirements: The basic qualification for applying for tertiary courses. For current year 12 students, this is the satisfactory completion of the VCE.
• Minor: The secondary area studies at university in a degree program.
• Nationally Accredited: A TAFE course which is recognised throughout Australia
• NonY12: Non-year 12 person
• Offers: Invitations for the student to enrol in any course for which he/she has been deemed eligible. (The student may accept, reject or defer the offer.)
• Offers rounds: Times at which tertiary offers are made. There are three rounds in January and February.
• On-campus accommodation: Student residential facilities that are located on the campus of the university or TAFE
• Pathways: Individual programs or paths which lead to a desired goal or course outcome
• PIN: Personal Identification Number- needed for VTAC applications. Initially the DD/MM of birth of the student but all students must nominate a new PIN when they first apply.
• Post graduate: Course of study for a person who has already completed at least one university degree
• Preferences: List of preferred university or TAFE courses for which a student applies. First preference is the most preferred course.
• Pre-requisite studies: Studies that a student must have completed in order to apply for Particular course(s).
• Primary four: The four main studies whose scaled scores are added together to form the aggregate on which the ENTER is based. English is always included in the primary four, then the next best three unit 3-4 scores.
• QTAC: Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre – the Queensland body which handles tertiary applications.
• Rank: Your place in an overall group, your position relative to all others in the group.
• Regional bonus ENTER points: Extra points added to your ENTER to assist you to get an offer at a university’s regional campus. eg. La Trobe Bendigo, Mildura etc.
• SACE: South Australia Certificate of Education (the SA equivalent of the VCE).
• SATAC: South Australia Tertiary Admissions Centre- the South Australian body which handles tertiary applications.
• SATAC TAFE Guide: Lists all TAFE courses in South Australia which must be applied for through SATAC
• SATAC University Guide: Lists all university courses in South Australia which must be applied for through SATAC
• Scaling: A process used by VTAC to take degree of difficulty of different studies into account before calculating an ENTER/ATAR.
• SEAS: Special Entry Access Scheme- a blanket application process for year 12s to apply for equity and access (special entry schemes), or to alert selection authorities to chronic circumstances which have affected their year 12 studies.
• Selection mode: Information about how different course selection authorities make their selections eg using the ENTER and middle band.
• SLE (Student Learning Entitlement): A person’s entitlement from the government to be considered a Commonwealth Supported Student. It lasts for 7 years of full-time study.
• Special circumstances: Factors such as Work Experience, illness etc which may affect your chances of getting an offer for a course.
• Streams: Different areas of a particular course- usually selected with your preferences in your initial application for university courses. Eg Chemical Engineering.
• TAFE: Technical and Further Education- institutions which offer certificate and diploma courses- often with an accent on hands-on learning and preparation for employment.
• TAFEline: The South Australia TAFE applications telephone system
• TAFEweb: The South Australian TAFE online (internet) applications for TAFE courses
• Timely applicant: A student who lodges a university or TAFE application by the closing date of 30 September
• Tertiary: Third level of education ie 1=Primary, 2=Secondary, 3=Tertiary (Uni / TAFE / Apprenticeship etc)
• TISC: Tertiary Institutions Service Centre- the Western Australian body which handles tertiary applications.
• Traineeship: Vocational training program usually lasting for one year
• Transition period: A slice of time when you are moving from one set of circumstances to another eg transition between school and tertiary study. The “settling in “period where you adjust to new things.
• Tutorial: University or TAFE lesson style- small group class for discussion etc.
• UAC: University Admissions Centre- the NSW body which handles tertiary applications.
• UMAT: Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test- a special test for all applicants seeking entry to medicine, surgery, dental surgery and some other courses eg Physiotherapy at Melbourne Uni, Pharmacy at Monash. This test covers all of Australia
• Undergraduate: Course for a person who has not yet completed a university degree. Year 12 students enrol in undergraduate courses at university
• Uniline: The South Australia universities applications telephone system.
• Uniweb: The South Australian universities on-line (internet) applications for university courses.
• VCAA: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority- the government body responsible for the VCE.
• VCAA student Number: The VCE candidate number allocated to every VCE student (has 9 digits and a letter at the end).
• VCAL: Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning- an alternative senior course of study to the VCE, with a vocational “hands-on” emphasis.
• VET: Vocational Education and Training courses which can be undertaken while at secondary college. Usually Certificate I and II level.
• ViCTER: Victorian Tertiary Entrance Requirements- these are published annually for Year 10’s and set out pre-requisites for courses.
• Vnews: A regular VTAC newsletter available online.
• Vocational focus: Courses which emphasise transition into the work force (usually TAFE courses).
• VTAC: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre – the Victorian body which handles tertiary (Unversity & TAFE) applications.
• VTAC Guide: The handbook of application procedures, courses etc for all courses handled by VTAC