A plain-English guide for HSC parents and students | Published by Olympus Learning, Term 2 2026
If your child is in Year 12, you have probably seen the word UAC come up — in school emails, in conversations with teachers, and in the group chat.
But what actually is UAC, how does it work, and what does your child need to do and when?
This guide answers the Frequently Asked Questions in plain English, so you can support your child through the process with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UAC?
- When does my child apply to a university?
- How does my child apply to a university?
- What is an ATAR and how is it used?
- What is the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS)?
- Which Universities offer early entry under SRS?
- What courses are excluded from SRS?
- What is a Personal Statement and do I need one?
- What is the Educational Access Scheme (EAS)?
- What are adjustment factors?
- What happens after your child gets their ATAR results?
- Can they accept an offer and still get a better one?
- What should we be doing right now?
- How can I get help navigating UAC and course selection?
What is UAC?
UAC stands for the Universities Admissions Centre. It is the organisation that manages university applications for most universities in NSW and the ACT.
Rather than applying to each university individually, students submit a single UAC application and list up to five course preferences in order. UAC then matches students to courses based on their ATAR and any adjustment factors.
It’s a very clever concept and very efficient for managing university applications.
Think of UAC as the central hub between your child’s HSC results and a university offer.
When does my child apply to a university?
| UAC applications open | 8 April 2026 — already open now. Free to register, payment due by 30 September. |
| Early bird fee deadline | 30 September 2026 — pay by this date and the application fee is ~$82. After this date it rises to ~$215. Preferences do not need to be finalised yet. |
| *SRS (early entry) closes | 11 September 2026 — the only deadline that genuinely can’t be missed before December. Apply if your child wants a university offer before HSC exams. |
| *SRS offers released | 12 November 2026 — before HSC results. Students can hold an SRS offer and still be considered in later rounds. |
| ATAR released (NSW) | Wednesday 16 December 2026 at 9:00 am |
| Preferences deadline — December Round 2 | 18 December 2026 at 11:59 pm — the most important deadline for Year 12 students. This is when preferences must be finalised for the first main ATAR-based offer round. Students have two days after receiving their ATAR to review and lock in their preferences. |
| December Round 2 offers released | 23 December 2026 at 7:30 am — the first main offer round for Year 12 students based on ATAR. |
| January Round 1 offers | 8 January 2027 — preferences deadline 29 December 2026. A second chance if December didn’t go as hoped, or for highly competitive courses like medicine. |
| Further offer rounds | February and March 2027. Applications for Semester 1, 2027 close 5 February 2027. |
UAC is already open. If your child has not registered yet, now is a good time to do it — even before they know their ATAR.
*The Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS), administered by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) in Australia, allows Year 12 students to receive early university offers based on criteria other than just the ATAR. It helps students secure university places early using Year 11 results, school recommendations, and financial/hardship information.
How does my child apply for University?
Applying through UAC is straightforward:
- Go to uac.edu.au and create an account
- Enter personal details and HSC subject information
- List up to five course preferences in order of preference
- Apply for any support schemes such as EAS if relevant (see below)
- Pay the application fee
IMPORTANT: Preferences can be changed for free at any point before the relevant deadline, so your child does not need to have everything finalised when they first apply. It is better to register early and adjust later.
What is an ATAR and how is it used?
The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that ranks your child against all other students in their age group nationally. An ATAR of 80.00 means they performed better than 80% of their age group.
Each university course has a cut-off ATAR, which is the lowest ATAR that received an offer in the previous year. These change every year based on demand.
For a detailed explanation of how HSC marks are calculated and scaled into an ATAR, see our article: How Does HSC Scaling Work?
What is the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS)?
The SRS is Australia’s largest early entry program. It gives students the chance to receive a university offer before their HSC exams — based on Year 11 results and their school’s recommendation, not their final ATAR.
This is significant because it removes exam pressure. If your child receives an SRS offer and is happy with it, they can go into their HSC exams knowing they already have a place.
- SRS applications close 11 September 2026
- SRS offers are released 12 November 2026 — before HSC results
- Students can hold an SRS offer and still be considered in later rounds
Not all universities participate in SRS. Check uac.edu.au for the list of participating institutions and their specific criteria.
Which Universities offer early entry under SRS?
Participating Institutions (NSW & ACT)
| Institution | State | SRS Application Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Catholic University (ACU) | NSW / ACT | 11 September 2026 |
| Charles Sturt University | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| Macquarie University | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of Newcastle | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of New England (UNE) | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of Notre Dame Australia | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of Technology Sydney (UTS) | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| Western Sydney University (WSU) | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of Sydney | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| UNSW Sydney | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| University of Canberra | ACT | 11 September 2026 |
| International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| National Art School | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
| SAE University College | NSW | 11 September 2026 |
Note: While 11 September 2026 is the final deadline to submit the SRS application itself, you must first complete a standard UAC undergraduate application.
Key Secondary Deadlines
To actually receive an offer, you must also manage your course preferences by specific dates:
- Preference Deadline: You must have your desired SRS-eligible courses listed in your UAC preferences by 5 November 2026 (11:59 pm).
- Offer Release: The first round of SRS offers (both conditional and unconditional) will be released on 12 November 2026.
