Student Equity

Equity Scholarships

Equity Scholarships

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.

Equity Scholarships include the Commonwealth Equity Scholarships Programme (CS) established by the Australian Government, and Institution Equity Scholarships (IES) established by individual institutions. Equity Scholarships are comprised of many different scholarships and at CSU the following scholarships are held by current students:

  1. Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships (CAS-Ordinary) with up to four years of funding available, to assist with accommodation costs.
  2. Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships-Specialist (CAS-Specialist) with up to four years of funding available, to assist with accommodation costs.
  3. Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships (CECS-Ordinary) with up to four years of funding available, to assist with general education costs.
  4. Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships-Priority (CECS-Priority) with up to four years of funding available, to assist with general education costs.
  5. Indigenous Access Scholarship (IAS) also known as the Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships-Indigenous Payment (CAS-I) is a once-only scholarship payment, to assist Indigenous students to undertake either an eligible enabling course or an undergraduate course. Each provider awarding an IAS to a student must provide the student with an Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (Indigenous-CECS) and, where eligible, an Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (Indigneous-CAS).
  6. CSU Equity Scholarships (CSUES) - is an Institutional Equity Scholarship paid for a maximum of one year funding to assist with general education costs.
  7. CSU Masters Equity Scholarship (CSUMES) - is an Institutional Equity Scholarship, paid for a maximum of one year funding to assist students in a Masters (coursework) course with general education costs. (Please refer to the CSUMES Guidelines for the Eligibility Criteria).
  8. CSU Rural Learning Partnership Scholarship (RLPS) - is an Institutional Equity Scholarship paid for a maximum of one year funding to assist with general education costs. Click on the following link for more information: CSU-RLPS.

Please Note: the CSU Masters Equity Scholarship applications are submitted direct to the Equity Scholarship Officer at CSU and not through UAC or VTAC.

In 2010 the Equity Scholarships scheme includes: