Adjustment Factors
High school students may be eligible for adjustment factors when applying to the University of Adelaide. The two adjustment factor schemes are administered by the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC).
An individual student can receive a maximum of 9 adjustment factors under both schemes.
These adjustment factor schemes will apply for all University of Adelaide undergraduate degrees with the following exception: The Universities Language, Literacy and Mathematics Adjustment Factor Scheme will not apply to the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and the Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience).
The Universities Equity Scheme will provide adjustment factors in one of two ways: adjustment factors for all students from certain specified schools and adjustment factors for individual students from other schools. Eligible students will receive five adjustment factors in the calculation of their selection ranks.
School based bonuses
South Australian and Northern Territory schools attracting equity adjustment factors will be identified by SATAC using specific criteria, which includes:
- schools’ remoteness as defined under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification
- the 'participation rate' (the percentage of students in each school gaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR))
- the mean ATAR achieved in each school
- schools' Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage.
School based adjustment factors will be automatically applied in the calculation of applicants selection rank.
Individual
Students from other schools can submit an application to demonstrate their individual disadvantage. Students will be eligible under the Scheme where, in the year they gain their Selection Rank:
- they or their parents are in receipt of a Centrelink means-tested income support payment, or
- they or their parents are the holders of a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card, or
- they are the holder of a School Card.
Students can apply for this scheme when completing their SATAC application.
Further information is available from the SATAC website.
The Universities Language, Literacy and Mathematics Adjustment Factor Scheme encourages students to strengthen their preparation for undergraduate studies by undertaking a language other than English (LOTE), or specified English and Mathematics subjects.
In this Scheme, applicants will be awarded two adjustment factors per subject, up to a maximum of four adjustment factors, for successfully completing a SACE subject in any one of these four categories:
- 20 credits of a LOTE in the Languages Learning Area (two 10 credit Australian Indigenous language subjects can be paired in lieu of a 20 credit LOTE). Please note the subject Language and Culture does not attract an adjustment factor
- 2ESH20 English or 2ELS20 English Literary Studies
- 2MHS20 Mathematical Methods
- 2MSC20 Specialist Mathematics.
Successful completion is defined as gaining an Overall Grade of C- or better. Students undertaking the International Baccalaureate or interstate senior secondary certificates in Australia are also eligible to receive adjustment factors under this Scheme. See the SATAC website for interstate and IB equivalents.
The Universities Language, Literacy and Mathematics Adjustment Factor Scheme will not apply to the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and the Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience).
Further information is available from the SATAC website.