Student Equity

Equity Scholarships

Equity Scholarships - Eligibility for Ongoing Scholarship Recipients

The Commonwealth and CSU Equity Scholarships Program aims to assist students from low socio-economic backgrounds, particularly those from rural and regional areas and Indigenous students, with costs associated with higher education.  On behalf of the Australian Government, the allocation of all NEW non-Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships will be administered by Centrelink from 2010.  For further information on the new Commonwealth Scholarships (Relocation Scholarship and Start-Up Scholarship) scheme refer to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website.

Charles Sturt University will continue to administer current continuing Commonwealth Scholarship recipients under the Commonwealth Government's 'grandfathering' agreement.

Eligibility Criteria Commonwealth and CSU Equity Scholarships

Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships (CECS-Ordinary, CECS-Indigenous and CECS-Priority)

To be eligible for a CECS a student must, by the Census date of the current session:

  1. not have already received a CECS or CAS for the maximum duration; and
  2. be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa; and

Note: Students who are only Australian permanent residents and not Australian citizens are not eligible for a CECS.

  1. be enrolled as a full-time student by either distance education mode, internal mode or mixed mode; and

Note: A full time student is one who is enrolled to undertake an amount of study of at least three quarters (or 75%) of an equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL). Students who are enrolled to undertake less than this amount of study are not eligible for a CECS. At CSU this equates to being enrolled in three or more (8 point) subjects or 24 subject points or more per session.

  1. be of low socio-economic status, for the purpose of these Guidelines
    1. demonstrated by the student being in receipt of a means-tested Commonwealth income support payment (For example, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY or Parenting Payment, Disability Support Pension, etc); or
    2. on the basis of a comprehensive financial hardship assessment conducted by or on behalf of CSU; and
  2. be undertaking an undergraduate course of study as a Commonwealth supported student, as defined in the Act, that is, a HECS-HELP student, with the exception of students enrolled in post graduate courses defined as a National Priority area (determined by the Australian Government). At CSU this includes a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) or a Masters of Teaching (Primary), and
  3. to be eligible for a CECS-Priority scholarship, be enrolled in a National Priority discipline course of study or a major within a student's degree, in one of the broad degrees related to the Fields of Education (as outlined in the CSU Equity and Commonwealth Scholarship Guidelines);
  4. not already have completed the requirements of a course of study regarded by CSU to be equivalent to, or higher than, an Australian Bachelor's award, unless each award is a prerequisite to a student's current undergraduate course of study and there is no alternative pathway into that course of study at CSU; and

Note: Students completing an Honours year as part of their undergraduate studies or a Diploma of Education in addition to a Bachelor's degree are eligible for a CECS.

  1. not be in receipt of a "Start Up Scholarships" or another scholarship that is valued at greater than the value of CAS per annum.
  2. for an Indigenous-CECS, be an indigenous person.

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Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships-Specialist (CAS-Specialist)

To be eligible for a CAS-Specialist, CSU must be satisfied that a student:

  1. meets the CECS eligibility requirements specified in paragraph 7.1 of the Commonwealth and Equity Scholarship Guidelines; and
  2. has not already received a CAS or CECS for the maximum duration; and
  3. be enrolled as an internal student in a specialist course and undertaking such a course with an eligible scholarship provider as a Commonwealth supported student in:
    1. an undergraduate course of study; or
    2. a post-graduate course of study required for initial registration for the purposes of practicing in the relevant profession.
  4. it was necessary for the student to relocate a distance greater than 100kms from their home to take up the study in the specialist course and incur additional accommodation costs; and
  5. a university may offer a CAS-Specialist when a student has been unsuccessful in attending an institution of first choice and receives another offer and the alternative offer will result in the student meeting (d) above.

