If you're in Year 11 or 12 in 2024, find out all the answers to your JCU NOW questions below.
Applications
Entry to JCU NOW requires the following:
Subjects may also have Entry Requirements so please check the Subjects listing for more information.
Read the JCU NOW Application Guide and then submit your JCU NOW Application Form making sure you refer to the applicant checklist on the last page for the list of supporting documentation to be submitted with the application.
You'll need to have your school's and parent/carers support to apply for the program.
If your application is successful, we'll send you an email to offer you a place in the JCU NOW program. The email will let you know how to:
If your application is unsuccessful, we'll also email you to let you know.
We may also email you to request more information or supporting documents. Make sure you reply with this documentation as soon as possible to be considered.
All emails we send you will be sent to the email address you provide in your application. Make sure you provide us with your personal email address and not your school email, because we might contact you over the school holidays.
About JCU NOW
The JCU NOW program provides an extension opportunity for high achieving Year 11 and 12 students alongside their QCE and provides a taste of uni by developing tertiary level skills and more insight into their study area of interest.
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) recognises and grants Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) credit points for university studies. Students who successfully complete a JCU NOW subject are eligible to receive two credit points towards their QCE. Recognition can be granted for up to 8 credits (max. 4 subjects).
As a JCU NOW student, you may be eligible for an Early Offer based on the successful completion of a subject. Students may receive a conditional offer as early as August. Students will still need to submit their Early Offer nomination form and meet all other course prerequisites (eg. completion of Year 12 and subject prerequisites).
You may also receive credit for your completed JCU NOW subject if it’s part of your chosen degree, helping to reduce the cost and duration of the course.
When you successfully complete a subject, you'll be invited to attend a subject completion celebration where you'll be presented with a Certificate of Completion.
If you are a successful applicant, you'll receive the first subject free of charge* with subsequent subjects heavily subsidised at a cost of $375 per subject.
You may be required to purchase subject specific resources such as textbooks, uniforms, field trips in addition to travel costs associated with getting to and from campus. Please consider these costs when applying for the JCU NOW program.
*Applicable for new students only
Subjects are offered at our JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield and JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas or online. If studying on campus, you may be required to attend in person lectures, tutorials, and workshops with the number of contact hours varying between subjects. When selecting a subject, you'll need to consider the timetabling for the subject and whether it fits in with your school timetable and other commitments.
You'll need to undertake self-directed study outside of these contact hours to prepare, complete and submit assignments on time. As a university student, you should expect to allocate approximately 10 – 12 hours of study per week to your subject.
The university offers an adult learning environment which can be different from the high school environment. As a JCU NOW student, you'll be expected to attend classes, submit assignments, and sit exams (where applicable) the same as any other university student.
This will require effective time management skills to balance the demands of university life and your current high school and personal commitments.
A dedicated JCU NOW Coordinator will support the application, admission and onboarding process including a campus tour during Orientation Week.
As a student enrolled in a JCU NOW subject, you'll be eligible and encouraged to access of range of personal and academic support services such as Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), the Learning Advice Desk and The Learning Centre which offers a range of Academic support resources including help with maths, planning your assignments, research skills workshops and seminars.
How it works
You can only enrol in one JCU NOW subject per teaching period (semester or trimester). The maximum number of subject’s you'll be able to complete under the JCU NOW program is 4 subjects over 4 teaching periods (semester or trimester).
Visit the Subjects page for more information about location and availability.
A Semester is a model where teaching is split over two study periods during an academic year.
A Trimester is a model where teaching is split over three study periods during an academic year.
Trimesters are shorter than Semesters. The JCU Trimester model has shorter 10-week blocks of study, as opposed to the current Semester model of 13 weeks.
Visit the Subjects page for more information about what mode the subject you are interested in is delivered.
Census date is a point in time of the semester or trimester where your enrolment is considered finalised.
For your first subject, if you withdraw on or before Census Date, you will be eligible for another free subject in a later semester. If you are undertaking additional JCU NOW subjects in later semesters you will need to pay the subject fee before the Census Date.
Please see the Timetable and Important Dates page for more information.
Just like high school, at university you'll be required to submit assessments to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject. Assessments could be a combination of written tests or quizzes, project reports or case studies and oral presentations. Assessments will also be individual or group based.
Please check the subject details for more information about the subject assessment.
If you have exams during the final exam period, your exam timetable will be available five week before the exam period starts.
If you are unable to complete the subject you are enrolled in, you must provide in writing, a request to be withdrawn from the subject.
If you have requested to be withdrawn from your subject before the Census Date, you will be eligible for another free subject in a later semester/refunded for tuition fees paid. If this occurs after the teaching period Census Date, the fee subject offer/tuition fees will not be refunded.
If you are unable to successfully complete a JCU NOW subject, academic penalty will not be applied under the Academic Progression Policy.
If you select a subject that is taught on campus, you may be required to attend in person lectures, tutorials, and workshops. When selecting a subject, you'll need to consider the timetabling for the subject and whether it fits in with your school timetable and other commitments.
As a JCU NOW student you'll also be able to use any of the quiet study areas on campus. The libraries at JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield, and JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, Douglas have quiet and silent study spaces. The first floor on each campus library is designated as a quiet zone and the second floor is designated as a silent zone. More information about the zones is available on the library website.
On campus
If you select a subject that is taught on campus, you may be required to attend in person lectures, tutorials, and workshops.
Online
If you select a subject that is taught online, you’ll listen to online or recorded lectures, take part in online discussions, and some courses may even have online tutorials (virtual classrooms).
Students will be required to read the JCU NOW Orientation Guide which has important information to prepare for your study, information about short courses, workshops that may be of interest and tips for success.
A campus tour will also be available for those who are able to attend.
If you have more questions about what it's like to be a student at JCU you can find your answers 24/7 on AskUs.
Or you can contact the Future Students team by email hello@jcu.edu.au or by phone 1800 943 499.