- Conditional Conversion: For domestic students, conditional offers are typically converted to unconditional offers on 23 December 2026 if ATAR requirements are met. For more details on specific criteria for each university, check the institution-specific SRS criteria on the UAC website.
What courses are excluded from SRS?
The following courses are usually excluded from SRS:
- University of Technology Sydney (UTS): Accounting, Information Technology, Cybersecurity (IDeA), Computing Science (IDeA), Nursing (Accelerated), and Sport & Exercise Science (Exercise Therapy).
- Macquarie University: Actuarial Studies with Professional Practice (Co-op), Clinical Science (pathways to Physiotherapy, Audiology, Speech Pathology, or Public Health), Diplomas, and Foundation programs.
- University of Newcastle: Joint Medical Program (Medicine), Midwifery, Physiotherapy (Hons), Oral Health Therapy, Occupational Therapy (Hons), Diagnostic Radiography (Hons), Speech Pathology (Hons), and various Diplomas.
- Charles Sturt University: Dental Science, Paramedicine, Veterinary Biology/Science, and the Joint Program in Medicine.
- Australian Catholic University (ACU): Biomedical Science, Education, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, and Western Civilisation (including combined degrees).
- Western Sydney University: Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine, Music, Performing Arts (Acting), Creative Industries (Music), Occupational Therapy, and Physiotherapy.
- University of Sydney: Generally excludes Medicine, Dentistry, and Oral Health from its early offer schemes.
- University of Notre Dame: Excludes the Assured Pathway to Medicine programs.
Why are these excluded?
These courses often have extra selection criteria beyond Year 11 results, such as:
- UCAT scores for Medicine or Dentistry
- Auditions or Portfolios for Creative Arts and Music
- Interviews for specific competitive health degrees
- Work experience requirements for specialised Co-op scholarships
If you are interested in an excluded course, you must still apply via the standard UAC undergraduate application for consideration in the main December/January offer rounds based on your ATAR.
What is a Personal Statement and do I need one?
A personal statement is a short written piece — typically 300 to 500 words — that some universities ask students to submit alongside their UAC application.
It is not required for every course, but it is commonly needed for scholarship applications, early entry programs like SRS, and competitive or selective courses such as teaching, law, psychology, social work, and creative arts.
In it, your child explains who they are, why they want to study this particular course, and what experiences or qualities they bring to it.
A strong personal statement can be the difference between two students with identical ATARs — and for early entry applications, where ATAR is not yet available, it often carries significant weight.
The most important thing to know is that a good personal statement takes time and multiple drafts. Students who leave it until the last minute rarely do themselves justice.
If your child is applying for SRS, a scholarship, or any course that requests one, getting support to write it well is one of the highest-value things they can do in Term 2.
What is the Educational Access Scheme (EAS)?
If your child’s studies have been significantly disrupted by circumstances beyond their control — such as serious illness, a family crisis, financial hardship, or caring responsibilities — they may be eligible for EAS.
EAS adds points to your child’s selection rank, giving them a better chance of receiving an offer for their preferred course. It is applied alongside their ATAR, not instead of it.
EAS is applied for through UAC at the same time as the main application. There is a process of verifying circumstances, so applying early is important.
What are adjustment factors?
Adjustment factors (sometimes called bonus points) can be added to a student’s ATAR to improve their chances of getting into a specific course. They are awarded by individual universities, not UAC, and are based on things like:
- Performing well in a subject relevant to the course
- Attending a specific school or being from a regional area
- First in family to attend university
- Completing relevant VET or HSC subjects
Each university sets its own adjustment factors. Check the UAC website or individual university websites to see what applies to your child’s preferred courses.
What happens after your child gets their ATAR results?
When ATAR results are released on 16 December, your child will have a short window — until 18 December at 11:59 pm — to review and adjust their course preferences before the main December offer round.
If their ATAR is different from what they expected:
- Higher than expected: Move preferred courses up the list
- Lower than expected: Explore alternative courses or consider adjustment factors and EAS
- No need to panic: There are multiple offer rounds in January and February
Offers are sent by email and SMS. Students must accept an offer through the university’s own student portal by the specified deadline to secure their place.
Can they accept an offer and still get a better one?
Yes. Students can accept an offer in December and still be considered for higher preferences in later rounds. Accepting an early offer does not lock them out of better options.
If a higher preference offer comes through in January, they can accept that instead. Most universities also allow deferral — taking a gap year while holding an offer.
What should we be doing right now?
If your child is in Year 12, here is what matters most in Term 2:
- Register with UAC now at uac.edu.au if not already done
- Check which universities participate in SRS and consider applying before 11 September
- Look up adjustment factors for preferred courses at each university
- Check EAS eligibility if there have been any significant disruptions to their schooling
- Use this term to lock in tutor support — trials are in July and the work done now directly affects HSC marks
UAC applications are open now. The best time to register is before the exam pressure begins — so your child can focus on studying, not paperwork.
How can I get help navigating UAC and course selection?
UAC is manageable once you understand how it works — but course selection, personal statements, and early entry applications can feel overwhelming on top of HSC study.
Olympus Learning has partnered with a specialist careers advisor who works one-on-one with HSC students and their families to navigate UAC applications, course selection, EAS, and personal statements.
Find out more and register your interest: Careers Support and UAC Guidance at Olympus Learning →