Raising Expectations program
The Raising Expectations program aims to increase the access and success of young people in out-of-home care and care leavers in post-secondary education.
On this page
- What is the Raising Expectations program?
- Background
- What supports are available?
- Who is eligible for support?
- External support programs and initiatives
- Contacts
What is the Raising Expectations program?
The Raising Expectations program is delivered by the Centre for Excellence in Family and Child Welfare (the Centre), the peak body for child and family services in Victoria. The Centre works in partnership with TAFEs and universities to embed support for students with an out-of-home care experience. This includes building the capacity and confidence of students with care experience, supporting vocational education and training (VET) and higher education workers to provide tailored support and strengthening care-experienced young people’s transitions to post-secondary education.
Raising Expectations collaborates with TAFEs and university partners to provide critical localised pathways and support services for care-experienced students in metropolitan and regional areas. This includes:
- expanding and strengthening connections with student support services on campuses
- increasing access to financial supports, including bursaries, scholarships and grants
- working with TAFE and university providers to strengthen their awareness of care-experienced student needs and make changes to enable better access and participation
- establishing participation data collection for VET and higher education students (the Centre reports findings to the Australian Government and Victorian Government)
- making referrals for tuition fee-waivers under the Youth Access Initiative
- establishing referral processes and pathways via community service programs, such as the Reconnect program and leaving care services.
Background
Raising Expectations is a joint initiative between the Australian Government and Victorian Government.
Raising Expectations has formal partnerships with Victorian TAFE and university providers across the state. These organisations have formed a cross-sectoral partnership to support young people and adults with a care experience to transition to VET and higher education. To find out more about current partners see the Raising Expectations(opens in a new window) website.
What supports are available?
Under the Raising Expectations program, TAFEs and university partners provide the following supports to care leavers:
- care-experienced student bursary and scholarships
- support to access other financial allowances and supports
- support in navigating applications and enrolments in VET and higher education courses
- referrals to tuition fee-waivers under the Youth Access Initiative
- referrals to personal and academic support
- peer support and mentoring programs.
Who is eligible for support?
Raising Expectations is aimed at supporting care-experienced people of any age currently undertaking or thinking about undertaking a VET or higher education course at a TAFE or partnered dual-sector university. Future students must meet the eligibility requirements to study in Victorian universities or TAFEs.
External support programs and initiatives
Reconnect program
The Reconnect program is intended to improve a person’s chance of breaking the cycle of disadvantage by creating equity, improving access and increasing choice in pathways through education, training and employment.
Reconnect providers can offer a range of supports while you are being supported by Raising Expectations. These may include:
- counselling and mentoring
- housing and accommodation services referral
- mental health support referral
- foundation skills
- employability skills
- careers information, planning and advice.
Youth Access Initiative
The Youth Access Initiative helps young people with care or youth justice experience, and those in Education First Youth Foyers, to access vocational education and training with tuition fees waived under Skills First.
Contacts
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
To find out more, contact learner.pathways@djsir.vic.gov.au.
Reconnect program
Email: reconnect.program@djsir.vic.gov.au
Youth Access Initiative
Email: learner.pathways@djsir.vic.gov.au
Raising Expectations
Email: hello@raisingexpectations.com.au
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare website
Phone: (03) 9614 1577 Email: admin@cfecfw.asn.au
Updated 30 December 2025
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide