Universities have flooded Victorian school-leavers with 23 per cent more offers this year, with extra places in health, engineering and IT following a near half a billion dollar federal push to boost student numbers in those fields.
VTAC chief executive Teresa Tjia said more than nine in 10 applicants had received at least one offer so far. “Because it’s no risk and I’m young and having nothing to lose, I thought I’d give it a shot,” he said.The Albanese government committed $485 million in last year’s budget to support 20,000 extra Commonwealth-supported university places in 2023 and 2024 in education, nursing, health, IT and engineering courses.
She said it was a source of stress for many students, even though its dominance as the way into university was diminishing. Point Cook Secondary College graduate Jessica Sleeman said she was hoping to get into a bachelor of arts at Melbourne University in the second round offers on Friday, after choosing not to accept her first round offer of a bachelor of business and professional practice at RMIT.“I could have a more holistic first year and decide afterwards, it might make a better use of my ATAR.”
Huang, a mathematics fanatic with an ATAR above 95, said he was leaning towards a career in computing and information technology, but also liked the broad appeal of science.