Parents and carers guide

Support for your child's transition to university

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Parents and carers guide

Your child's journey to uni

Watching your child make the transition from high school to university is a significant event for parents, carers and young adults. Filled with excitement, challenges, anticipation and a few nerves, it鈥檚 easy to feel overwhelmed.

Just like you, we want to see your child succeed as they take the next steps towards their future. In this guide, we鈥檒l cover all the important things you need to know to help support your child and get them ready for university life.

Why choose UC?

#1 in ACT for full-time employment

Good Universities Guide, 2026

#1 in ACT for student support

Good Universities Guide, 2026

#1 in ACT for student equity

Good Universities Guide, 2026

#1 in ACT for full-time employment

Good Universities Guide, 2026

#1 in ACT for student support

Good Universities Guide, 2026

#1 in ACT for student equity

Good Universities Guide, 2026

Where to begin

Depending on what stage of high school your child is in, there are different levels of action required in supporting their university journey. Here's a good starting point to help you understand more about university and to kick start your planning and decision-making.

If you child is studying in the ACT, look into UC鈥檚 Accelerated Pathways Program which provides an opportunity to study on campus, earn university credit and experience real life uni over Year 11 and 12!

My child is in...

Talking about interests and abilities is a good way to ease into conversation about university options. Does your child have any ideas in mind about their future and what careers they would like to pursue? Explore their skills and interests and research some study options. With more classes to choose from in years 11 and 12, you can help your child pick the subjects based on their true interests.

Make sure you attend Year 10 information events at colleges and universities, and check eligibility for early entry pathways.

Now that your child is in their senior years of schooling, it鈥檚 time to decide whether pursuing an ATAR is the right path, or if an alternate entry pathway might be the best outcome.

ATAR

To study at university, your child must select the required amount of tertiary subjects in Years 11 and 12 to ensure they graduate year 12 with an ATAR. Visit the website to understand what an ATAR is and how it is calculated. On the UAC website, you鈥檒l be able to research admission requirements with your child for courses that they are interested in. This can be a great way to help your child stay motivated and goal orientated.

Alternate pathways to UC

If you child is not pursuing an ATAR or may not be on track to achieve the ATAR that they were hoping for, looking into our alternate entry pathways such as UC College or Portfolio Entry is the next best thing. At UC, we know that ATARs aren鈥檛 everything and we won鈥檛 let it define your journey to study.

School holidays and short courses

Year 11 is a fantastic time to try out some of our school holiday short courses to see if UC is right for you.

You can give your child the edge in our immersive Holiday Tech Days School Holiday Program. Holiday Tech Days balances screen time with collaborative activities, ensuring a fun, engaging experience that builds confidence and digital literacy. Program participants will showcase their new skills with take-home projects they can proudly share with family and friends. Our programs are developed in collaboration with Cisco and include the education technology platform, Cisco Networking Academy.

Choosing a university

This is the time for students to focus on their goals and make their final decisions on which course or which university they are striving for. We recommend attending career expos and open day events to learn what university may look like and what is on offer.  Going to university events can help your child visualise themselves on campus; experience the facilities and make the university feel more familiar. Check out UC鈥檚 Open Day or book a campus tour to explore our beautiful campus at a time that suits you.

Early Offer Scheme

To relieve some pressure on achieving a particular ATAR result, universities will release early offers to Year 12 students using criteria other than the ATAR. At UC, our Early Offer Scheme assesses your child鈥檚 Year 11 results, as well as a short written statement, and successful applicants will receive an offer to study in September of Year 12. The best part is, it鈥檚 entirely free! Receiving an early offer also does not exclude you from applying through other pathways such as UAC, so we recommend that all Year 12 students apply to as many early offer programs as they can. For more information and key application dates, check out  page.

Gap years and deferred enrolment

For students interested in taking a break before coming to study, it鈥檚 still worth attending events and researching courses so your child is prepared for when they鈥檙e ready to start uni. In most cases, enrolments can be deferred allowing time for breaks and gap-years, so UAC applications should be submitted as soon as possible, be mindful of deadlines such as the Early Bird, as closing dates and fee variances will be applicable.

Personal consultations

Finishing high school can be fun and exciting, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. Some students will be able to see their goals through and transition seamlessly into university, while others may need to find another way to get into their preferred course and we鈥檙e ready to help! with one of our friendly team to discuss options and opportunities for your child as they take their first steps on their university journey.

Learn more about university

How is university different from high school? What does ATAR mean? What is an articulation? What are the differences between a course, credit, minor and major?

Topic High school University
Attendance Attendance in high school is compulsory. Students are expected to attend Monday 鈥� Friday, from 9am 鈥� 3pm. Some university classes may not have compulsory attendance. Classes can start as early as 8:30am and as late as 8:00pm. Students are not required to be on campus every day, with the possibility for being only on campus two days a week!
Class structures Classes in high school are set on campus with a face-to-face delivery. Some university classes will have face-to-face delivery while some classes may be delivered online. There is also opportunity to complete a unit through industry-based learning.
Class numbers Typically, 25鈥�30 students with 1 teacher. Some lectures can have over 100 students with 1 lecturer. While some tutorials can be as small as 10 students.
Timetabling Class schedules are automatically set by the school. Students have the flexibility to build their own timetable in most cases.
Time management Teachers remind students when assessments are due and will ask for assessments to be handed in. Students study independently at university and are expected to manage their own time and be mindful of deadlines.
Results End of term/semester results are mailed to parents and carers. Student progress may also be discussed at parent/teacher interview evenings. Semester results are only made available to students.
Teaching periods High school typically has four terms, each approximately 10 weeks in duration.

