Pathways to Practice - Placement Scholarship

Who can apply

To be eligible you must be:

• Enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
• Studying an Undergraduate course, or be a First Nations student studying an Undergraduate or Postgraduate course.
• Undertaking a subject that includes a compulsory Work Integrated Learning with a minimum of 28 hours.
• If you are a continuing student, have a current academic progress status of Satisfactory.
• Not previously received this scholarship within the same academic session.
• Able to demonstrate financial hardship, either by receiving an eligible means-tested Centrelink benefit or by providing relevant supporting documentation. View our guidelines for more information.
• Have your first-listed address with Charles Sturt University fall within a Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) Statistical Area 1 (SA1) location as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). This is a requirement for non-First Nations students and preference for First Nations students

Preference will be given if you are:

• Located in a regional, rural or remote area as per the Health Workforce Locator.
• Studying a full-time study load or equivalent of 24+ subject points per session.
• Based on the distance travelled to attend your compulsory intensive school.

Important information

If you are eligible for the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) or the Paramedic Prac Payment (PPP), you must apply for these payments first.

You will only be considered for this scholarship if your CPP or PPP application for the same subject is unsuccessful or you are ineligible.

Exceptional Circumstances

If you do not meet the financial hardship requirements due to circumstances beyond your control, you may apply for exceptional consideration.

This may include situations such as:

• Disability
• Health and medical conditions
• Significant unforeseen personal or family emergency

You will need to provide supporting documentation. Exceptional circumstances will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and do not guarantee an offer.

The Pathways to Practice - Placement Scholarship will provide Charles Sturt University students financial assistance to attend compulsory work integrated learning.

What support looks like

• You will receive $338.60 per week of attendance at your compulsory work integrated learning. To a maximum value of $2,709.20
• This will not include travel days or additional costs (e.g. accommodation, fuel or flights).
• Payments are made via electronic funds transfer (EFT) within 7 days of accepting your offer.
  It may take an additional few days to appear in your account.

Applying for this scholarship

• You must meet all eligibility criteria at the time of submitting your application.
• Applications submitted after the closing date will not be considered.
• Scholarships cannot be deferred.
• Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee an offer due to limited funds.

Limits and important information

• You can only receive this scholarship once per session.
• This scholarship is not intended to provide an alternative to other forms of income.
• You should not rely on payments occurring prior to attending your work integrated learning.

Supporting documentation

You must provide all required documentation with your application, including:

Financial hardship evidence

Option 1: Need to work test

Provide payslips from the past four weeks across all employment. We will assess your average weekly hours and income, including any scholarships payments received within the last 12 months (averaged to a weekly amount):

To be meet this requirement, you must:

• Have worked an average of 15 or more hours per week, and
• Have earned less than $1,536.37 gross income per week

Option 2: Centrelink Income Support

A recent (within the last 45 days) Centrelink Income Statement for one of the following eligible means-tested benefits:

Work integrated learning confirmation

Placement confirmation is neccessary either through InPlace or by submitting a signed confirmation of placement from your subject or workplace learning coordinator.

Missing documents

If your application is incomplete you will have 48 hours to provide any requested documentation. If not provided, your application will be made ineligible and you will need to reapply.

Exceptional Circumstances

If your financial hardship has been impacted by circumstances beyond your control, such as disability, health/medical conditions or acute personal/family, than you may be able to apply for exceptional consideration.

You will need to provide supporting documentation, such as:

• Study Access Plan
• Medical certificate
• Statutory Declaration form
• Other relevant or requested evidence

Important

Exceptional circumstances cannot be considered where eligibility is not met due to:

• Course type (e.g. Postgraduate)
• Commonwealth Supported Place
• Not being located in a low Socio-Economic Status (SES) Statistical Area 1 (SA-1) location as per Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA).

Terms and Conditions

By accepting the payment offer, you agree to:

1. Fulfil all requirements as set out in these guidelines.
2. The scholarships team will be responsible for the assessment, allocation and administration of this scholarship.
3. The University reserves the right to recoup payments if your circumstances change and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria.
4. Consent to Charles Sturt University accessing your student records for the purposes of assessing and administering the payment/
5. Consent to Charles Sturt University providing the Department of Education with any information relating to your application or study with Charles Sturt University, if requested, for auditing purposes.
6. The scholarship office or the Department of Education, making contact with you, where required.
7. Provide any change of individual circumstances in writing to the Scholarships Office scholarships@csu.edu.au
8. Provide information and participate in surveys for promotional purposes and review of this payment.
9. Accept the terms and conditions of this payment.

The University reserves the right to undertake audits of individual student’s records to ensure adherence to these guidelines.

Policy

Charles Sturt University will treat any information provided by the applicant within the terms of relevant privacy legislation. See Charles Sturt University’s privacy policy for further information

Due to privacy laws, any discussion of a payment application or discussion relating to a recipient, will only take place with the payment applicant/recipient, except for the requirement to provide documents to the Department of Education for auditing purposes, if requested.

The information collected will be used by authorised University staff to assess eligibility and administer the scholarship program. The information may also be used for assessment purposes for other scholarships, grants and equity programs across the University. Recipient names and email addresses may be made available to departments within the University for marketing and research purposes. No details will be used externally for any reason without the recipient’s consent. Students should be aware that they provide information of their own free will.

