Privacy and legal information

When you apply to the Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT) (UAC) you provide a lot of personal information, sometimes including health information.

UAC values the privacy of your personal information and recognises the importance of protecting it. UAC is bound by the following legislation:

• Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW)
• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
• Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).

This means that UAC must uphold the NSW State Information Protection Principles, the Australian Privacy Principles and the NSW Health Privacy Principles. UAC is committed to upholding these principles and has implemented policies and procedures to ensure they are met.

About this privacy policy

This privacy policy sets out how and what information is collected, maintained and disclosed (including identification of individuals) for the services UAC provides in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

If you do not agree to any of the provisions of this policy, you should not use UAC’s website or services, lodge a UAC application or provide UAC with any personal information. By visiting the UAC website, applying, using any of our services or providing us with your information, you agree to the information being collected, held, used and disclosed as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Scope of this privacy policy

This policy applies to all methods of collecting personal and sensitive information (via hardcopy, electronic or verbal means) including but not limited to the following:

• online UAC applications and services
• changes to personal details
• receipt of educational results
• calculation of the ATAR, if necessary
• additional documentation provided by you as part of your application/s
• electronic information provided as part of your application/s
• information provided by third parties on behalf of you
• surveys you may complete
• draws or competitions you may enter
• digital images captured for applicant identification purposes
• exam and tertiary studies results from relevant institutions.

What information does UAC collect?

The type of personal information UAC collects includes:

• your contact details (including name, address, telephone number, email address)
• your date of birth
• your gender
• your citizenship details
• your language spoken at home
• your country of birth
• your year of arrival in Australia (if relevant)
• your educational achievements
• your professional qualifications
• information related to any disability you may have
• information related to your health or the health of a family member
• information about the highest educational attainment of your parent/s
• details of your proficiency in English
• your HSC and other examination results
• your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
• your course preferences
• your status as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• payment details for goods and services provided.

UAC will only collect information for lawful purposes related to its function.

If we receive unsolicited personal information, as soon as reasonably possible we determine if we could have collected the personal information under the Australian Privacy Principles.

• If we consider we could have collected the personal information, we will retain it as if we had collected it under the Australian Privacy Principles.
• If we consider we could not have collected the personal information, we will (if it is lawful and reasonable to do so) destroy the information or ensure the information is de-identified.

UAC provides your personal information and, where applicable, sensitive information, to all institutions to which you have applied. If you do not provide personal or sensitive information where required, UAC may not be able to process your application. Please contact UAC’s Privacy Officer if you have any queries.

If you would like further information about, or clarification of, the information handling practices at UAC or require more detail than this document provides, please contact the Privacy Officer at:
Privacy Officer
UAC Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128
Phone: +61 2 9752 0200
Email: privacy@uac.edu.au

How does UAC collect your information?

Online applications

UAC collects personal information and, in some circumstances, information regarding your health, or information about someone else, to process your application for admission to tertiary institutions. Only information that is necessary to fulfil the functions and activities of UAC will be collected. Such collection will be by lawful and fair means and will not be unreasonably intrusive.

Sensitive and health information will only be collected if it is directly related to the primary purpose for which the information will be collected or as required by law or with the specific and informed consent of the individual.

Where practicable, UAC will collect personal or sensitive information direct from the individual. In some cases, UAC may collect information from a third party, such as another educational institution, other interstate tertiary admission centres or a government authority. UAC may also collect personal or sensitive information from others that you have authorised to act on your behalf, such as a health practitioner, an employment agency, a former employer or a contractor.

In providing the details of your authorised person or agency to UAC you are consenting to the collection of your personal and sensitive information from your authorised person or agency.

Generally, you will be aware we have collected personal information or have authorised collection of personal information from third parties or be aware that we are obtaining information from them.

Google Tag Manager

UAC uses Google Tag Manager, a tag management system provided by Google, Inc. Google Tag Manager is used to manage and deploy analytics, customer support and advertising platforms on UAC’s website, applications, and other online services. These platforms allow us to improve customer experience, analyse user behaviour, and monitor system stability and performance.

