Opportunities increase at Regional Universities
Monday, 18 January 2010
Regional Victorian students have this year received more opportunities than ever before to go to local universities with new data showing a significant boost to first round offers made by regional universities upon the previous year.
Skills and Workforce Participation Minister Jacinta Allan today released Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre data showing that regional universities this year significantly boosted their first round offers to potential students compared to 2009.
"This is a great sign for regional students as it shows that there are more opportunities to study close to where they live," Ms Allan said.
She said examples of the growth in offers included:
• University of Ballarat up 20 per cent to 1407 first round offers;
• Monash University's Churchill campus up 34 per cent to 523 first round offers;
• La Trobe University's Bendigo campus up 34.5 per cent to 1460 first round offers;
Additionally, La Trobe University's Albury-Wodonga, Mildura and Shepparton campuses all saw increases.
Ms Allan said the regional trend was reflected statewide with more places offered at Victorian universities during the first round than the previous year.
"In this first round, the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) is making 44,469 offers to students on behalf of Victorian universities compared to 40,197 the year before," Ms Allan said.
"Coupled with early offers made by the universities themselves, 53,659 Victorians have been offered a place compared to 47,289 this same time last year."
Ms Allan said unmet demand had decreased despite trends in other states where it had risen.
"Unmet demand has decreased by just over 10 per cent from 13,000 last year to 11,600 this year," she said.
"But that still means students are missing out. However, I am pleased to see the Federal Government implementing a demand-driven system in 2012 that will reduce unmet demand.
"There will still be further rounds of offers but I would also encourage students to study at TAFE which VTAC figures show is a viable alternative to university, and can even help you gain entry to university if you so desire.
"VTAC data showed that 5547 Victorians received a university offer in the first round on as the result of wholly or partially completed TAFE courses - an increase of 46 per cent on 2009's 3811 first round offers."
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