Personal and health information provided by the applicant will not be made available to any person within the University or external organisation for any other purpose without the applicant’s consent, except where it may be a legal requirement of the University to provide information.

FAQS

Having trouble applying?

If you're experiencing issues with your application, try these troubleshooting steps:

• Use Google Chrome as your browser (or switch to another browser if you're already using Chrome).
• Clear your Chrome cache.
• Ensure you only have one scholarship application open at a time.
• Try using a different device.
• If there's heavy traffic, wait a few hours and try again—errors can occur if many students are applying simultaneously.
• If the problem persists, feel free to contact Student Central for further assistance.

What are the Pathways to Practice Scholarships?

The Pathways to Practice Scholarships are new scholarships replacing the Professional Placement Equity Grant and the Intensive School Equity Grant. These scholarships are funded by the NSW Department of Education.

How do I know if I am in a Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) Statistical Area 1 (SA1) location?

SA1 statuses are determined by a student’s first registered address with Charles Sturt University. For privacy purposes, this information is not currently available for students to access. If you’re unsure if you’re located in a SA1 area, please apply and we’ll confirm for you.

SES is derived from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), specifically the Index of Education and Occupation for SA1 areas.

What Work Integrated Learning (Placements) can I apply for?

You can apply for the Pathways to Practice – Placement Scholarship for placements from 1 January 2026. Under no circumstances are students eligible for this payment for any placements that occurred prior to 1 January 2026.

How much financial support can I receive?

Eligible students can receive $338.60 per week of placement to a maximum of $2,709.20

How much time do I have to submit additional documents or information if requested by the Scholarship Office?

If your application is marked as incomplete and additional information or documents are requested, you have 48 hours from the time you receive the notification to provide the required materials, unless you notify us of a delay.

What is the maximum number of times I can receive this scholarship?

Students are limited to receiving one Pathways to Practice – Placement Scholarship per session.

Why do I need to provide my ATAR in my application?

You need to provide your ATAR in your application for reporting purposes. As the Pathways to Practice Scholarships are funded by the NSW Department of Education, we're required to collect certain data to report on.

Your ATAR will not have any impact on eligibility or preference for payment, it is collected for administrative purposes only. If you do not have or do not know your ATAR please enter N/A in this field.

What if I have exceptional circumstances that affect my eligibility?

If you have exceptional circumstances, such as illness or disability, you can apply for exceptional circumstances consideration.  The scholarships team will assess your situation.

If I meet all the eligibility criteria, am I guaranteed to receive a scholarship or grant?

Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee a scholarship or grant offer. The Scholarship Office receives many applications, and scholarships are limited, so not all eligible applicants will receive a scholarship.

Can I save my application and complete it later?

Yes, you can save your application and return to complete it later, if you log back in and submit it before the closing date.

What should I do if I didn’t receive the email confirmation?

Your email receipt may take up to 24 hours to arrive.

• Have you checked your spam or junk mail folder?
• Did you enter the correct email address?

If you still haven't received the receipt after 24 hours, please email ask@csu.edu.au with your application number, name, and student ID.

What if I already have another scholarship or grant?

If you are receiving another scholarship or grant for the same purpose, you may not be eligible for this scholarship.

When will I be notified of the outcome of my application?

Once the current round has closed and all applications have been assessed, an email notification will be sent to you to advise the outcome of your application.

If I’m successful, when and how will I receive my payment?

Payments will be made by EFT to your nominated bank account within 14 days after the census date for successful recipients who meet the eligibility criteria.
Please note: Where specific payment arrangements are outlined in the scholarship or grant eligibility criteria, those arrangements will take precedence over the general information provided here.

How do I register my bank details with Charles Sturt University?

You can register your bank details with Charles Sturt University through the online administration portal.

Can I apply for a scholarship while on leave?

Scholarships cannot be deferred. If you defer your studies or take a Leave of Absence, your scholarship will be withdrawn, and it will not be paid. You may apply again in a future session if you still meet the eligibility criteria.

What should I do if my circumstances change after submitting my application?

If your circumstances change, it may impact your payments. Please notify us as soon as possible by emailing ask@csu.edu.au with any updates that could affect your original application.

Do I need to inform Centrelink or the Australian Tax Office about my scholarship?

Scholarship recipients should be aware that payments may be considered income by Centrelink or the ATO. It is your responsibility to seek independent advice regarding any implications from receiving this scholarship.

What happens to my scholarship if I take a Leave of Absence?

You may take up to two sessions of approved Leave of Absence over the duration of the scholarship.

If you take a Leave of Absence, you will need to accept your ongoing scholarship offer, but payments will not be made during the Leave of Absence.

How to Apply

Forms and Documents

One or more of these may be required for your application:

1. Statutory Declaration

Application

• Complete an online application form, noting the following:
• Attach a completed placement form/s signed by your workplace learning officer OR have your placement confirmed in 'InPlace' by your workplace learning officer
• Attach evidence of being in financial need (as outlined in the eligibility criteria)
• Applications will be assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria and supporting documentation.
• Applications with incorrect or no supporting documentation will be deemed ineligible.
• You may be assessed as eligible but not receive an offer due to quota restrictions.
• There are no interviews required.

Outcome

• All applicants will be informed in writing of the outcome of their application.

Acceptance

• Successful applicants are required to accept their grant/scholarship offer.
• Offers not accepted by the offer expiry date will be withdrawn.