We all know that volunteering your time is all about giving, but it is only fair for volunteers in the country (and around the world) to be recognised for their efforts and hard work. Now it seems that the first step in that direction is a fact – and it was made by La Trobe University in Melbourne.

A special partnership between La Trobe University, the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Duke of Edinburgh Awards and St John Ambulance will now allow eligible high school students to access university courses even before their exam results have come out. This means that students who have volunteered and contributed to their community will have a reserved place at La Trobe and will only have to meet the minimum ATAR requirements for the course (and any other standard prerequisites) in order to be officially accepted.

The practice of looking at an applicant’s extracurricular activities is a common one in the UK and the USA, where universities are particularly interested in any volunteering, leadership and work experience the student has undertaken before applying. In Australia, however, this was not the case until now – universities were mainly interested in the academic performance and the exam results of their prospective students.

However, Shawn Walker, director of school engagement and student recruitment at La Trobe, believes that exam results are not the most important factor. ‘The ability to interact with humans is really important. You can get students who come in with an ATAR of 99 but if they don’t have the human connection and ability to talk to someone, they don’t necessarily make the best graduate.”

Therefore, students who have volunteered for at least 6 months prior to their application will be eligible for La Trobe’s early admission program. In order to participate, they will have to be recommended by their high school principal. If their application is successful, the University will make a conditional offer with the minimum requirements for the course, which basically secures the place for the particular student if those requirements are met.

According to Mr Walker, the program, which is in its second year but is expected to be even more successful as a result of the new partnership, is extremely important for the University as it makes socially-minded students stand out. According to him, such students who are used to interacting with people and contributing to their society are a ‘perfect fit’ for La Trobe.

The program, known as Aspire, will certainly reduce the exam stress for at least 2,000 students involved in volunteering who will receive their early offers, and will allow them to focus on what they really love – helping others. More information about the program, the conditions and requirements, and how to apply, can be found on the University website. We would like to join La Trobe in saying ‘Well done!’ to the young volunteers and ‘Good luck!’ to all applican