With respect for Aboriginal cultural protocol and out of recognition that its campuses occupy their traditional lands, Western Sydney University acknowledges the Darug, Dharawal, Gadigal, Gundungurra and Wiradjuri peoples and thanks them for their support of its work in their lands (Greater Western Sydney and beyond).
Reach your potential, no matter your starting point or ATAR.
You do not need an ATAR to study with The College at Western. Our Diploma and Undergraduate Preparation Programs are open to Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 17 years or over.
3 easy steps to apply
Step 1. Create your Western Portal account
Domestic students can apply directly via our Western Application Portal. It is free to apply!
Step 2. Submit your application
Have your Unique Student Identifier (USI) handy. Complete the online application:
- Tell us about yourself by providing your personal details.
- You may be asked to provide your qualification(s). You don’t need qualifications to study at The College.
- Choose your Diploma program and your preferred start date.
- Submit your application.
Step 3. Apply your offer
Western Portal applications areusually processed and finalised within 1-2 weeks after submission.
If you receive an offer, follow the instructions to accept and secure your place in the program.
All Diplomas are Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). Indicative annual fees are available on each course page.
Important information
Domestic Programs
Entry: To be admitted to our Diploma courses delivered through The College, you don’t need an ATAR. These programs are open to Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents who are aged 17 years or over and not currently enrolled in or completing Year 12 in the same year of intended admission.
Delivery: On successful completion of our 12 month Diploma courses, you will transition into the second year of a corresponding Bachelor degree at Western Sydney University.
Affordable study options: With Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available for eligible domestic students, the Australian Government covers part of your course fees. Check the Fees and Scholarships section on your chosen course page to see if a CSP is available.
Use the 'Explore Our Programs' search bar below, for more details on your program of interest.
This program is designed to introduce you to the knowledge and skills needed for the first year of your Bachelor degree in Nursing or Health Science at Western Sydney University.
The program provides pathways into a College Diploma program, or if you obtain satisfactory results and meet the relevant English language proficiency requirements, entry into the first year of the corresponding degree at Western Sydney University.
Diploma Pathways and Preparation Courses
Our modular learning will help you reach your potential, no matter your starting point or ATAR.
Frequently Asked Questions
As admission to The College Diploma programs is open access, you do not need to provide any documents to be considered for an offer. You may provide information regarding your High Schooling or other Tertiary study if desired, but this is not required for your application to be considered.
Please note that to be eligible for an offer for a Diploma program, you need to be over the age of 17 and not currently enrolled in or completing high school in the year of admission. If you plan to un-enrol from high school at the time of applying and would like to be considered for an offer with The College you may need to provide a certified letter from your school advising of your status as a non-current student before your application can be considered.
If you’re an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or hold a permanent humanitarian visa, you will be considered a domestic student.
Offers are made to successful applicants during official offer rounds. The time that you apply and the intake you are applying for can affect the offer rounds that your application will be considered within, and when you may receive a response. Offers generally begin to release approximately 2 to 3 months before the applicable intake date.
If you make an application during the timeframe that offers are released, you may receive a response within 1 to 2 weeks of applying.
Please note application closing dates on our website: Closing Dates.
If it has been more than 2 weeks since you have applied, and the intake you have applied for is less than 3 months away, you can certainly reach out for an update. Please visit Contact Us to view the range of contact options available or simply call 1300 668 370 and select option 4 on any weekday between 9am and 4:30pm.
Please note that only the applicant or their ‘authorised agent’ can request application updates. An authorised agent can be added within the ‘Personal Details’ section of the application portal.
You can provide your NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Identification number within the ‘Secondary Qualifications’ application section if you wish to have provide your ATAR. However, as entry to The College Diploma programs is open access, your application can be considered even if you do not provide this information.
If you are eligible for a HECS-HELP loan and wish to use this to defer your fees you will need to provide a Tax File Number (TFN) when you accept your offer. If you do not have a Tax File Number, we recommend you apply for one as soon as possible. A Tax File Number is available from the Australian Taxation Office.
If you do not have a Tax File Number and are accepting an offer with The College, you either will need to indicate that you have applied for one and provide a ‘certificate of application for a TFN’, or you will need to indicate that you do not want a HECS-HELP loan and plan to pay fees upfront.
To be eligible to defer your fees you must provide your Tax File Number by the Census date of your first session of study.
You may receive a ‘conditional offer’ for a Diploma program with The College through Western’s HSC True Reward early offer program for NSW HSC students.
A conditional offer means you’ve been offered a place in a program and must meet certain requirements before you can accept this offer. For HSC True Reward, this means you need to complete the HSC before you can accept your offer. Once the official HSC results are released the offer will automatically become ‘unconditional’ and you will be able to accept and enrol.
Yes, you can. Offers with The College can be deferred for a maximum of 12 months. If the program you have received an offer for has an additional start date after 6 months, you may be able to request to return from deferment for this intake instead.
When you attend University, you may be eligible for a HELP loan to help pay for the cost of your study.
The HELP loan is provided by the Australian Government and needs to be paid back through the Australian tax system once you start earning above the compulsory threshold amount. If your annual income is less than this amount, you do not need to make repayments.
Your HELP loan will be affected by indexation. Indexation is like interest and will be applied to your HELP loan debts that are older than 11 months on 1 June each year.
A HECS-HELP loan (also known as HECS) can only be accessed by eligible students to pay the student contribution amount if they are enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). All programs with The College are CSP and thus allow eligible students to obtain a HECS-HELP loan.
To be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan you must meet a range of eligibility criteria including meeting the citizenship and residency requirements, and providing required information such as your Unique Student Identifier (USI) and Tax File Number (TFN) to the University by the Census date, among other criteria.
In order to meet the citizenship and residency requirements you must be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen who will study at least some of your course while living in Australia
- a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, or eligible former New Zealand SCV holder, who meets the long-term residency requirements and who studies the entire course while living in Australia
- a permanent humanitarian visa holder, or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder, who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s), or
- a Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s).
The Australian Government has a useful tool to assist students in determining eligibility for HECS-HELP: Eligibility Tool.
As part of the process to accept your offer and complete your enrolment through My Student Records (MySR), you will be instructed to complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF). Within this form you can provide your Tax File Number and indicate that you wish to obtain a HECS-HELP loan. You need to ensure you have lodged your TFN and USI, and submit this form by the census date of the first teaching session you are enrolled in.
Please double check your eCAF, as failure to provide full and accurate information and not making a payment could result in your enrolment being cancelled. Your eCAF is available to view in the Government Forms section of My Student Records.
Find out how to complete your eCAF here.
You do not need to be 17 years old to submit your application for The College, however admission to The College requires you to be 17 or older at the time of program commencement. Your application may not be considered if you turn 17 after the commencement of the program you are applying for.
Acknowledgement of Country
