You don’t need an ATAR to go to uni. You can do an ‘enabling’ or ‘bridging’ course instead

“Attila Csaszar/Getty Images In years gone by, school leavers had one main chance to get into university – by finishing their Year 12 exams with certain marks. Media coverage of Year 12 results perpetuates the idea everything hinges on your final exams. Every year it runs the same stories of star students with perfect ATARs (Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank). In reality, the ATAR is just one way to begin undergraduate study . There are multiple paths that can take you to uni if that’s where you want to go. One of these paths is an enabling program. How do these work? Read more: Help! I’m almost finished school but don’t know what I want to do next What are enabling courses? Enabling courses are designed to lead to a university course , usually an undergraduate degree. They were traditionally called “bridging” programs because they bridge the gap between high school and university for students who don’t meet university entrance requirements. They are also called tertiary preparation programs (or TPPs) because they prepare students for undergraduate tertiary study. You may also hear them called “ uni ready ” courses. Enabling courses are fee-free for Australian citizens, as part of a federal government push to encourage wider participation in university study. Some students enter straight out of school or during the senior years of school. Some enter many years after leaving school and may not have completed Year 12. Different universities in different states will have different admission requirements, for example, English language requirements. Students should check the specific website of the university for the most detailed and current information. How do they work? There are about 48 enabling programs offered by universities across Australia. The courses can cover a variety of different subjects like academic writing, study skills, mathematics, science, digital literacy and discipline-specific options. They all teach the skills you need to do well in university study, even if you have not completed high school. The courses are taught by university lecturers who are especially focused on student support and inclusive teaching. What’s involved? These courses can be delivered in high schools, on university campuses, face-to-face or online. Usually students complete four courses that relate to the undergraduate discipline they want to enter. Successful completion of these usually allows the student to enrol directly into the undergraduate program. This can include areas such as law, communications, science, arts, education, business, engineering and healthcare, but may vary across different universities. The programs, with four courses, can potentially be completed in a single semester, or even in a compressed study session over the summer holiday period. So, in theory, you could do an enabling course and enrol in an undergraduate degree mid-year or the next year. To get started you can search the website of the university of your choice for “enabling”, “TPP” or “FFUR” courses and apply directly online. Also speak directly to support staff at the uni to ask what prerequisites you need to apply for the degree you are interested in. Who can do an enabling course? It is estimated approximately 25,000 students Australia-wide will undertake a fee-free enabling course in 2026. Around 60% of enabling students are from equity groups who are less likely to go to uni. This includes students from regional and remote areas, students from a non-English speaking background, people with a disability or students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Enabling programs can also benefit students who experienced significant illness or disruption in their final years at school. Or perhaps they are the first person in their family to go to university. What does it mean for later study? Doing an enabling program does not mean you are less able to cope with uni than peers who enrolled with an ATAR. Data suggests students who enter degree programs via enabling courses do just as well in their studies as students who come straight from high school. In our own experience, we see some students enjoy enabling programs more than school study – they prefer the more flexible, adult environment. Some young people don’t know what they want to do when they leave school. So an enabling course also gives them a chance to try out higher education without incurring a debt. Susan Hopkins teaches in an enabling education program and works for a university which offers a Tertiary Preparation Program. Greg Nash teaches in an enabling education program and works for a university which offers a Tertiary Preparation Program.

Summary generated from the RSS feed of The Conversation Education. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on theconversation.com.