Victorian-based La Trobe University has launched its annual Aspire Early Admissions Program that gives Year 12 students the opportunity to secure an early university place.
Now in its second year the Aspire program offers Australian high school leavers who volunteer and give back to their community the opportunity to secure their place at La Trobe before the completion of final exams.
In order to qualify applicants need to be a domestic Year 12 school leaver actively volunteering in the community. The level and length of their volunteering engagement, coupled with a school recommendation and minimum Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) grades, will form the basis of the assessment.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar said the program encourages volunteerism and education in Victoria, while supporting a diverse range of community organisations.
“At La Trobe, we are committed to making a positive difference to the world in which we live, and the Aspire program enables us to support the efforts of inspiring young people whose values and ambitions align with ours,” he said. “We want to encourage these community leaders of the future to come and study at La Trobe University.”
Stacey Cockram, who started at La Trobe this year under the Aspire program, has been a Surf Life Saving volunteer for five years and managed to successfully balance her studies with community work throughout her high school years.
“Receiving an offer from La Trobe to pursue a Bachelor of Outdoor Education, before ATARs were released, was a memorable milestone in my life,” she said. “I feel like it has really fast-tracked my career.”
Already in support of this unique program are the Country Fire Authority (CFA), St John Ambulance and the Duke of Edinburgh who are providing their secondary school student volunteers with priority access to the Aspire program.
Volunteers who have been committed to the CFA or St John Ambulance for a minimum of six months will automatically meet the community engagement requirement for the Aspire program. Duke of Edinburgh participants with a Bronze medal or above will also automatically qualify.
Martin Wells, Community Relations Manager and St John Ambulance Victoria, said the organisation is delighted to give its cadet volunteers an early university placement to reward them up-front for their selfless acts of providing First Aid in their community.
“Having already received significant interest from our cadets as they approach final year schooling, it is encouraging that they see value in this offer as much as we do,” he said. “It’s a real benefit to our cadets who work hard to be the difference in their community to have this opportunity with such a prestigious and well regarded institution as La Trobe University.”
Applications for Aspire are now open and if successful, students will receive an offer to study at La Trobe in September this year. For more information, students can visit the Aspire website www.latrobe.edu.au/study/aspire and organisations interested in partnering with La Trobe can contact Melanie Edgar m.edgar@latrobe.edu.au