高清福利片

For Michael Jeffrey, university was always part of the plan.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had that aim and dream I would end up here,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 never really thought of anything else to be honest.鈥�

Yet a tertiary education was never a given for Michael, financially or in terms of his background. Coming from Dubbo in central west NSW, other paths seemed more likely. 鈥淚 think I was a little bit of an outsider in my community, actually wanting to go to university,鈥� he says.

A graduate of Dubbo College, Michael took advantage of the University of Sydney鈥檚 Early Offer Year 12 (E12) scheme for NSW students that are experiencing financial hardship or attend a government-identified lower socio-economic (SES) or regional or remote school. He intends to pursue further study in astrophysics once he鈥檚 completed his Bachelor of Advanced Science.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have gotten into my degree without E12; I don鈥檛 know where I would have ended up otherwise,鈥� the high-achieving student says.

E12 was established to implement the federal government鈥檚 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), which aims to address Australia鈥檚 widening education gap.

The program also reflects the University鈥檚 policies on diversity and social inclusion and since the first intake in 2013, around 350 students have successfully applied each year.

Mary Teague is head of the University鈥檚 Widening Participation and Outreach which works to increase the access and participation of students who might otherwise miss out on a university education. She credits the scheme with providing disadvantaged young people access to an excellent education at the University, supported by a transition-to-university package.

The resources offered by E12 might seem modest: an early conditional offer, a small reduction in the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) requirement, $5,000, an iPad, mentoring opportunities and a student union Access Card offering discounts, with additional accommodation scholarships available.

But the power of the program is undeniable.

鈥淓12 offers us early engagement with students,鈥� Teague explains. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e motivated to do well in the HSC and meet the ATAR requirement to get here. It really impacts on their approach to study in the last few important months of preparation for their exams.

鈥淚t also takes a lot of the stress out. They know if they do well in their trials, they鈥檙e likely to get the mark they need to obtain a place at the University.鈥�

This echoes Madalyn Busby鈥檚 experience. Lively and engaging, Madalyn attended school in Taree in NSW鈥檚 Mid North Coast and moved to Sydney for university. Now three years into a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications, initially she doubted she could obtain the marks required for her desired course.

鈥淭he ATAR was around 98.5; I thought there鈥檚 no way I鈥檓 ever going to get that,鈥� she says. 鈥淓12 made a massive difference. In the end I was about .5 of a mark off, but that .5 could have really mattered.

鈥淚鈥檇 always looked at it as the ideal course that wasn鈥檛 really attainable. Then all of a sudden it was attainable, which was just so exciting.鈥�

E12鈥檚 reduced ATAR is the major benefit of the scheme, but Teague is adamant it is not a handout.

鈥淓ducational disadvantage can equate to 10-15 marks on an ATAR,鈥� she says. 鈥淓12 isn鈥檛 about bonus points. It鈥檚 about acknowledging deep-seated and long-standing educational disadvantage from the beginning of some young peoples鈥� engagement with education.鈥�

Laurie Yutuc attended St Marys Senior High School in Western Sydney and is now studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Sydney. He describes the application process for E12, which seeks to identify students with the necessary skills and capacity for higher education.

鈥淗alf of the E12 application is seeing you as a person and not just looking at your marks,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to demonstrate the things you do outside of class, even if you don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 relevant.

鈥淚 worked in a part time job in retail on the weekends, played social sports, was vice captain of my school and involved in the student representative council (SRC). Any experience that requires you to work in a team or problem solve can be applicable.鈥�

The selection process is effective. From the beginning of the program, E12 recipients have tended to outperform their fellow students who entered the University on a higher ATAR.

Teague puts this success down to two factors.

鈥淏y the time they arrive these students have already unlocked what they want to study and why they want to be here,鈥� she says.

鈥淪tudents from disadvantaged backgrounds also tend to be very resilient and motivated. It was hard to get here so they make the most of their educational opportunities.鈥�

She also appreciates the contribution these students make to the broader University community.

鈥淭hanks to E12, we have an amazing group of young people from diverse backgrounds who can offer an understanding of the world that is remarkably different from many students that attend Sydney.鈥�

It鈥檚 not just the E12 students who are affected. As Teague says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 very moving when parents speak of their hopes for their children, and pride at what they鈥檝e achieved. Because university was not in any way beyond them in terms of capacity, but often the opportunity wasn鈥檛 there.

鈥淭he whole聽university community聽benefits from having diverse perspectives, it聽positively impacts on all students education聽and is part of the University鈥檚 core values.鈥�

The students themselves are convinced of the value of tertiary education.

Madalyn recommends engaging in genuine soul searching before deciding what course to do.

鈥淟ook at your strengths and see what you can make of them. For me it was, 鈥業 know I like writing so what can I do with that?鈥� Find a way to make your passion into a career.鈥�

Laurie believes the university experience is worthwhile in its own right.

鈥淧eople shouldn鈥檛 get too caught up in choosing a degree, thinking it will lock them into a career they won鈥檛 want to do for the rest of their life.

鈥淚t鈥檚 doesn鈥檛 matter if you have a Bachelor of Arts, Commerce or Science, in the real world people really look for experiences and skills that you鈥檝e built.鈥�

For Michael, it鈥檚 important to aim high.

鈥淚 think kids from our area always doubt they can actually achieve anything,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey need to start believing they can achieve their goals in a university environment, because it can be done.鈥