Due to the impact of Covid-19, many universities, including the University of Melbourne, have announced changes to their assessment and reporting of student results in 2020 & 2021, as well as the calculation of Weighted Average Marks (WAM).

In general, the baseline effects of COVID-19 (which may be assumed to have affected all applicants) including social disconnection, uncertainty, trouble with focus and motivation and excessive screen time as a result of remote learning will not be considered under Graduate Access Melbourne (GAM).

It is also anticipated that some more individual, practical impacts such as lack of reliable internet, device access and access to necessary practical materials and spaces will have been managed through the processes of the university at which you were studying (including special consideration processes if necessary) and will therefore also not be considered under GAM. Applicants are therefore not expected to apply through GAM to have the general effects of COVID-19 taken into account in the context of WAM or individual results.

However, if you were disadvantaged in further ways by COVID-19 where your university was unable to make specific or managerial adjustments (for example – infection requiring hospitalisation, domestic violence as a result of lockdowns, additional caring responsibilities for family members, unmitigated financial stress as a result of COVID-19) you can explain the effect of your personal circumstances by applying for the relevant GAM category or categories and supplying relevant evidence.

To be eligible for Graduate Access Melbourne your circumstances need to fit into at least one of these equity categories.

Admissions and scholarship staff will take into consideration the timeframe detailed in your application and the level of information and evidence provided. Your personal statements must be accompanied by evidence where possible. Admissions staff considering entry to a course will determine whether your previous tertiary results have been impacted as a result of the information provided . Admissions staff will consider your past and present situation when determining whether you receive a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) For the bursary, consideration will be given to the current and ongoing impact relating to the information you provide.

You are eligible to apply for this category if:

  • you resided in a rural or isolated area* for at least five years (consecutively) or 10 years (cumulatively); AND
  • you have been or continue to be negatively impacted as a result of living in that area, or by your ongoing connection with that area.

* A rural or isolated area is defined as an area with an Australian Standard Geographic Classification of: RA2, RA3, RA4 or RA5. If you are based in Victoria this essentially means anywhere outside of Melbourne or Geelong. You can check the classification of your address on the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Supporting documentation

  1. Personal statement: You must provide a detailed personal statement, including:
    • the address(es) of your residence and dates you lived there; AND
    • an explanation of why you feel you have been negatively impacted by your association with this address. Please be clear regarding whether this impact relates to the past or is ongoing. For example, if your previous tertiary results were impacted as a result of your residence at this address, explain why. If this is no longer your primary residence but you maintain a connection that continues to impact you, explain the ongoing impact of your connection. If you currently live in a rural or isolated location, explain the challenges you will face in relocating for your study, etc.
  2. Evidence: Provide evidence that supports your personal statement, this can include:
    • a letter of support written and signed by a responsible independent source not related to you (i.e. doctor, lawyer, accountant, social worker, counsellor, religious or community leader or teacher). This letter must be dated, signed and on letterhead (if possible) and include dates and duration of impact.
    • Documents to prove residence such as invoices for telephone, utilities or bank statements showing your (or your family’s) address.

You are eligible to apply for this category if you:

  • are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent; AND
  • identify as a person of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage; AND
  • are accepted as such by an Indigenous community.

Supporting documentation

Your Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage is something that is personal to you. You do not need a letter of confirmation to identify as an Indigenous person. However, you will be asked to provide specific documents that confirm your eligibility when applying for Indigenous-specific pathways such as Graduate Access Melbourne and the full range of services provided by Murrup Barak and the Wilin Centre

To apply under this category, you need to supply either a Confirmation of Aboriginality Document or a Statutory Declaration to Murrup Barak at  murrup-barak@unimelb.edu.au . Further information on the confirmation of identity process can be found online, please review the information available before contacting Murrup Barak.

You are eligible to apply for this category if you:

  • have previously held an Australian temporary protection visa; OR
  • currently hold a permanent humanitarian visa.

Supporting documentation

  1. Personal statement: You must provide a personal statement describing the circumstances you have experienced and how they have had a sustained adverse effect on you and/or your academic achievement and any ongoing impact. You may consider including information regarding conditions in the country you relocated from, time spent in refugee camps/relocating, violence/ threats of violence experienced by you or one or more members of your immediate family, impact on early education in your country of origin, difficulties relocating to Australia possibly due to non-English speaking background, disadvantaged socio- economic background, cultural issues/dislocation, separation from family, adjustment to a different educational system.  Remember to include dates and make clear the duration of impact.  If the time period relates to your previous study, you must include how these circumstances impacted on your academic achievement.  The statement should not exceed 500 words.
  2. Evidence: Provide evidence that supports your personal statement:
    • either a copy of your Australian temporary protection visa and a copy of your passport photograph page; OR a copy of your permanent humanitarian visa and a copy of your passport photograph page.
    • you may also wish to include a letter of support written and signed by a responsible independent source not related to you (i.e. doctor, lawyer, accountant, social worker, counsellor, religious or community leader or teacher). This letter must be dated, signed and on letterhead (if possible) and include dates and duration of impact. If not from an independent source, the person writing the letter must explain how they know you (your relationship), how long they have known you, how they know about the information or facts they are providing and include their contact details.

