Mature-age Access Program

UWA offers mature-aged people, with little or no previous background in tertiary study, the opportunity to begin studying on a trial basis.

Successfully complete a provisional enrolment program, satisfying course requirements along the way, and we'll offer you full enrolment in your degree course with credit for units already passed.

This program recognises that traditional university admission requirements sometimes present impractical and costly financial barriers, that it can be very difficult for mature-age students to go back to school and that some other pathways charge considerable up-front fees.

The UWA Mature-age Access Program allows you to:

• study part-time or full-time
• demonstrate your academic ability and English language competency through an approved provisional enrolment
• defer your tuition costs through the HECS-HELP scheme.

1. Eligibility
2. Courses available
3. Enrolment conditions
4. Cost
5. Support
6. Dates

Eligibility

Mature-age Access Program enrolment is available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, Australian permanent residents, and holders of permanent humanitarian visas, aged 20 years old or more as at 1 March (for Semester One entry) or 1 August (for Semester Two entry), who:

• have no previous study experience at tertiary level, or
• have attempted less than the equivalent of one full-time semester.

People with AQF certificate 3, certificate 4, incomplete diploma studies or a TER/ATAR lower than 80 are also welcome to apply. People with completed diploma studies should apply through the University’s usual entry pathways.

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Courses available

Provisional enrolment is offered in the following courses in Semester 1, 2012 (courses marked # have a mathematics prerequisite):

UWA Crawley Campus

UWA Albany Centre

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Enrolment conditions

Enrolment in the program is subject to the following conditions:

1. You will be invited to attend one of a number of MAPs to Success: Pre-offer Essentials sessions in early June. During the session, a short exercise will be conducted to give you a taste of university study, and to help us to know you better. A mini-lecture will be presented during which you can take notes. You will be asked to answer a few multiple-choice questions about the lecture, then to write a short essay. This will help us develop an Individual Learning Action Plan to help you to adjust to your first semester of study at UWA. You do not need to ‘pass’ this exercise to be made a MAP offer. However offers will only be made to those people who attend the information session and who attempt the exercise

2. As part of your Learning Action Plan, you are required to attend one of a number of MAPs to Success: Study Essentials workshops in mid July.

3. You will be required to complete units (subjects) worth 24 credit points (usually four six-point units) within the provisional entry scheme. Units completed at another tertiary institution cannot be included within the 24 points. You may study full-time or part-time.

4. Before your provisional enrolment can be converted to full enrolment, you must achieve at least a pass grade in units to the value of 24 points.

5. The selection of units available will be limited and must be approved by the relevant faculty. (This is to ensure you enrol in units in which you have a reasonable chance of success.)

6. You must satisfy the University's English Language Competence requirement before your provisional enrolment can be converted to full enrolment. Your previous qualifications (for example, Year 12 English) may be sufficient, or your may take the Special Tertiary Admissions Test before or during your provisional enrolments. Alternatively, one of the units in your provisional enrolment may be selected from a list of approved English language-rich units. Successful completion of the provisional enrolment program, including at least one language-rich unit, will satisfy the requirement.

7. For those courses with a mathematics prerequisite (marked with # in the list, above) you will need to satisfy the prerequisite before your provisional enrolment can be converted to full enrolment.

   You can do this through successfully completing a mathematics enabling course. This enabling course is available without cost to you, but it must be completed in addition to your 24 points of provisional enrolment. It will not count towards your degree. If you have some background in mathematics, you may alternatively wish to take the Mathematics Competency Test, administered by UWA Extension.

8. Your offer in the Mature-age Access Program cannot be deferred.

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Cost

This program admits students to Commonwealth-supported places, in which the Federal Government pays part of the cost of tuition, and students also make a contribution.

If you're an Australian Citizen or a holder of a permanent Humanitarian visa, you can choose to defer payment of your student contribution through the government's HECS-HELP loan scheme or pay your student contribution up-front (** From 1 January 2012, the HECS-HELP discount applied to up-front student contribution amounts of $500 or more was reduced from 20% to 10%).

New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents must pay their student contribution up-front. These payments do not attract a discount.

The total amount of student contribution payable depends on how many units you study and their individual discipline areas.

More information is available on the student contribution for specific units.

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Support

We realise that your study skills may be a little rusty, so there are a wide range of study support services available, which we strongly encourage you to use to help you become a more effective, independent and articulate learner.

• More than 40 workshops every semester covering everything from time management to critical thinking, grammar to exam strategies.
• Peer Learning Groups are held regularly during semester. Come prepared to share your ideas and to learn from others on how to improve your speaking and writing skills.
• Drop-in sessions are available daily from 1-2pm during teaching weeks; this is a great opportunity to discuss quick questions with one of our expert advisors - no appointment necessary.
• Student appointments allow you to see an advisor, or communicate with them by email or phone.
• The UniSkills program offers additional support, specifically for mature-aged students.

You’ll be given more information about other learning resouces and support services for students as part of the orientation and enrolment process.

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Dates

• Applications for Semester Two, 2012 open on Tuesday 1 May and close at 5pm on Thursday 31 May 2012. No applications will be accepted after the closing date. 

• Invitations for the Pre-offer Essentials, including registration instructions, will be sent out on Friday 1 June.

• MAPs to Success: Pre-offer Essentials sessions will take place on Tuesday 5 June 10.00-11.30am and Wednesday 6 June 5.00-6.30pm. (You are required to attend one session)

• Mature-age Access Program offers for Semester Two, 2012 will be sent out on Thursday 28 June and will include personalised enrolment schedules.

• Every MAPs entrant will be provided with an individualised Learning Action Plan before enrolment which will detail the specific actions you need to take.

• You must attend a MAPs to Success: Study Essentials session on Tuesday 17 July 9.00am - 4.00pm or Thursday 19 July 9.00am - 4.00pm.

• Enrolment will take place on Wednesday 25 July, with orientation activities taking place on Friday 27 July.

Classes for Semester 2, 2012 will begin on Monday 30 July 2012.

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