In the admission years from 1993 to 2002 SATAC processed applications for full-time places for Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Degree courses at TAFE and courses offered by the universities. All of these applications were administered within a single database. Prospective students were able to indicate preferences for courses in the two different sectors in a single application.

Statistics from these admission years come from single databases, and reflect the "interweaving" nature of TAFE and university applications.

From 2003, SATAC is administering on behalf of the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, a discrete centralised admissions service for TAFE courses. From this year, applications for TAFE and the universities will be handled on separate databases.

Statistics from 2003 will be reported for the universities and TAFE in separate Statistical Handbooks on the SATAC web.

Prospective students of both sectors make two applications, are included on each database and are reported statistically in both the TAFE and University Statistical Handbooks.

Comparability across the years following the 2002 admissions cycle

While comparability of statistics from 2002 and earlier with those from 2003 onwards remain statistically justifiable at the course level for university courses, comparison across this divide of:

• statistics at the course level for TAFE courses; and
• statistics on the applicant pool handled by SATAC on behalf of both sectors

is not possible.

In previous years, SATAC has handled only full-time places for TAFE Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Degree courses. In recent times, this involved some 3000+ applicants having one or more TAFE preferences woven into their set of six SATAC preferences competing for about 95 courses.

In 2003 SATAC undertook the first stage in implementation of the new TAFE Admissions Service by handling admissions only for courses with more than enough applicants to fill available places. This involved only 7000+ applicants for about 300 courses.

From 2004 onwards, SATAC generally speaking will be dealing with applications for full-time and part-time places in all award level TAFE courses from Certificate I upwards. In 2004 SATAC may handle in the order of 15,000 applicants for about 500 courses.

• for university statistics - between the 2003 and 2004 University Statistical Handbooks and thereafter;
• for TAFE statistics - between the 2004 and 2005 TAFE Statistical Handbooks and thereafter;
• for statistical analysis of tertiary applications in SA as a whole – using the Statistical Handbooks for both sectors between 2004 and 2005.

David Hallam
Manager, Research and Development
SATAC

26 June 2003