Gilgandra Shire Council Nursing Scholarship

Guidelines

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 via online from their home country.
• International students studying via Charles Sturt’s international partners in their home country.

Will I be notified that my application has been received?

Yes. You will be notified by email when your online application has been successfully submitted. You will also receive an email reminder for draft applications prior to the scholarship close date.

Can I be awarded more than one scholarship?

It depends on the particular scholarships as each scholarship has its own conditions which state whether the student can hold other scholarships or not.

This information is outlined in the eligibility criteria for each scholarship and it is incumbent upon the applicant to ensure they meet the criteria for each scholarship they apply for.

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

Recipients must write a thank you letter to their donor.  Letters are to be emailed to the CSU Foundation Trust scholarship office at advancement@csu.edu.au which will be forwarded onto the respective donors.

How will my scholarship be paid?

Most scholarships valued at $5000 or less are paid in full, unless otherwise specified. Scholarships valued at more than $5000 or with a specified tenure will be paid in two instalments per annum (check the scholarship webpage for payment details).

Scholarships are subject to the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress and continued enrolment in their course.  If these conditions are not met, Scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

Can I defer my scholarship offer?

Typically, no. The vast majority of scholarships cannot be deferred. Please refer to scholarship conditions for further clarification around deferring or suspension of a scholarship.

Can my scholarship be suspended or terminated?

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

Suspension may occur if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades or the GPA specified in the scholarship criteria.

Suspension or termination of a scholarship will occur if the recipient is excluded from their course. The scholarship may be reinstated if the recipient resumes their studies following an exclusion of no longer than one year.

Termination of a scholarship will occur if the recipient withdraws or cancels their enrolment or if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades over a prolonged period.  Scholarships will also be terminated if the recipient transfers to another university or place of study. In some instances the recipients will be required to repay the scholarship amount to the donor via the CSU Foundation Trust.

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

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

Any request for a leave of absence must be made in writing to the CSU Foundation Trust Scholarship Office stating the expected date of return to study.  Following re-enrolment, the student must advise of their return to study to re-activate their 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 or if at the end of 12 months the student does not return to study, the scholarship will be terminated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips on applying for a scholarship

1. Pay close attention to scholarship application closing deadlines. Applications submitted past the deadline are 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 and ensure you answer each specific question for the purpose of the scholarship.
4. Attach supporting documentation as outlined in the eligibility criteria. Failure to submit documentation will influence the assessment and suitability to receive the scholarship.
5. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

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

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

All Charles Sturt University students have the opportunity to apply for a Charles Sturt Foundation Scholarship. Please use the specific eligibility criteria listed on each webpage as a guide which can best support your study requirements.

International students can apply for some Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarships depending on the eligibility criteria specific to each scholarship.

International students must have a full unconditional offer from Charles Sturt University to study in Australia or are a continuing enrolled full time international student at a Charles Sturt University 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?

Each Charles Sturt Foundation scholarship is only offered once per year.

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.

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 financial hardship as criteria?

Demonstrate financial hardship by providing a Centrelink Income Statement or outline your financial need in the 'Additional Financial Information' free text box in application.

Similarly, if you have a disability, please complete the Disability section of the application form.

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 students who are continuing their studies.

When will I be notified of my applications outcome?

Foundation scholarships are assessed by Charles Sturt Scholarship & Financial Support Services and then reviewed by the scholarship donor. The donor makes the final decision against the scholarship criteria.

Below are the expected dates student’s will receive an outcome for their application and when payments will be made by university finance.

What relevance does my ATAR have when applying for scholarships?

It is important that you have an ATAR mark if you are applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship as a commencing student. Some scholarships have a minimum ATAR as part of the eligibility criteria.
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?

It is important that you know your GPA if you are continuing student applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship. Some scholarships have a minimum GPA as part of the eligibility criteria.

A GPA is a numeric value which is assigned to each grade that a student achieves e.g. Distinction = 6, Credit = 5,  Pass = 4. A GPA is calculated by dividing the total marks by the number of subjects completed.

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.

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

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.

What effect will a scholarship have on my tax?

A scholarship recipient should be aware that payments may be regarded as income by the ATO it is the responsibility of the recipient to seek independent advice with respect to implications resulting from receiving this scholarship.

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 Adviser.

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

A scholarship recipient should be aware that payments may be regarded as income by the Centrelink it is the responsibility of the recipient to seek independent advice with respect to implications resulting from receiving this scholarship.

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.

How to Apply

Step 1: Understand the scholarship criteria

Each Scholarship will require a separate application.

• Read the criteria carefully for each scholarship you wish to apply for to ensure that you are eligible.
• Scholarships may require additional responses including essays.
• Follow our 5 tips to help your application [PDF]

Step 2: Complete your scholarship profile

Before you begin, complete your scholarship profile.  This will make applying for multiple scholarships much more efficient as certain fields will prepopulate in your applications.

Step 3: Gather your supporting documentation

Before you submit your application, please ensure you have attached the following to your application:

• Up to date resume
• ATAR or equivalent (If you have left school in the last year)
• Your current GPA (Continuing students ONLY)
• If your selection criteria involves Local Government Areas (LGA), please supply ONE of the following:
  • electricity bill
  • phone bill
  • rates notice
  • school record

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