UC students typically study over 2 semesters,
Semester 1 & 2: 14 week duration. In addition there may be an option to modify your studies to include a Winter/Summer  (7 week duration) for those studying part time or who may like to spread their studies out.
Holidays/breaks Two to three week break between terms. Students can have up to 2 months break between semester 1 and semester 2.
Student support Teachers identify if students are having problems and approach you. UC has a range of support services available to all students. It is the student鈥檚 responsibility to seek help.
Campus involvement There may be sports teams, musical bands and other extracurricular groups. UC has over 50 clubs and societies that range from academic, social, cultural and sporting. It鈥檚 a fantastic way to meet like-minded people.
Opportunities Visits from guest speakers, school excursions and camps. Students get opportunities to study overseas and gain industry experience relevant to their course.
Term Definition
Accreditation A certification of regulatory compliance in a specified subject or area of expertise awarded by a third party (usually a governing body).
Articulation A tertiary ranking calculated from year 11 and 12 results  that universities and other tertiary education providers can assess students for admission into a course. Other criteria may also be used in conjunction with an ATAR.
Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) A tertiary ranking calculated from year 11 and 12 results that universities and other tertiary education providers can assess students for admission into a course. . Other criteria may also be used in conjunction with an ATAR.
Course A program of tertiary study, usually taking three or four years to complete. When a student completes their course, they are awarded a degree.
Credit The recognition of prior learning and skills, which can be applied against a nominated unit within a degree through meeting the learning outcomes. Students would no longer be required to undertake said unit, reducing the amount of study required to complete the course. 
Deferring A term used when a student receives an offer from a university but applies to delay their start date by six months to one year.
Degree A qualification or award a student earns after completing their course of study.
Discipline Similar to a department, a discipline is a particular field of study or focus of knowledge where academic subjects are managed and research is conducted. A group of degrees at an institution that share common themes, units and resources.
Double Degree Where two degrees combine to create an extended degree, typically allowing students to completed two specialist majors. Please note, not all degrees are able to be offered as double degrees. 
Faculty A collective group of associated disciplines, run by a Dean who oversees teaching and research.
HECS (or HECS-HELP) HECS-HELP is a government financial loan available to eligible students enrolled in tertiary studies at a higher education institution. Find out more at 
Honours A one-year course for high-achieving students, typically undertaken at the end of a standard three-year bachelor鈥檚 degree. There are some undergraduate courses that will include an honours year.
Lecture A class where a presentation is delivered by an academic or expert that contains course material and provides context, examples, theories and concepts to a group of students. 
Major A sequence of related units that form a student鈥檚 main field of specialisation within a degree. Students are required to undertake a certain number of units within this specific field to qualify with a major.
Mature Age Students
(Adult learner)		 Students who are entering tertiary study and are aged 21 or over.
Minor A sequence of related units that form a student鈥檚 secondary field of specialisation within a degree. Minors also require a certain number of units to be studied.
Adult learner Students interested in  commencing tertiary study that are not directly from year 12 completion. This could be someone from the workforce, someone looking for further studies, someone who didn鈥檛 complete their schooling, or someone who has spent time away from studies for a number of reasons
Packaged Offer When a student doesn鈥檛 meet the direct admission requirements of a degree, they may receive a Packaged Offer that requires them to complete a program of study prior to commencing study such as a pathway program or English language program.
Pathway Alternative entry methods into university that are not based on a raw ATAR score.
Postgraduate (PG) Study that is typically undertaken after a student has already completed at least one undergraduate bachelor鈥檚 degree or equivalent.
Prerequisite Prescribed conditions students must satisfy to enter a course.
Scholarship Financial grants given to eligible students to help cover costs associated with university, based on merit, need, career or equity grounds.
School Leaver Students who plan on studying straight after completing year 12.
Selection Rank An adjusted score for entry into university consisting of a student鈥檚 ATAR plus any adjustment factors that they are eligible for and have been awarded.
Tutorial A class intended to assist students in the understanding and practical application of information provided in the lecture. Also known as a 鈥榯ute鈥�.
Undergraduate (UG) A student who has not yet completed any tertiary study. Most bachelor鈥檚 degrees are referred to as undergraduate degrees.
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) UAC processes applications for admission to most undergraduate and some postgraduate courses at participating institutions (mainly located in NSW and the ACT). For more info, visit .
Work Integrated Learning The unit of study that combines workplace experience with academic learning assessments and support. This is embedded in all our degrees at UC.

Support for students at UC

UC provides a number of support options to your child which will assist in both their academic and pastoral care while at UC. Your child is invited to seek support if needed or they may be referred to one of our services by teaching staff.

Whether they are living with a disability or ongoing health condition, require counselling or access to healthcare facilities, or would like to make the most of our careers services, their world-leading learning journey will be supported every step of the way.

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Getting into uni

Depending on whether your child received their desired results or not, there are a number of different ways to meet university entry requirements. UC offers a range of direct entry options and pathway programs including UC diplomas, Portfolio entry and Schools Recommendation Scheme.

Find out more about getting into UC, including entry requirements, admissions programs, pathway programs and credit transfers.

Find out more

School leavers

If your child is currently completing Year 12 it is recommended  they apply through The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).

When you apply through UAC they will automatically be considered for Year 12 adjustment factors and can also apply for other university entry programs such as the Schools Recommendation Scheme and Educational Access Scheme.

Find out more

Life at UC

More than an education

At UC, we know there鈥檚 more to university than just what鈥檚 in the classroom. Your child will have access to clubs and societies, sporting teams, competitions and campus events. With the best overall experience of any university in Canberra, there are so many ways to get involved at 麻豆传媒映画出品.

From accommodation options to living in Canberra, explore our pages below on life at UC. 

Find out more

Contact us

No matter where you live or what your child is hoping to study, our Future Student Services are ready to answer any questions you or your family may have.

Talk to us today