Information may be collected about pages you view, actions you undertake and services you use. This information will be collected in a data layer, which is a structured collection of custom data, and then pushed to Google Tag Manager. Examples of the types of data that can be collected include page views, application number, completion date and time, and course preferences. This information may be stored in a data warehouse or customer data platform and connected to other platforms for analysis and benchmarking by UAC.

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (‘Google’). Google Analytics uses ‘cookies’, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity for website operators and provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Logged-in user, demographic and interest reporting

UAC uses a specific cookie to facilitate the use of Google Universal Analytics for users logged in to UAC or UAC applications. If you are logged in, UAC may use a unique ID in combination with Google Analytics to track and analyse pages you view and services you use. This unique ID is distinct from your UAC user ID. UAC will not upload any data that allows Google to personally identify an individual (such as names, government reference numbers, email addresses, or any similar data), or data that permanently identifies a device (such as a mobile phone’s unique device identifier if such an identifier cannot be reset).

UAC has also implemented Demographics and Interest Reporting from the Google Analytics Advertising Features. UAC will use this data to improve and expand information and services through a better understanding of visitors to our website and how they use our website. Visitors can opt out of Google’s interest-based ads or edit the interests and demographics associated with their Google Account by changing Ad settings.

Want to block tracking?

Visitors can also block tracking by Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available for all common browsers.

Google Ads and Google Marketing Platform

We use Google Ads and Google Marketing Platform to advertise UAC and UAC's partners across a variety of third-party websites, including Google, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. Google Ads or Google Marketing Platform remarketing may serve ads to you based on your interactions with this and other websites by placing a cookie on your machine. We may also use other information you have shared directly with us to tailor advertising to you about UAC or UAC’s partners' products or services. For example, we may advertise to previous visitors to our site who haven't completed an application. This cookie does not allow us to gather personal information or provide a means to identify you. The data gathered is anonymous. We may also share this information with our trusted advertising and analytics partners.

Want to opt out?

If you want to opt out of seeing personalised ads served by Google, you can change Google Ad Settings.

Facebook

Facebook pixels

We use Facebook pixels to advertise UAC on Facebook. This cookie provides us with data about ads served to users on Facebook who later visited our website. We also use this information to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and to target ads to you based on your previous behaviour. For example, we may show you an ad if you came to our site but did not complete an application.

You can opt-out of Facebook’s use of cookies and Facebook Pixel Re-marketing through settings on your Facebook Account.

This feature does not affect this Privacy Policy as it applies to applicants.

Facebook data deletion instructions

Some applications built by UAC allow you to log in using your Facebook login details.

To remove an app or website you've added:

1. Click account in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.
3. Go to the 'App or websites' that you want to remove, then next to the name of the app or website, click Remove.
4. You may select these options:
   - Delete posts, videos or events [app or website] posted on your timeline.
   - Allow Facebook to notify [app or website] that your login connection was removed. They may offer you another way to log in.
5. Click Remove again to confirm.

Other platforms

We also use the following platforms to collect data:

• Google Marketing Platform
• Hotjar
• Monsido
• Campaign Monitor
• SurveyMonkey
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• InTouch
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• YouTube.

Website server

UAC uses website server and error logs to record and analyse activity on our website and services, provide stable online resources and improve the services that UAC and institutions provide. These logs also allow us to detect and prevent fraud and unauthorised access to our systems. All server requests are logged and information captured by this process may include:

• IP address
• session timestamps
• geolocation
• browser type
• operating system
• referrals
• resources used
• error data.

Data is encrypted and securely stored and access to the data is restricted under strict protocols. Log data may also be shared with higher education institutions to enable them to measure activity on offered courses.

Why does UAC collect this data?

For online applications, UAC collects the personal and sensitive information necessary for us to provide you with the services you have requested from us, and to manage your UAC application.

Other data is collected by the tools described above to support our mission as follows:

• measure how our websites, services and tools are used so we can continually deliver better user experiences
• evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and deliver targeted, useful advertising
• seek feedback from customers and stakeholders
• communicate important information via all popular digital platforms to provide free and timely advice.

How does UAC hold this information?

Your personal information is generally held in secure archive databases at UAC and an Australian data centre. It is protected under the relevant privacy legislation as described above.

We also use cloud software, tools and service providers, including those listed above, to help us provide various UAC services. These providers may need to store and access your personal information outside of Australia to provide those services to UAC. We require them to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles as if they were an entity bound by them

If you are a current NSW Higher School Certificate student, your Year 12 results will be held along with Year 12 results from other states and territories in Australia in secure archive databases at UAC and an Australian-owned data centre. If you are eligible for an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or a Limited ATAR, these will also be held in the databases.

Your results, including your ATAR if you are eligible, will also be held on similar archives at tertiary admissions centres in other states in Australia. Results held on these archives will only be accessed by the relevant tertiary admission centre if you apply for tertiary study through that centre, or directly with an institution participating in that centre.

For any payments you make via our websites, over the telephone or face to face, we use a recognised payment service provider that is required to take reasonable steps to protect your information. We also take reasonable precautions to ensure that any information you provide to us through our websites is transferred and treated securely.

How does UAC use this information?

UAC uses this information to process applications for admission to tertiary education institutions. This includes providing universities, other tertiary institutions and tertiary admission centres elsewhere in Australia with the information that you provide to us. UAC may also disclose this information to the Department of Education, or its successor, and other agencies as described in UAC’s declaration and authority as lawfully required or where UAC reasonably considers it necessary to make such disclosure.

In addition, UAC may use your personal information to administer marketing campaigns that give you information about tertiary courses you can apply for or products and services we believe will be of use to you.

What about third parties?

To perform certain business functions, UAC may contract the services of third parties, such as printing specialists.

In these circumstances, where necessary, some of your information may be shared with these third parties for the express purpose of undertaking the specified service and for no other purpose. These contractors are bound by the same Australian Privacy Principles as UAC.

Your information may also be shared with any authorised representative/s that you have nominated, and with any organisations with which we are required by law to share the information.

Google Cloud Vision

UAC may provide applicant data to Google Cloud Vision for the purpose of computer vision of documents uploaded to your application to decrease your application processing time.

Declaration

When applying, you'll be asked to accept a declaration which outlines what UAC does with your personal information in the application process.

How do I access my information?

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you are generally entitled to access the information UAC holds about you, but we will require proof of identity – and some requests can be refused. The time it takes to respond to your request depends on the type of information you require, and a fee may be charged.

You may be able to access some personal information on UAC's website or mobile apps using your UAC application number and UAC PIN. No personal information is posted on the internet.

What do I do if the information UAC holds about me is incorrect?

Please tell us. We want our records to be accurate, complete and up to date. Unless we disagree with you about the accuracy or completeness of a record, we will generally correct it upon request, or suggest alternative arrangements for updating our records.

What do I do about breach of privacy?

To make a complaint about an alleged breach of your privacy, write to The Privacy Officer, UAC, Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128 and explain what has happened.

If possible, include the name/s and position/s of staff at UAC or at the institution/s who have contacted you. Include your UAC application number and copies of any correspondence that illustrates your problem.

The Privacy Officer will ensure that your concerns are investigated and will write to you as soon as possible. Your application will not be jeopardised in any way.

How can I contact UAC about a privacy issue?

Contact the Privacy Officer:
Privacy Officer
UAC Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128
Phone: +61 2 9752 0200
Email: privacy@uac.edu.au

If you have a general enquiry about UAC or your application, contact UAC.

Changes to this policy

UAC reserves the right to review and amend this policy from time to time and to notify you by posting an updated version on this website.

How do I find out more?

For more information about privacy and the Australian Privacy Principles, visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Updated November 2023

Disclaimer

By visiting and using the information on this website you agree to the following:

In the preparation of these web pages, every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct, and clearly expressed information possible. Nonetheless, inadvertent errors can occur, and applicable laws, rules and procedures often change. The Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT) (UAC) does not warrant or represent that this site is free from errors or omissions or that the information contained therein is suitable for your intended use.

Information is provided to UAC by the institutions. The institutions may amend details without notice and for any reason in response to changing circumstances. The institutions reserve the right to change any unit of study, or withdraw any unit or course of study, or impose limitations on enrolments in any unit or course of study.

You accept all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this site and any information or material available from it.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, UAC excludes all liability for any loss or damage (including without limitation, any special or consequential loss or damage) to any person arising directly or indirectly out of the use or inability to use this site and any information or material available from it.

Copyright

UAC and individual contributing institutions are the owners of the copyright in UAC publications and material on UAC’s website.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, criticism or review, or otherwise as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without UAC’s written permission. Enquiries should be in writing and addressed to the Managing Director, UAC, Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128.

UAC has no objection to secondary schools and UAC’s participating tertiary institutions reproducing the publication in full provided it is for use only within their own institution, and this copyright statement is included.

If the document isn’t reproduced in full, sections should not be copied out of context where information could be incomplete and/or misleading. Secondary schools and UAC’s participating tertiary institutions must ensure that this information isn’t transmitted to any other person or body without prior permission from UAC.

Links

Links connecting this site with other sites are for convenience only and their presence does not mean that UAC endorses or approves those sites, their content or the people who manage them.

Times

Times indicated on this website are stated as Sydney time.

Advertising disclaimer

UAC does not necessarily endorse any product or service that may be advertised on this website.

Credit card information

UAC does not store any credit card information that you provide. Payments made via the website are securely managed by our third party payment gateway vendor in compliance with relevant standards.

Browser compatibility

Browsers supported by the UAC website are listed on the Technical FAQs page.

If you are not using a supported browser, the UAC website may not load properly or certain functions may not work as expected, including security features.

Viruses

UAC is ISO27001 certified and has implemented security controls to help ensure that the website is free of viruses and other malicious code. However, your access to and use of the website is at your own risk and you must take your own precautions to avoid and protect your computer systems against any viruses and other malicious code.

Account security

For security and privacy purposes, you must not share your account login details and should use reasonably complex passwords.

Suspending or terminating site access

We may suspend or terminate your access to and use of UAC’s websites, without notice, if you are in breach of these terms. Any termination or suspension does affect any rights or remedies which we may have under these terms or otherwise at law.

Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of NSW, Australia.

Changes to these terms

UAC may change these terms from time to time. By continuing to access and use the website, you agree to be bound by the changes to these terms.

The website and portals are operated in Australia by Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT) Pty Ltd (ACN 070 055 935).

If you have a disability and are having problems with the UAC application process, contact us. You can call us on (+61 2) 9752 0200 – between 8.30am and 4.30pm (Sydney time.) Monday to Friday, email us using the enquiry form or write to the Equity Unit, UAC, Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128, Australia. We will help you with your application.

UAC works within the principles of usability and universal design to deliver accessible web content for all users, including people with disabilities. Our website aims to comply with best practices and standards as defined by Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) of the World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative (W3C WAI). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and incorporate three levels of accessibility conformance (A, AA and AAA). The UAC website aims to meet Level AA.

We value your opinion

If you have questions about this accessibility statement, or suggestions for improvements to UAC’s website, applications and services, please get in touch.

You can contact us in the following ways:

• Call us on (+61 2) 9752 0200 between 8.30am and 4.30pm (Sydney time) Monday to Friday.
• Use our enquiry form.
• Write to us at Equity Unit, UAC, Locked Bag 112, Silverwater NSW 2128, Australia.

