Carathool Shire Council

 

Guidelines

Who can apply

Any Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who has applied for admission to Charles Sturt University or who is enrolled in a course at the University can apply.  Both on-campus and distance education students are eligible.
International students can apply for a Charles Sturt Foundation scholarship if they are classified as an international student in Australia, have a full unconditional offer from CSU to study in Australia or are a continuing enrolled full time international student at a CSU campus (the exception may be a scholarship involving work placement, in which case the requirement to be an Australian Citizen for the purposes of work will be included in the criteria)

Who cannot apply

Current holders of a Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship that was awarded over a number of years are not eligible to apply for further scholarships during the tenure of their awarded scholarship.
Students who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents
International students studying via distance education from their home country
International students studying via CSU’s international partners in their home country
International students studying via CSU Study Centres or by CSU's industry partners

Applying for multiple Scholarships

Students may apply for more than one scholarship.  It is incumbent upon the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for each scholarship for which they apply.

Awarding of scholarships

Scholarships are awarded following an assessment and/or interview process based on the criteria for each scholarship.  Please read scholarship criteria carefully before you apply.
In most cases, students are only eligible to receive one scholarship per year.  In some circumstances, a student may receive two scholarships in one year.
Scholarships are presented at ceremonies on CSU campuses and recipients are required to be present at these ceremonies

Receiving your Scholarship payment

Scholarships with a value less than or equal to $5,000 will be paid in full shortly following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded.  Scholarships greater than $5,000 or with a specified tenure will be paid in two instalments each year with the first payment following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded and subsequent payments being made following the census dates for enrolments each year of the tenure.
Scholarships which have tenure over a specified term are subject to the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress and a continued enrolment in the program.  If these conditions are not met, Scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

Suspension or Termination of a Scholarship

Suspension may occur if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades.  This applies to most scholarships although some specify that the recipient must maintain a GPA greater than 5.  Please read scholarship criteria carefully.
Suspension or termination will occur if the recipient is excluded from their course.  The scholarship may be reinstated if the recipient resumes their studies following the exclusion.  For this to apply, the exclusion may be no longer than 1 year.
Termination will occur if the recipient withdraws or cancels their enrolment from their course or if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades over a prolonged period.
Scholarships will also be terminated if you transfer from CSU to another university or place of study.

Approved Leave of Absence (ALA)

A student, who is granted an Approved Leave of Absence from their course, may request that their tenured scholarship be placed on hold until they return to study.  This request must be made in writing stating the expected date of return to study.  The decision to allow a scholarship to be placed on hold is entirely at the discretion of CSU.
Tenured scholarships will only be placed on hold for a period no longer than 2 years. 
Following re-enrolment, the student must advise of their return to study to re-activate their scholarship.
If the ALA is to extend past 2 years or at the end of 2 years, the student does not return to study, the scholarship will be terminated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which students can apply for a scholarship from the Charles Sturt University Foundation?

Students who are Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who have applied for admission to Charles Sturt University or who are enrolled in a course at the University can apply.  Both on-campus and distance education students are eligible.

International students can apply for a Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship if they are classified as an international student in Australia, have a full unconditional offer from CSU to study in Australia or are a continuing enrolled full time international student at a CSU campus (the exception may be a scholarship involving work placement, in which case the requirement to be an Australian Citizen for the purposes of work will be included in the criteria).

How many times per year are scholarships offered?

Scholarships are only offered once per year

When do applications close?

Continuing Students only have until extended until 21 November 2012 to apply for Foundation Scholarships. Late applications will not be accepted after the closing date even if the scholarship is still open for commencing students

Continuing Student Applications	extended until 21 November
Commencing Student Applications	10 February
Accommodation Applications	extended until 25 January 2013

When will I be notified of my applications outcome?

You should be notified before no later than the end of the first week of April.

Am I eligible to receive more than one Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship?

In most cases students are only eligible to receive one Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship each year.  However, circumstances may arise where a student is awarded two scholarships in the one year.  This is not the norm.

Students who are recipients of a tenured or on-going scholarship that is still current are not eligible to apply for further scholarships during the tenure of their awarded scholarship. 

