Dawn Rigby Memorial Scholarship

Guidelines for Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust

The Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust distributes more than 300 student scholarships every year. These scholarships are funded by individuals and organisations who strongly believe in supporting Charles Sturt University and its students.

Who can apply

• Any Australian/New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident who has applied for admission to Charles Sturt University or who is enrolled in a Charles Sturt course.  Both on campus and online students are eligible unless otherwise stated in individual scholarship criteria
• Any international students who are classified as an international student in Australia with either a full unconditional offer from Charles Sturt to study in Australia or continuing enrolment as a full-time student at a Charles Sturt University campus. The exemption is scholarships involving work placement due to citizenship requirements for work purposes.

Who cannot apply

• International students studying in their home country, online or at a partnership institution.

How are applications assessed?

Applicants must read scholarship criteria carefully before applying as scholarships are awarded based on the criteria for each scholarship.

Successful applicants are selected after a series of shortlisting processes, including a review by Charles Sturt staff and donors.

From the final shortlist of strong applicants, it is up to the donor to determine the scholarship recipient(s). Sometimes this process will include donors interviewing the strongest candidates.

Conditions of scholarship

If you are a recipient of a Foundation Trust scholarship, you must write a thank you letter to the donor. Email your letter to the CSU Foundation Trust scholarship office at advancement@csu.edu.au we will forward your letter onto the respective donor/s.

How will my scholarship be paid?

Most scholarships valued at $5000 or less are paid in full, unless otherwise specified. Check the scholarship webpage for payment details.

Ongoing scholarship payments are subject to you  maintaining satisfactory academic progress and continued enrolment in your course.  If these conditions are not met, scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

Can my scholarship be suspended or terminated?

Yes, if you fail to meet the criteria for your scholarship.

Suspension may occur if you fail to maintain  the GPA specified in the scholarship criteria.

Suspension or termination of a scholarship will occur if you are excluded from your course.  The scholarship may be reinstated if you resume your studies following an exclusion of no longer than one year.

Scholarships will also be terminated if the recipient transfers to another university or place of study. In some instances you maybe  required to repay the scholarship amount to the donor via the Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust.

Can I apply for an Approved Leave of Absence (LOA)?

In some circumstances, you may be granted a leave of absence which places your tenured scholarship on hold until you return to study, up to a period of 12 months.

Any request for a leave of absence must be made in writing to the Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust Scholarship Office stating the expected date of return to study.  Following re-enrolment, you must advise your return to study to re-activate your scholarship.

The decision to allow a scholarship to be placed on hold is entirely at the discretion of Charles Sturt University.
If the leave of absence is to be for more than 12 months you do not return to study, the scholarship will be terminated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips on applying for a scholarship

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

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

In most cases students are only eligible to receive one Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship each year.

Students who are recipients an 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 financial hardship as criteria?

Demonstrate financial hardship by providing

• a Centrelink Income Statement (within the last 45 days) or
• Your last 3 payslips or
• outline your financial need in the 'Additional Financial Information' free text box in application.

When will I be notified of my applications outcome?

Scholarships are assessed by Charles Sturt Scholarship & Financial Support Services once applications have closed. Your application may be reviewed by the scholarship donor who will make the final decision against the scholarship criteria.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by the end of March.

What relevance does my ATAR have when applying for scholarships?

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 relevance does my Grade Point Average have when applying for scholarships?

Most scholarships will have a minimum requirement of a 4.0 GPA as part of the eligibility criteria. This signifies a 'passing'grade poiknt average in your degree.

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

Do I need to provide a donor thank you letter?

All Foundation scholarship recipients are required to provide a donor thank you letter.

Your scholarship offer is conditional on the provision you complete a letter of thanks to the donor of your scholarship. Donor thank you letters can be sent via email to advancement@csu.edu.au

If I am successful when and how do I get paid?

Payments will be made by EFT to your nominated bank account or in some cases onto your student account.

Register your bank details with us via online administration.

How to Apply

Step 1: See if you are eligible

Commencing and current Charles Sturt University students have the opportunity to apply for scholarships.  Please use the specific eligibility criteria listed on each webpage as a guide to the scholarship that can best support your study requirements.

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

You can apply for multiple scholarships but each scholarship will require a separate application.

Step 2: Complete your scholarship profile

If you are new to Charles Sturt University, before you begin, completed your scholarship profile.  This will make applying for multiple scholarships much more efficient as certain fields prepopulate your applications.

Step 3: Prepare your supporting documentation

In most cases, you'll need to supply supporting documentation with your  scholarship application.

Check eligibility requirements for details of specific documentation.

Before you submit your application you must have your documentation attached.  This can include;

• Financial documentation such as a Centrelink income statement or your last 3 payslips
• Up to date resume
• An essay, research project proposal or reference letters may be requested
• If your selection criteria involves Local Government Areas (LGA), please supply ONE of the following:
  • electricity bill
  • phone bill
  • rates notice
  • school record

Step 4: Understand the deadlines

1. Pay close attention to scholarship application closing deadlines. Applications submitted past the deadline are not considered.
2. Always proof read your answers to the questions and ensure you answer each specific question for the purpose of the scholarship.
3. Attach supporting documentation as outlined in the eligibility criteria.