UWay

You can apply for entry to an undergraduate degree course through UWay if your academic achievements have been adversely affected by certain disadvantages.

This applies to Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) or equivalent qualification students, including mature age WACE students or students with previous tertiary study who are:

  • Australian citizens
  • permanent residents of Australia
  • New Zealand citizens or
  • holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.

UWay is available to students applying for any of our undergraduate courses. You are required to meet UWA's other admission requirements:

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students are advised to discuss special admission through the UWA School of Indigenous Studies.

For WACE students, the basis of the appeal would usually be outside the scope of an SCSA Sickness and Misadventure claim.

How it works

Adjusting your ATAR

UWay adjusts your ATAR or equivalent rank (e.g. GPA) according to the disadvantage you have experienced.

It does not change your actual ATAR – the adjustment is only for the purpose of your UWay application to UWA. If your actual ATAR falls below the cut-off for your desired course, it is possible that your notional, adjusted rank will gain you a place at UWA.

Eligibility

Apply through UWay if you believe your exam preparation or performance was adversely impacted by one or more of the following circumstances:

  • attending a school where very few students in Year 11 and 12 are interested in tertiary education
  • rural isolation, where 'rural' is defined as a distance of more than 75km from the nearest Central Business District
  • lack of a supportive study environment in your family home
  • needing to engage in excessive part-time employment to help supplement your family's income
  • excessive family responsibilities
  • disruption of your education due to relocation or difficult migrant passage
  • a period of long illness or a medical condition, which is now over or is abating or is being managed effectively
  • bereavement of a close relative or friend
  • other disadvantage not covered in above points.

Admission advice letter (WACE applicants only)

In mid-December, you will be able to access your Universities Admission Advice Notification from the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) website.

As a UWay applicant, if your advice letter indicates that your ATAR is too low for UWA, this may not apply to you as a notional adjustment through UWay may lift your ATAR above the University's minimum.

However, you are still required to satisfy the University's English Language Competence requirement.

Semester 1

Most UWay offers will be made in the December round, although some UWay offers may be made in the Second round (January 2023). To be considered for the December round UWay applications must be submitted via email by Thursday 20 November 2023. UWay applications will remain open until Monday 8 January 2024 for Second round offers.

Semester 2

UWay offers are released in mid-July. Applications must be submitted by early July.

Applying through UWay

To apply for admission entry to UWA through UWay, follow these steps:

  1. Apply for entry to UWA
  2. UWay Applicant Statement
  3. Medical Practitioner's Report
  4. School Nomination Form
  5. Lodge application

Submit an application for entry to UWA

To be eligible for consideration of a place at UWA, you must first submit an application, as follows: 

Semester 1 entry

If you are applying to commence University in Semester 1, you will need to do one of the following:

  1. Submit a Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) application with a UWA preference along with an EAS or a UWay application, or;
  2. Submit a UWay application if applying direct to UWA for a UWA course.

Semester 2 entry

For the Semester 2 (mid-year) intake, you will need to submit an online application direct to UWA. Applications are open, and close the Friday prior to Semester start (usually late July).

Complete the UWay Applicant Statement

All applicants must complete the UWay Applicant Statement.

Submissions must be in your own words; forms can be completed electronically then printed (using the PDF version). Provide as much information and supporting documentation as possible.

In addition to describing the nature of the disadvantage you have experienced, you need to explain very clearly why you have been prevented from reaching your academic potential.

Note: if your UWay application is based on multiple circumstances, you will need to complete pages 2 and 3 for each individual circumstance.

Complete the Medical Practitioner's Report (if applicable)

If you are applying on the basis of a medical condition, ask your treating medical practitioner to complete this form.

Principal completes School Nomination form

For applications based on high school results, ask your school principal to complete the School Nomination form.

This form does not need to be completed if you are applying on the basis of tertiary results.

Lodge application

Your complete application package should include:

  • UWay Applicant Statement
  • Medical Practitioner's Report (where applicable) 
  • School Nomination form (where applicable)
  • Additional supporting documentation (where applicable)

Either you or your school principal must email the complete application package directly to:

Confidential
Email: [email protected]

Please include your full name in the subject line.

UWay applications will close Thursday 30 November 2023 for Main round offers. UWay Applications will remain open until Monday 8 January 2024 for Second round offers.

Further information

Confidentiality

UWA will ensure that any and all information provided is maintained in a manner in keeping with standards of professional conduct and in strict confidence.

Relevant details may be discussed by the UWay Assessment Panel, the University's Student Services practitioners and relevant faculty staff to assess eligibility for the UWay scheme and will not be released outside the relevant administrative area without your prior written consent.

Information is only disclosed without consent when there is a clear danger to the applicant or others, or there is a legal obligation to do so by court subpoena, search warrant, or legislated requirement. 

To find out more about UWay or to discuss your individual situation, email [email protected].

Your contact details

We may need to contact you regarding your UWay application. If your contact details change anytime after submitting your application, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing [email protected].