What Is UAC’s Educational Access Scheme? Eligibility and Evidence

Imagine you spent much of Year 11 and Year 12 caring for a seriously ill family member, managing a significant health condition, or dealing with major disruption at home. Your ATAR records your academic performance, but it doesn’t show the circumstances in which you studied. Can a university take those circumstances into account when deciding whether to offer you a place?

Yes. UAC’s Educational Access Scheme (EAS) allows eligible domestic undergraduate applicants to have significant educational disadvantage considered by participating universities when they select students for courses. It may lead to an adjustment to your university selection rank, without changing your ATAR.

This guide covers the scheme’s eligibility requirements, supporting evidence, application process, and the important differences between EAS and NESA’s HSC exam provisions and illness and misadventure processes.

The rules and dates below were checked on 9 November 2026 and apply to 2026 NSW Year 12 students seeking university admission in 2027. Students applying in later admission periods should check the updated UAC requirements.

01What does the Educational Access Scheme actually do?

The easiest way to understand EAS is to separate two figures used in university admissions:

• Your ATAR represents your academic performance in Year 12.
• Your selection rank is the figure a university uses to rank applicants for a particular course after applying any relevant adjustment factors.

EAS doesn’t change your ATAR. Instead, if you meet the relevant requirements, a participating institution may increase your selection rank to recognise the educational disadvantage you experienced.

For example, consider two students applying for the same university course. Both have similar ATARs, but one experienced significant educational disadvantage during Year 11 and Year 12.

If that student is eligible for an EAS adjustment under the university’s admission policy, their selection rank may be higher than their ATAR. The other student’s selection rank may remain unchanged.

The important point is that the ATAR itself stays exactly the same.

There are three important consequences.

First, EAS does not guarantee a university offer.

You still compete with other applicants for available places. You may also need to satisfy minimum ATAR requirements, subject prerequisites, English language requirements, and other course-specific conditions.

Second, eligibility does not mean you receive the same adjustment everywhere.

Each participating university decides how it uses EAS assessments. Your selection rank can differ between universities and even between courses at the same university.

Third, UAC does not tell you exactly how many adjustment points you will receive.

UAC assesses your circumstances and sends you an eligibility letter identifying the institutions that will consider your application. The institutions then apply their own admission policies.

For a clearer explanation of how these figures work, read What Is the Difference Between an ATAR and a Selection Rank?.

EAS is an admissions consideration, not a scholarship or a change to your HSC results.

02Who is eligible to apply for EAS?

There are two main requirements.

You must demonstrate that circumstances beyond your control or choosing seriously affected your education during Year 11 and/or Year 12, or the equivalent period in which you gained the qualifications used for university admission.

You must also be:

• Applying for undergraduate admission through UAC.
• An Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident, including a permanent resident humanitarian visa holder.

International students cannot apply through UAC’s EAS.

There is also an important timing restriction for current Year 12 students.

If you are completing Year 12 in 2026, circumstances that first arise after September 2026 are not eligible for EAS assessment. UAC’s reasoning is that these circumstances would not have affected your Year 12 studies during the relevant assessment period.

This doesn’t mean that an ongoing circumstance becomes ineligible simply because it continues into October. The important distinction is when the circumstance arose and whether it affected your studies during the eligible period.

The UAC eligibility requirements explain these rules in more detail.

The eight categories of educational disadvantage

UAC groups eligible circumstances into eight broad categories. Each category has its own specific eligibility requirements and supporting documentation.

A few of these categories have particularly specific requirements.

For example, the work-related circumstance is available to current Year 12 students who have worked at least seven hours per week to support themselves or their family, including work in a family business.

Similarly, choosing distance education for personal convenience, overseas travel, or elite sporting commitments does not automatically qualify. The distance education must have resulted from circumstances beyond your control or choosing, such as your school not offering a particular HSC course.

Regional school eligibility is based on the location of the school you attended, not simply your residential postcode.

SEIFA works differently. UAC uses the residential address entered in your undergraduate application to determine whether an automatic EAS application can be generated. It is based on the socio-economic classification of the area, rather than an individual assessment of your family’s income.