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Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships-Ordinary (CAS) and Indigenous-CAS

To be eligible for a CAS, CSU must be satisfied that a student:

  1. meets the CECS and Indigenous-CECS eligibility requirements specified in paragraph 7.1 and 7.3 of the Commonwealth and Equity Scholarship Guidelines; and
  2. has not already received a CAS or CECS for the maximum duration; and
  3. within the four years immediately preceding the commencement of higher education study, the student:
    1. has lived in a rural or regional area of Australia for at least three years; or
    2. completed the final two years of schooling in a high school or college in a rural or regional area; or
    3. moved away from a rural or regional area to complete the final two years of schooling at a high school or college in a major city; and
  4. it was necessary for the student to move from the rural or regional area in order to undertake their higher education study or, in the case of paragraph (c) above, it was necessary for the student to remain in a major city in order to undertake their higher education study; and
  5. as a result of (d) above, the student will incur additional accommodation costs; and
  6. the student is enrolled as an internal student in units of study that form part of the course of study the student is undertaking; and
  7. meets the rural or regional area requirements consistent with paragraph (c) above, as set out in the Commonwealth and Equity Scholarship Guidelines.
  8. not be in receipt of a "Relocation Scholarship".

 

Indigenous Access Scholarship (IAS) previous referred to as a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS-I)

To be eligible for an IAS a student must be

  1. An Australian citizen;
  2. An Indigenous Australian, and
  3. Meet the IAS eligibility requirements as per the Commonwealth and Equity Scholarship Guidelines.

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CSU Equity Scholarship (CSUES)

To be eligible for a CSU Equity Scholarship, a student must, by the Census Date in the current session:

  1. be undertaking an undergraduate course of study as a Commonwealth supported student, that is, a HECS-HELP student, with the exception of students enrolled in post graduate courses defined as a National Priority area (determined by the Australian Government). At CSU this includes a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) or a Masters of Teaching (Primary), and
  2. be enrolled as a full-time student, either by the distance education, internal or mixed mode of study; and

Note: A full time student is one who is enrolled to undertake an amount of study of at least three quarters (or 75%) of an equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL). Students who are enrolled to undertake less than this amount of study are not eligible for a CSUES. At CSU this equates to being enrolled in three or more (8 point) subjects or 24 subject points or more, per semester.

  1. be studying their first undergraduate or postgraduate degree; and
  2. not be in receipt of a Commonwealth Scholarship or any other scholarship worth more than a CAS; and
  3. not be in receipt of a "Relocation" or "Start Up" Scholarship; and
  4. have and maintain a grade point average of 3.00 or higher if they are a continuing CSU student; and
  5. demonstrate financial hardship.
  6. be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa; and
  7. within the four years immediately preceding the commencement of higher education study, the student:
    1. has lived in a rural or regional area of Australia for at least three years; or
    2. completed the final two years of schooling in a high school or college in a rural or regional area; or
    3. moved away from a rural or regional area to complete the final two years of schooling at a high school or college in a major city; and
  8. it was necessary for the student to move from the rural or regional area in order to undertake their higher education study or, in the case of paragraph (i) above, it was necessary for the student to remain in a major city in order to undertake their higher education study; and
  9. as a result of (j) above, the student will incur additional accommodation costs.

CSU Masters Equity Scholarship (CSUMES)

To be eligible for a CSU Masters Equity Scholarship, a student must, by the Census date in the current session:

  1. be undertaking a postgraduate Masters (by coursework) course of study as a Commonwealth supported student, that is, a HECS-HELP student; and
  2. be enrolled as a full-time student, by internal (on campus) mode of study; and

Note: A full time student is one who is enrolled to undertake an amount of study of at least three quarters (or 75%) of an equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL). Students who are enrolled to undertake less than this amount of study are not eligible for a CSUMES. At CSU this equates to being enrolled in three or more (8 point) subjects or 24 subject points or more, per semester.

  1. be studying their first Masters degree; and
  2. not be in receipt of a Commonwealth Scholarship, Relocaton Scholarship, Start Up Scholarshipor CSUES and any other scholarship worth more than a CAS; and
  3. have and maintain a grade point average of 3.00 or higher if they are a continuing CSU student; and
  4. demonstrate financial hardship; and
  5. be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa.