Destination Australia Program Scholarship 2024

1. Citizenship/Residency status: This scholarship is open to Australian citizens, Permanent Residents and International students.
2. Student and Course Requirement: Open to new students enrolling in a new course OR continuing students enrolling in a higher-level qualification at UNE for courses commencing in Trimester 1, 2024
3. Academic requirement: For new students an ATAR/UAC Ranking or equivalent mark of at least 75 is required. For continuing students a minimum GPA of 4.0 in their course to date is required if entering higher-level study.
4. Geographic Requirements: Maintain ongoing residency in the Armidale regional area as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Structure from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the duration of each study period.
5. Students in educationally under-represented groups (e.g. first in family, low socioeconomic status, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, First Nations, disability, regional and remote) are strongly encouraged to apply.

The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of (in order):

Academic merit

And

Statement of case

And

Course alignment with National Skills Priorities

And

Notes

• Preference may be given to applicants studying courses that align with the Australian Government’s National Skills Priorities.
• Preference may be given to applicants in educationally under-represented groups (e.g. first in family, low socioeconomic status, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, First Nations, disability, regional and remote).
• Preference may be given to applicants not in receipt of another scholarship.
• The scholarship shall be administered by the UNE Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team and awarded on the recommendation of the Executive Principal Student Experience.
• By applying for this scholarship you, the applicant, permit the University to give some personal details contained in your application to the Selection Committee, who may not be UNE staff. All information will be treated with discretion.
• The Selection Committee’s decision is final.

The listed documents are acceptable forms of evidence in each of the following criteria:

1. Academic documentary evidence related to previous undergraduate degree (if enrolling in Honours or Postgraduate course)
2. Supporting evidence to demonstrate your membership in an educationally under-represented group (see point 5 of Who Can Apply above) if applicable, such as:
1. First Nations: The applicant must identify as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and provide documentation according to the UNE Confirmation of Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander Identity Rule
2. Disability/Special need: Applicant must be registered with UNE Student Accessibility & Wellbeing Office.
3. Low socio-economic status:
   1. Complete the Financial Need details section of the UNE Scholarship Application Form
   2. The applicant should attach evidence to support financial need, which may be one or more of the following (as determined in Financial Need Details section of application form):
      • Evidence of your income/expected income
      • Evidence of most recent and regular Centrelink/payments
      • Evidence of partners income
      • Evidence of parents’/guardians’ income/s

      Evidence of income can include:

      • Income Tax Returns*
      • Regular payslips
      • Centrelink Statement/s
      • A letter from an authorised person (e.g. community leader, school principal, minister of religion, accountant) that comments on your financial circumstances

      *Note: if the most recent financial year income information is not available, previous financial year income information may be used and must be accompanied with a letter from an accountant that comments on the estimated similarity/differences.

3. Statement of Case outlining:
   1. Why are you studying your chosen course and what are your career aspirations?
   2. Tell us about your personal strengths, leadership, and community activities you are involved in. How you have used them to make a difference in the lives of others?
   3. What impact will NOT receiving the scholarship have on your studies?
   4. What special conditions or obstacles have you overcome in your path to study? e.g. financial, geographic, cultural, or other disadvantage. Tell us what you have done to address your situation, in light of the challenges you outlined.

Applications for the Destination Australia Program Scholarship 2024 should be made through the Application for University of New England Scholarship/s Form.

Only complete applications will be processed, so please ensure that you have submitted all required documentation with your application. The Student Scholarships team will notify you via email when your application has been processed.

General Conditions

1. The scholarship is intended for the nominated course and may not be deferred or transferred.
2. The scholarship is payable into the recipient’s Australian bank account in two instalments within 30 days following the Trimester 1 and 2 or 3 census date.
3. Continuation of the scholarship, if applicable, is subject to:
   1. Achieving a Trimester GPA of at least 4.0. For continuing students, results for Trimester 2 and 3 will be combined for the purpose of calculating eligibility for continuation of the scholarship in Trimester 1 in the second and subsequent years.
   2. The student continuing to maintain eligibility in relation to their enrolment status as stipulated by the Scholarship terms.
   3. Full-time students are expected to complete their course in the minimum period of candidature.
4. If you wish to make any significant changes to your enrolment (e.g., Change of degree, study mode or load) you must notify the UNE Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team prior to doing so.  If you no longer satisfy the criteria and conditions of the scholarship, you may not retain it.
5. Any request to vary the terms and/or conditions of the scholarship must be made in writing and will be determined at the discretion of the Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team (or other relevant committee), and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the DAP scholarship agreement with the Commonwealth Government.
6. If at any time during the scholarship term the student is found to have committed behavioural misconduct in accordance with the University’s Student Behavioural Misconduct Rules, the scholarship will be terminated and any outstanding payments to be made under the scholarship will not be paid. You may also be required to repay any instalment already received. Students who are residential college residents are also subject to the Residential College Code of Conduct.
7. The student may be required to attend the annual scholarships donor event if they are invited to do so, and may be asked to participate in activities to promote this scholarship and other scholarships in general, including public speaking, donor liaison, media interviews and photographs.
8. Some scholarships may affect other government payments (e.g. Centrelink). It is the recipient’s responsibility to seek advice from the relevant government agency.
9. From time to time minor changes may be required to the administrative conditions of this scholarship. If this occurs recipients will be given advance notice in writing.
10. Failure to meet the requirements of these terms and conditions may lead to the termination of the scholarship.

Enrolment Notes and Definitions

• Full-time is defined at UNE as an enrolment of 48 credit points in the academic year.
• Enrolment is required for Trimester 1 and 2 study periods (with Trimester 3 optional), where if there is no active enrolment in these periods and a request for a leave of absence from their scholarship is not made and approved to the UNE Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team, the scholarship may be suspended.
• For full-time scholarships, payments will be made in Trimester 1 and 2 each year provided there is a minimum enrolment of 18 credit points in each period. If fewer than 18 credit points are undertaken in Trimester 1 and/or 2, payments will be deferred to the following Trimester.
• For 1 year duration scholarships or for continuing scholarship recipients in the final year of their scholarship, the second payment will only be made when the 48 credit points (or the last remaining units for that course) requirement for that academic year has been satisfied.
• For on campus required scholarships, students must be enrolled in all on campus units, subject to availability, not just registered in ON mode. Students unsure about this should contact the UNE Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team to discuss their situation.
• If a problem presents in meeting the above requirements, the recipient must liaise with the Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team to discuss their specific situation.

Scholarship Specific Conditions

1. The recipient is required to maintain ongoing residency in the Armidale regional area as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Structure from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the duration of each study period. Where a course includes study outside the Armidale regional area (for example, for a clinical placement), residency away from the regional area is permitted for:
   1. No more than one study period (not exceeding 6 months) per qualification where the qualification is longer than 2 years, or
   2. 25% of the qualification where the qualification is 2 years or shorter.

In accepting the Destination Australia Program Scholarship 2024, the recipient acknowledges that they have read, understand and accept the terms and conditions outlined above.