For 2026 Year 12 students, UAC also automatically generates an EAS application for students completing Year 12 at a qualifying regional, rural or remote school.

These automatic applications are discussed in more detail below.

The full eligibility criteria are available in UAC’s EAS circumstances and supporting documents guide.

Importantly, simply experiencing something listed in the table does not guarantee eligibility. The circumstance must meet the relevant criteria and have the required educational impact.

03What evidence do you need for an EAS application?

This is one of the most important parts of the application.

UAC isn’t simply asking you to explain that something difficult happened. It needs evidence showing how your circumstances affected your education.

Think of your application as establishing a connection between three things:

1. The circumstance you experienced.
2. The period during which it affected you.
3. The impact it had on your ability to study.

For example, saying that you experienced family difficulties is less useful than explaining when the difficulties occurred, what responsibilities they created, and how those responsibilities disrupted your attendance or study time.

1. Your applicant statement

UAC asks applicants to provide a statement for each circumstance they claim.

You should write this yourself, in your own words.

Your statement should:

• Explain what happened.
• Identify when the circumstance began and how long it continued.
• Identify which school years were affected.
• Explain how the circumstance affected your home environment and personal circumstances, where relevant.
• Describe the specific effect on your education.

Be factual and precise.

For example, if you are claiming that caring responsibilities affected your studies, explain the nature of those responsibilities, how much time they required, and how they interfered with your ability to attend school or complete schoolwork.

Avoid vague statements such as “I had a difficult time during Year 12”. Explain what actually happened.

UAC recognises that writing about difficult circumstances can be challenging. You may choose not to provide an applicant statement if completing it would adversely affect your wellbeing, although UAC warns that this may affect the assessment.

2. Your educational impact statement

Many EAS categories require an educational impact statement.

This provides independent evidence of the circumstances you experienced and their effect on your education.

For current Year 12 students, UAC requires this statement to be completed by an appropriate school representative, such as:

• Your school principal.
• Your school counsellor.
• Your year adviser.
• Your careers adviser.

The person completing the statement should be familiar with your circumstances and able to explain how they affected your studies.

If your school cannot complete the statement, UAC allows an appropriate independent responsible person to do so. This could include a doctor, social worker, counsellor, or another relevant professional.

You must explain why your school cannot provide the statement. The person completing it must not be a family member or friend.

There is another important detail: the person completing your educational impact statement should see your applicant statement. Their role is to confirm or qualify the information you have provided, not simply to write a general character reference.

3. Your medical impact statement

If you are claiming a personal illness or disability, medical evidence may also be required.

UAC’s requirements depend on the documentation you already have.

If you have a NESA disability provisions notification, UAC asks you to provide:

• Your NESA disability provisions notification.
• The supporting medical documentation you submitted to NESA.
• Your applicant statement.

If you do not have a NESA disability provisions notification, UAC lists the following documentation:

• A medical impact statement.
• An educational impact statement.
• Your applicant statement.
• Relevant medical certificates or reports, where available.

The medical impact statement must be completed by a registered health professional treating your condition. It must be completed by someone different from the person who writes your educational impact statement.

Follow the specific document package generated for your health claim, as the exact requirements depend on your circumstances.

4. Other supporting documents

Depending on the category, UAC may also require additional records.

Examples include:

Not every category requires every document in the table. Some categories require an educational impact statement, while others do not.

Check the individual requirements before collecting your evidence.

Document formatting requirements

UAC also has general requirements for submitted documents:

• All documents must be uploaded as PDFs.
• Documents must be clear and legible.
• Hardcopy documents are not accepted.
• Documents in another language must be supplied with an English translation completed by Multicultural NSW or a NAATI-accredited translator.

Your application cannot be assessed until the required supporting documents have been uploaded.

An applicant statement without the independent evidence required for that category is not sufficient.

04Worked scenario: A student with significant caring responsibilities

Consider a student whose parent develops a serious medical condition during Year 11.

Throughout Year 11 and Year 12, the student takes on regular unpaid caring responsibilities at home. These responsibilities include helping with daily activities, attending appointments, and supporting other family members.

The student finds that these responsibilities significantly reduce the time available for schoolwork.

Could this student apply for EAS?

Potentially, yes. The caring-for-yourself-or-others category may be relevant if the care was necessary, excessive, and unpaid.

The student would need to explain:

• Who they were caring for and why care was necessary.
• How many hours each week the responsibilities required.
• How long the responsibilities continued.
• What assistance was available from other family members or support services.
• How the responsibilities affected their personal circumstances and education.

An educational impact statement would also be required.

Medical reports confirming the family member’s condition may provide additional supporting evidence.

However, the existence of caring responsibilities alone does not guarantee eligibility. UAC must still assess whether the circumstances meet its criteria and whether the required evidence supports the claim.

05How is EAS different from NESA exam provisions and illness and misadventure?

This distinction is essential.

EAS and NESA’s HSC processes can involve some of the same circumstances, particularly illness and disability. However, they serve different purposes.

The simplest way to separate them is to consider what problem you are trying to address.

Let’s look at the differences more closely.

NESA HSC exam provisions

HSC exam provisions are practical adjustments that help students access their examinations fairly.

Examples include:

• Extra working time.
• Rest breaks.
• A reader to assist with accessing examination questions.
• A writer to record responses.
• Large-font examination papers.

These provisions are designed to address the functional difficulties a medical condition or disability creates in the examination room.

For example, a student with a physical disability may need a writer because they cannot handwrite examination responses independently.

A student with a condition affecting concentration or stamina may require rest breaks.

The purpose is to allow students to access the examination and communicate their knowledge fairly. Exam provisions are not designed to compensate for lost preparation time or increase a student’s academic potential.

NESA approves HSC exam provisions. School-based adjustments are different: your school arranges those for everyday learning and assessment, and they do not automatically carry over into the HSC examinations.

You can read more on the official NESA HSC exam provisions page.

NESA illness and misadventure

Illness and misadventure deals with unexpected events affecting a student at the time of an HSC examination.

Examples include:

• Becoming seriously unwell before or during an examination.
• Having an accident that affects your ability to complete an examination.
• Experiencing another unexpected incident that affects your examination performance.

This is separate from both EAS and exam provisions.

If you are unwell on the day of an examination, NESA requires you to seek independent medical advice on that day.

If it is safe to attend the examination, you should:

1. Attend the examination.
2. Notify the Presiding Officer when you arrive that you are unwell and intend to submit an illness and misadventure application.
3. Obtain the relevant application form from your school.
4. Submit the completed form and supporting evidence to your principal within one week of your last examination.

Your school then processes and submits the application to NESA.

A separate application and supporting evidence are required for each affected examination or examination component.

If you cannot safely attend the examination, contact your school as soon as possible and follow its instructions.

See the official NESA illness and misadventure process for the complete requirements.

Worked scenario: One medical condition, three different processes

Suppose a student has a serious recurring medical condition that has affected their attendance and study throughout Year 11 and Year 12.

They also need rest breaks during HSC examinations. During one examination, they experience an unexpected episode of illness.

There are potentially three separate processes involved.

EAS: The student may be eligible to claim the long-term educational impact of their medical condition. They must provide the documentation required for the health and disability category.

NESA exam provisions: The student can seek practical adjustments, such as rest breaks, to access their HSC examinations fairly. NESA decides which provisions are appropriate.

NESA illness and misadventure: If an unexpected episode of illness affects the student’s performance during a particular examination, they can use the illness and misadventure process for that examination.

Notice that these processes are not interchangeable.

Having NESA exam provisions does not automatically make someone eligible for EAS. However, a NESA disability provisions notification and the medical documentation submitted with it can support an EAS health and disability claim.

Equally, an EAS application cannot replace an illness and misadventure application for an affected HSC examination.

The same underlying medical condition may be relevant to more than one process, but each application must satisfy the requirements of the organisation assessing it.

06How do you apply for EAS through UAC?

The application process takes place through your UAC undergraduate application.

You cannot simply send an email explaining your circumstances and expect universities to consider it.

Follow these steps.

Step 1: Submit your undergraduate application

First, complete your domestic undergraduate application through UAC.

You need this application before you can access the EAS application.

Before proceeding, check whether your preferred universities participate in EAS. UAC maintains a list of participating institutions.

If a university does not participate, contact that institution directly to find out whether it operates a separate access or special consideration scheme.

Step 2: Open the EAS application

After submitting your undergraduate application:

1. Open the Entry schemes section.
2. Select Apply for EAS.
3. Choose the relevant circumstances.
4. Answer the questions associated with each circumstance.
5. Agree to the declaration and submit your application.

You can select more than one circumstance if each genuinely applies to your situation.

UAC allows only one EAS application per admissions period.

Step 3: Download your document packages

After submitting the EAS application, download your Confirmation of Application and the document package for each circumstance you have claimed.

These packages explain the eligibility criteria and supporting documents required.

Read them carefully. Different categories have different requirements, so don’t assume that the documents needed for one claim will also satisfy another.

Step 4: Upload your supporting documents

Upload all required supporting documents as PDFs.

UAC recommends submitting your application and supporting evidence together. It also advises uploading documents at least two weeks before the undergraduate offer round in which you want to be considered, or by the relevant published deadline.

If you upload additional evidence later, UAC may assess it. However, there is no guarantee that the updated assessment will be ready for the next offer round.

You can add additional circumstances and documents after submitting your original application, but the original deadlines still apply.

Step 5: Check your EAS eligibility letter

Once UAC has assessed your application, it will send you an eligibility letter.

For Year 12 applicants, these letters are released progressively in December.

The letter identifies which participating institutions will consider your circumstances when making admission decisions.

It does not tell you exactly how many adjustment points you will receive for each course.

You then need to check the admission policies of your preferred institutions to understand how they use EAS assessments.

07Automatic EAS applications: Do you need to apply yourself?

Some students receive an automatically generated EAS application.

This is particularly relevant to two circumstances.

1. Socio-economic disadvantage (SEIFA)

If the residential address entered in your UAC undergraduate application falls within an area classified by the ABS as being in the lowest 25% of socio-economic indexes, UAC automatically generates an electronic EAS application.

You should receive an email notification after submitting your undergraduate application.

The assessment uses the residential address entered when you applied. It is not based on a later address change or an individual assessment of your family’s income.

2. Regional, rural and remote school attendance

For 2026 Year 12 students, UAC automatically generates an electronic EAS application if you are completing Year 12 at a qualifying regional, rural or remote Australian school.

You should receive an email notification within 24 hours of submitting your undergraduate application.

If you receive this notification, you should not manually claim the same regional-school category again.

There is an important exception.

If you attended a qualifying regional school during Year 11 or Year 12 but have since transferred to a metropolitan school, you need to claim the regional-school circumstance manually and provide a school attendance record.

What if you receive an automatic application but have other circumstances to claim?

You still need to submit an EAS application for those additional circumstances.

An automatically generated SEIFA application, for example, does not automatically assess a separate claim involving illness, family responsibilities, or financial hardship.

08Important EAS deadlines and fees for 2027 university entry

If you are completing Year 12 in 2026 and applying for university admission in 2027, the following dates are particularly important.

As at 9 November 2026, the 19 November deadline is approaching.

If you want your circumstances considered in the December Round 2 offer round, make sure your application and supporting documents are submitted by the relevant deadline.

Missing this deadline does not necessarily mean you have missed every opportunity to receive EAS consideration. The later January deadline and final February closing date still apply, although your application may not be assessed in time for earlier offer rounds.

You can check the latest dates through UAC’s official key dates page.

How much does a UAC application cost?

UAC’s standard undergraduate application processing charge for 2027 admission is $215 for applications submitted between 1 October 2026 and 5 February 2027.

This is the UAC undergraduate application processing charge. You access the EAS application through your undergraduate application.

Check the UAC fees and charges page before paying, as fees can change.