Contact centre

When you contact UAC, our staff will treat you with courtesy and respect. We expect the same from you. If you use threatening or abusive language, we reserve the right to delete your email or terminate your call.

Facebook and Instagram

UAC's Facebook and Instagram pages are an online community that allows users to stay informed about university entry and ask questions about their application and the admissions process.

If you have a question or request, give us as much detail about it as you can. This will help us to understand your situation and to provide the most helpful, relevant advice. For privacy reasons we cannot give advice about your application using Facebook. If you have questions about your individual circumstances, use our enquiry form or call us between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday (Sydney time) on (+61 2) 9752 0200.

We will usually respond to posts on weekdays (except public holidays) between 8.30am and 4.30pm Sydney time. At busy times of the year these hours may be extended. We answer questions as quickly as we can, but we may sometimes need to ask for more details by email or phone.

We request that you keep the tone of your Facebook posts positive and constructive. Treat others with consideration and don't respond to inflammatory comments.

We have standards for our community on Facebook and Instagram, and we do not accept:

• content that is defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, libellous, unlawful, obscene, hateful or embarrassing as determined by UAC
• inappropriate or illegal content: UAC will delete posts with profane, racist, sexist, abusive, threatening, defamatory, illegal or obscene content. Posts linking to any online content that would violate these guidelines will also be deleted
• content that infringes on the rights of anyone else, including intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights.

We pride ourselves on creating a supportive and welcoming community where people feel comfortable to share their voice and ask questions. We request that you please abide by Facebook and Instagram's community standards.

We welcome your feedback on our Facebook page and are always working to improve it.

Twitter

UAC's Twitter account provides our followers with relevant and timely information from our media team. It's also a place where followers can ask questions about the application and admissions process.

If you have a question or request, give us as much detail about it as you can. This will help us to understand your situation and provide the most helpful, relevant advice.

We cannot give advice about specific applications using Twitter for privacy reasons. If you have questions about your individual circumstances, use our enquiry form or call us between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday (Sydney time) on (+61 2) 9752 0200.

We will respond to posts on weekdays (except public holidays) between 8.30am and 4.30pm Sydney time. At busy times of the year these hours may be extended. We answer your questions as quickly as possible, but sometimes we will ask for more details by email or phone.

We encourage positive and constructive tweets and mentions. Please do not harass other users and have respect for all people that you engage with online.

We have standards for our community on Twitter, and we do not accept:

• defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, libellous, unlawful, obscene, hateful or embarrassing tweets as determined by UAC
• tweets that feature inappropriate or illegal content such as profane, racist, sexist, abusive, threatening, defamatory, illegal or obscene content
• impersonate UAC or its agents.

Do not . If you do, you'll be reported to Twitter and your account may be terminated.

If you fail to meet our community guidelines listed above or the The Twitter Rules, UAC will report your behaviour to Twitter, which can result in a temporary or life ban on your account.

We always welcome your feedback on our Twitter page, and our online services as we look for ways to improve and grow.

YouTube

UAC's YouTube channel is where applicants, schools, institution staff and the public can watch instructional and other helpful videos about university entry.

We encourage you to engage with our content or ask questions by commenting on our videos or messaging us directly.

When you access UAC's YouTube channel you:

• understand that UAC's videos may not be embedded on any third-party platform or website unless written permission has been granted by UAC, and that UAC does not authorise or endorse video responses to any of its videos
• agree to abide by YouTube's Community Guidelines. If you don't, UAC will report your behaviour, which may result in the termination of your account
• understand that UAC retains and asserts all moral and exclusive rights of ownership of intellectual property, granted by law in Australia and internationally, for the protection of its video content. Infringement of these rights may result in legal action
• understand that UAC does not guarantee the accuracy or usefulness of any of its video content. You agree to waive any legal rights to the extent permitted by law and indemnify UAC against all claims and liability for damages, costs and expenses resulting from any interaction with video content owned by UAC.

We always welcome your feedback on our YouTube page, and our online services as we look for ways to improve and grow.