How do I apply for a scholarship that has Hardship as criteria?

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please tick the Hardship check box, an additional form will pop-up for you to provide information related to your financial circumstances.  Please complete this to be considered for any Hardship scholarships.
Similarly, if you have a disability, please tick the Disability check box.  An additional form will pop-up for you to provide information relating to your disability and to be considered for any scholarships to which this applies.  

What is my ATAR and how important is it?

It is important that you have an ATAR mark if you are applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship.
The ATAR is a rank that allows the comparison of students who have completed different combinations of HSC courses.  It is calculated solely for use by institutions to rank and select school leavers for admission to tertiary courses.
If you are a commencing student and apply before you receive your ATAR results, please use the ATAR mark which you obtain following your HSC trials.  If your application is successful, you may be asked to provide the original of your HSC ATAR results.

What is a Grade Point Average and how important is it?

It is important that you know your GPA if you are continuing student applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship.

A GPA is a numeric value which is assigned to each grade that a student achieves e.g. Distinction = 6, Credit = 5. A GPA is calculated by dividing the total marks by the number of subjects completed.

Your GPA can be found at here by following the 'personal details' link under Administration. The GPA can be found at the bottom of the transcript page.

Am I eligible to apply as a commencing student if I have received credit for previously completed study?

No, however you may apply for Scholarships open to Continuing and Any Year.

Where else can I look for financial support?

A selection of scholarships offered independently of the Charles Sturt University Foundation are listed on Scholarships & Grants

For more information on Scholarships and other resources with helping with the costs of University try Scholarships & help with costs

You can also download the Making University Affordable booklet on helping with the costs of university.

What effect will a scholarship have on my financial assistance from Centrelink?

To assess whether your Centrelink payments or other tax arrangements will be affected, we advise you to seek independent advice. You may find information from the Australian Government Department of Human Services on this link helpful.

What effect will a scholarship have on my tax?

For information on the effect on your tax use the tool found on the ATO (Australian Tax Office) website scholarship tax tool . If you are unsure, consult an independent tax advisor.

Tips on applying for a scholarship

1. Pay close attention to scholarship application closing deadlines. Applications submitted past the deadline are usually not considered.
2. Prepare your Resume - this is a good way to outline your thoughts, your activities and achievements.
3. Always proofread your answers to the questions.
4. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

For more read the information provided on the How to Apply tab on each scholarship

How do I get Paid?

Scholarships with a value less than or equal to $5,000 will be paid in full shortly following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded. Scholarships greater than $5,000 or with a specified tenure will be paid in two instalments each year with the first payment following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded and subsequent payments being made following the census dates for enrolments each year of the tenure

.

Scholarships which have tenure over a specified term are subject to the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress and a continued enrolment in the program. If these conditions are not met, Scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

When are the Scholarship Presentation Ceremonies held?

Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarships are presented at ceremonies held on each campus in the first half of the year, usually in May or early June. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend these ceremonies.

The ceremonies are attended by Charles Sturt University Foundation donors or their representatives, senior staff of the University, scholars and their guests. These are special functions which allow students to meet their donor and build ongoing relationships.

How to Apply

Step 1

• Read the criteria carefully for each scholarship you wish to apply for to ensure that you are eligible

Step 2

Before you begin, you must prepare answers to these questions:

• 3 examples which demonstrate your capacity for Leadership (within your School/College/TAFE/University, community or workplace)
• 3 examples which demonstrate the difference you have made to your community (through sport, the arts or volunteering)
• a personal statement about your story so far, e.g. what experiences have led you to tertiary study and why you deserve this scholarship? (250 words or less)
• a statement outlining what receiving a scholarship would mean to you? (250 words or less)

Step 3

Before you begin, you must have copies* of:

• a copy of your resume
• if you left school within the last two years:
  a copy of your ATAR results
  OR
  an International equivalent in place of ATAR
• if a continuing student:
  check your GPA
• If your selection criteria involves Local Government Areas
  - electricity bill
  - phone bill
  - rates notice
  - school record

* Copies will need to be attached to your online application and provided in PDF, DOC or JPG format.