Bottom Financial Quintile Admission Target

A target to widen participation

The University of Newcastle is committed to creating opportunities for all people to participate, thrive and succeed through a strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion.

Demonstrating this commitment, the University maintains a 20% admissions target for commencing domestic students from low socio-economic (SES) backgrounds. This is a University admissions target, aligned with the purpose of the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), which funded initiatives to improve access, participation and success for students experiencing disadvantage during 2025.

Participation outcomes in 2025

This commitment delivers measurable outcomes. In 2025, nearly 22% of students enrolled at the University of Newcastle students came from a low SES background, while 5.48% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. These figures are reported in the University’s 2025 Annual Report and reflect the breadth of participation among students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Practical admissions pathways

The University’s Student Equity and Social Justice Plan commits to parity of participation, including improving opportunities for people from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education. Through its HEPPP-supported initiatives, the University has combined outreach and preparation for higher education with support for students from low-SES, regional and remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In 2025, the Educational Access Scheme offered applicants experiencing significant educational disadvantage up to four admission adjustment factors. Eligible circumstances included financial hardship and socio-economic disadvantage measured using area-based indexes.

The University’s Excellence through Equity Pathway to Medicine also provides a targeted entry route for eligible Open Foundation students. Under the admission policy effective in May 2025, up to six places were available through the pathway; applicants had to demonstrate socio-economic disadvantage, including financial hardship, and meet additional equity and academic criteria. By December 2025, the pathway had supported 21 Open Foundation students to study medicine since 2020, with its first five graduates in 2025.

A wider commitment to equity

The University also educates the largest cohort of Indigenous students of any Australian university. Further reinforcing its leadership in educational equity, the Wollotuka Institute was recognised nationally through the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Award for Equity and Access. The 2025 award recognised the Institute’s contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and success in higher education.

Our low-SES admissions target and targeted entry pathways reflect a longstanding commitment to opening higher education to people facing financial and educational disadvantage. The University’s 2025 participation outcomes and equity achievements demonstrate the reach of this commitment across our communities.