You are eligible to apply for this category if:

  • you come from a disadvantaged socio-economic background; AND/OR
  • you experienced financial hardship during your tertiary study that had a sustained adverse effect on your academic achievement; AND/OR
  • you are currently experiencing financial hardship

Supporting documentation

  1. Personal statement: You must provide a personal statement describing your socioeconomic circumstances.  Remember to include dates and make clear the duration of impact.  If the time period relates to your previous study, you must include how these circumstances impacted on your academic achievement.  You may wish to include time and details of work and /or care responsibilities, your living arrangements, whether you regularly go without food or other basic requirements, any difficulties in accessing resources required to study, transportation issues, levels of debt, etc. The statement should not exceed 500 words.
  2. Evidence: Provide evidence that supports your personal statement.  This may include Centrelink statements* relating to the time period detailed in your statement or supporting letters outlining your current and previous circumstances written and signed by a responsible independent source not related to you (i.e. doctor, lawyer, accountant, social worker, counsellor, religious or community leader or teacher). This letter must be dated, signed and on letterhead (if possible) and include dates and duration of impact. If not from an independent source, the person writing the letter must explain how they know you (your relationship), how long they have known you, how they know about the information or facts they are providing and include their contact details.

If your application concerns your family’s financial circumstances, your application will be stronger if you are able to provide supporting evidence, e.g. parents Centrelink and/or ATO statements, redundancy notices, pension statements, and any other documents that support claims of financial hardship. You should also provide details of periods of unemployment, date of retirement, etc.

If you received a scholarship of any kind (including to a residential college), please provide full details, including the amount, the dates covered, and whether the scholarship was for financial need or for another criteria.

*Where possible you should provide Centrelink documents which show the level of fortnightly payments and any hours of work performed for the entire period. If you cannot provide assessment forms for the entire period, include a history of your Centrelink payments. How to request Centrelink Documents

Additional requirement

If you are submitting a GAM application for one of the following programs, you will need to complete the Disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances - Supplementary form (link):

If you are not applying to any of these programs, please disregard this requirement.

You are eligible to apply for this category if:

  • you experienced a disability or chronic medical condition during your tertiary study that had a sustained adverse effect on your academic achievement;
    or
  • you have experienced a disability (physical, sensory, intellectual, acquired brain injury or neurological impairment) or chronic medical condition that impacts on your life and/or study, either currently or in the past   .

Supporting documentation

  1. Personal statement: You must provide a personal statement outlining your disability and/or chronic medical condition, including how it has had a sustained adverse effect on you or your academic achievement. Please include dates, duration and the impact of this condition on your daily life and studies. If the impact is ongoing, make this clear in your statement.  The statement should not exceed 500 words.

  2. Evidence: Provide evidence that supports your personal statement, this may include a letter from a relevant health care professional involved in the care / management of your condition. This letter must be dated, signed and on letterhead and include dates and duration of impact.  Other evidence is also acceptable, such as medical documents which confirms the dates you were hospitalised or received treatment.

You are eligible for this category if:

  • you experienced personal difficulties during your tertiary study which had a sustained adverse effect on your academic achievement; AND / OR
  • you are currently or have recently experienced personal difficulties

Examples of personal difficulties include death/illness/disability of a family member or close friend, separation/divorce, either personally or of a close relative, issues relating to abuse, neglect or domestic violence, relationship issues, victim of crime, personal injury, homelessness, drug or alcohol addiction and difficulties living away from home etc.

Supporting documentation

  1. Personal statement: You must provide a personal statement outlining your personal difficulties and describe how they have had a sustained adverse effect on you and/or your tertiary study. Remember to include dates and make clear the duration of impact.  If the impact is ongoing, make this clear in your statement. The statement should not exceed 500 words.
  2. Evidence: Provide evidence that supports your personal statement, this may include a supporting letter outlining your current and previous circumstances written, signed and dated by a responsible independent source not related to you (i.e. doctor, lawyer, accountant, social worker, counsellor, religious or community leader or teacher). This letter should be on letterhead (if possible) and include dates and duration of impact. If not from an independent source, the person writing the letter must explain how they know you (your relationship), how long they have known you, how they know about the information or facts they are providing and include their contact details. Other evidence is also acceptable, such as a police report, intervention order, divorce papers, etc.

Domestic female applicants eligible for entry into Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology masters and coursework doctoral degrees will automatically be considered for a Graduate Access Melbourne Bursary.

You don't need to submit an application if Women in Engineering is the only category you're applying for.

Other entry requirements

As well as being eligible under these categories, you also need to:

  • be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident or holder of a permanent humanitarian visa
  • have demonstrated the capacity to successfully undertake one of the graduate coursework degrees that consider Graduate Access Melbourne applications
  • have applied for a place in the relevant graduate coursework degree.

If you meet all these requirements, you're eligible to apply.

Find out how to apply

About the scheme

Graduate degree options

See what Melbourne graduate degrees consider Graduate Access Melbourne applicants.

Eligibility

See if you qualify for any of the equity Access Melbourne categories, as well as meet all other entry requirements.

How to apply

Find out how to prepare your application and apply online for Graduate Access Melbourne.