09Questions and solutions

Question 1

A student is applying for undergraduate admission through UAC. Their parent receives Family Tax Benefit Part A during the student’s Year 12 studies.

Which EAS category may apply, and what supporting documents should the student provide?

Solution 1

The student may be eligible to claim the financial support category.

For this particular circumstance, UAC does not require an applicant statement or an educational impact statement.

The student should provide either:

• A Centrelink income statement showing the parent’s receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A.
• A Centrelink family assistance letter confirming the payment.

The document must be dated within the student’s Year 11 and/or Year 12 studies and show an actual payment rate.

If the student’s surname or residential address differs from their parent’s, additional documentation may be needed to establish their relationship.

However, satisfying this documentation requirement does not guarantee an adjustment to the student’s selection rank. The participating institution must still consider the application under its own admission policy.

Question 2

A student completed Year 11 at a qualifying regional school before transferring to a metropolitan school for Year 12.

Their residential address is also located in an area classified within the lowest 25% of socio-economic indexes.

After submitting their UAC undergraduate application, they receive an automatically generated EAS application.

Should the student manually claim both the regional-school and SEIFA circumstances? Explain what they need to do.

Solution 2

The student should not manually duplicate the automatically generated SEIFA application, but they should manually claim the regional-school circumstance.

There are two separate assessments here.

The SEIFA application is generated using the student’s residential address. UAC has already identified the address as eligible under its automatic assessment process.

The regional-school category is different. UAC automatically generates this application for current Year 12 students who are completing Year 12 at a qualifying regional, rural or remote school.

This student has transferred to a metropolitan school, so they need to claim their previous regional-school attendance manually.

They should obtain a school attendance record confirming:

• The name of the regional school.
• The period during which they attended.
• The relevant attendance dates during Year 11 and/or Year 12.

The record must be on school letterhead and signed by the principal or another senior school representative.

The student should submit an EAS application for this additional circumstance and upload the required evidence.

The tempting mistake is to assume that an automatic application covers every circumstance. It does not. Each additional claim must still be submitted and assessed according to its own requirements.

Question 3

A current Year 12 student studies an HSC subject through distance education because their school does not offer that subject.

The student also works eight hours per week in their family’s business because their family needs the additional income.

Can the student claim both circumstances under EAS? Explain the evidence required for each.

Solution 3

Yes, the student may be able to claim both circumstances, provided each satisfies UAC’s eligibility criteria.

The first claim concerns distance education.

The student is studying through distance education because their school does not provide the subject. This is an example of circumstances beyond their control or choosing.

They would need:

• An applicant statement explaining their HSC program and why distance education was necessary.
• An educational impact statement confirming that the distance education arrangement resulted from circumstances beyond their control or choosing.
• Their NESA Confirmation of Entry for the HSC, or a letter from the distance education provider confirming their enrolment and subjects.

The second claim concerns work responsibilities.

Because the student is currently in Year 12 and works at least seven hours per week to support their family, the work-related category may apply.

They would need to explain:

• Why they are required to work.
• The number of hours worked each week.
• The type of work undertaken.
• The period during which they worked.
• How the responsibilities affected their education.

An educational impact statement is also required.

The student should provide an employer statement confirming their job title, employment period and average weekly hours. Because this is a family business, independent verification of the work requirements, such as confirmation from the business accountant, is also needed.

The key is that the student must establish two separate qualifying circumstances. Simply studying online and having a part-time job would not automatically make either claim eligible.

Question 4

A student’s parent loses their job in October 2026. The student then starts working eight hours per week to help support their family.

The student is completing Year 12 in 2026 and believes they should qualify for the EAS work-related category because they meet its weekly working-hours requirement.

Can the student claim this new circumstance?

Solution 4

No. The newly arising circumstance is outside the eligible period for current 2026 Year 12 applicants.

Although the student meets the seven-hours-per-week requirement for the work-related category, that is not the only eligibility condition.

UAC specifically states that circumstances arising after September are not eligible for EAS assessment for current Year 12 students.

The student’s new employment responsibilities began in October, so they cannot be assessed under this EAS circumstance for the 2026 Year 12 application period.

This example demonstrates why meeting an individual category’s requirements is not enough. The general eligibility rules and timing restrictions must also be satisfied.

The student could contact their preferred universities to ask whether any separate hardship or admission pathway is available. However, they should not assume that NESA exam provisions or illness and misadventure can be used instead, as neither process addresses new employment responsibilities.

Question 5

Jordan has a chronic medical condition that affected attendance and study throughout Year 11 and continued until August 2026.

Jordan also received NESA approval for rest breaks during HSC examinations.

During one HSC examination, Jordan experiences a separate, unexpected illness that affects their ability to complete the paper.

When university offers are released, UAC confirms that Jordan is eligible for EAS consideration at University A, but not University B.

Jordan’s preferred course at University A requires a particular HSC subject that they did not study. The course at University B has a published minimum unadjusted ATAR requirement, which Jordan has not achieved. University B’s admission policy explicitly states that EAS adjustments cannot be used to meet this minimum.

Which processes are relevant to Jordan’s circumstances? Can EAS overcome either university course requirement?

Solution 5

Jordan must treat the long-term medical condition, the unexpected examination illness, and the university admission requirements as separate issues. EAS cannot overcome either of the course barriers described.

There are several important distinctions.

1. The chronic medical condition may be considered under EAS.

Jordan’s condition affected their education throughout Year 11 and continued into Year 12 before September 2026.

This means the health and disability category may be relevant, provided the condition and its educational impact satisfy UAC’s requirements.

Jordan should provide the applicant statement, NESA disability provisions notification, and supporting medical documentation submitted to NESA.

The NESA notification is useful supporting evidence, but it does not automatically establish EAS eligibility.

2. The approved rest breaks are NESA exam provisions.

These provisions help Jordan access HSC examinations fairly.

They are not university admission adjustments, and they do not increase Jordan’s ATAR or automatically increase their university selection rank.

3. The unexpected illness requires a separate NESA illness and misadventure application.

Jordan’s unexpected illness affected a particular HSC examination.

The appropriate process is to submit an illness and misadventure application for the affected examination, supported by the required evidence.

Jordan should follow NESA’s instructions, including seeking independent medical advice on the day of the examination and notifying the Presiding Officer if attending.

The application must be submitted through the school within the required timeframe.

The chronic condition’s EAS application does not replace this process.

4. EAS eligibility at University A does not remove its subject prerequisite.

Jordan may be eligible for EAS consideration at University A, but the course still requires the specified HSC subject.

An EAS adjustment can affect the selection rank used for admission. It does not automatically satisfy an academic prerequisite that the applicant has not completed.

Jordan would need to investigate whether the university offers an alternative pathway or another way of satisfying the prerequisite.

5. EAS eligibility at University B does not override its stated minimum ATAR requirement.

Jordan is not eligible for EAS consideration at University B according to the eligibility letter.

Even if the student had received EAS eligibility, the question explicitly states that University B requires applicants to meet an unadjusted minimum ATAR before any EAS adjustments can be applied.

Therefore, an EAS adjustment cannot overcome that particular threshold.

This scenario highlights the most important principle: EAS is one part of university selection, not a replacement for the entire admission process.

A student can have a legitimate EAS claim, receive an eligibility letter, and still be unable to enter a particular course because of its separate admission requirements.

10What should you check next?

Once you understand whether EAS may apply to your circumstances, the next step is to examine your university course choices individually.

Check three things:

1. Whether your preferred institution participates in EAS and how it applies adjustments.
2. Whether your course has minimum ATAR requirements, subject prerequisites, or additional admission conditions.
3. Whether your EAS eligibility will actually be considered for that particular course.

In particular, don’t assume an EAS adjustment can compensate for missing HSC subjects.

If you’re still planning your HSC subject selection, read How Do You Check University Prerequisites Before Choosing HSC Subjects?.

Understanding EAS helps you identify when universities may take educational disadvantage into account. Understanding prerequisites and selection ranks helps you work out which courses remain realistic options and what requirements you still need to satisfy.