Science Scholarship 2015 Guidelines www.csu.edu.au TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................... 1 2. DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................... 1 3. SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS ..................................................................................... 2 4. POLICY .................................................................................................................. 2 5. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ............................................................................ 3 6. ONGOING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ....................................................................... 4 7. SCHOLARSHIP OFFER PROCESS ...................................................................... 5 8. PAYMENT .............................................................................................................. 6 9. SCHOLARSHIP EXPENDITURE ........................................................................... 7 10. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ...................................................................... 7 11. DEFERMENT/SUSPENSION ................................................................................. 7 12. SCHOLARSHIP TERMINATION ............................................................................ 8 13. PROVISION OF FALSE INFORMATION ............................................................... 8 14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................................................................... 8 15. PRIVACY ................................................................................................................ 8 16. RELEVANT LEGISLATION ................................................................................... 9 17. AMENDMENTS ...................................................................................................... 9 18. VERSION CONTROL ........................................................................................... 10 CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page i 1. B ACKGROUND 1.1. Students are facing increasing financial pressures as costs associated with tertiary education continue to rise. 1.2. CSU understands that students may be interested in careers in progressive areas such as DNA identification technology and genome discovery or ecological and natural resource management. 1.3. In recognition of this, CSU offers students a helping hand to explore their passion for science via lucrative scholarships for on campus applicants in science-based fields. 2. DEFINITIONS 2.1. ATAR: Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. The ATAR is a rank that allows the comparison of students who have completed different combinations of HSC/VCE courses. It is calculated solely for use by institutions to rank and select school leavers for admission to tertiary courses and by CSU to determine eligibility for our merit scholarships. 2.2. Carer: For the purpose of this Scholarship, a carer is defined as a person of any age, who without being paid (excluding Centrelink), cares for another person who needs ongoing support because of a long-term medical condition, a mental illness, a disability, frailty or the need for palliative care. A carer may or may not be a family member and may or may not live with the person. Volunteers under the auspices of a voluntary organisation are not included. Scholarship recipients may be in receipt of a Centrelink Carer Allowance or Carer Payment. 2.3. Census date: The date at which you can withdraw from a subject or course without financial penalty. 2.4. Commencing student: A student enrolled in, and undertaking, subjects in their first year of study at CSU and who have not previously completed a degree. 2.5. Commonwealth supported student: As defined in the Higher Education Support Act 2003. For example, a HECS-HELP student. 2.6. Full-time: A full-time student is one who is enrolled to undertake an amount of study of at least three quarters (or 75%) of an equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL). At CSU, this equates to being enrolled in three (3) or more (8 point) subjects, or 24 subject points or more per session. 2.7. Grade Point Average: A grade point is the numerical value assigned to a final grade to allow calculation of a Grade Point Average (GPA). GPA is the average of all final grades obtained by a student for courses within an academic program. 2.8. Internal student: An internal student is a student that is studying the majority of subjects for any given session of the course as an on campus student. For example, if a student is enrolled in four (4) subjects for a session, then three (3) or more subjects must be studied CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 1 internally (on campus). If a student is enrolled in three (3) subjects for a session, then two (2) or more subjects must be studied internally (on campus). The status as an internal student can change for each session of study. 2.9. Regional Bonus: Is an equity program offered by Charles Sturt University which adds an extra five points to a student’s ATAR score for Regional, Remote or Very Remote students, which improves their selection rank. Similarly, if a non Year 12 applicant resides in a Regional, Remote or Very Remote area, their entrance rank will be increased by five points 2.10. Regional, Remote or Very Remote area: The Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) is a geographical system developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to classify different living zones in Australia. Classifications are postcode based and are identified as ‘Remote’, ‘Very Remote’, ‘Major Cities’, ‘Inner Regional’ and ‘Outer Regional’. To find your classification, you can view the following map. 3. SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS 3.1. In 2015, the CSU Science Scholarship (Scholarship) is awarded to students with an ATAR score of 80 or above and studying selected undergraduate science-based courses as outlined in sections 5 and 6 below. 3.2. The Scholarship is valued at up to $4,000 per annum, payable for up to a maximum of four (4) years on the condition that the recipient continues to meet the ongoing eligibility criteria as given in section 6 of these Guidelines. 3.3. The Scholarship is paid in two (2) equal instalments of up to $2,000 for the first and second sessions of each year, within 3-4 weeks of the session’s Census date. 3.4. The Scholarship is payable in cash (EFT). 4. POLICY 4.1. To receive a Scholarship, a student must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in section 5 and complete an application form. 4.2. It is important that students provide supporting documentation when requested. Applications with incorrect or no supporting documentation that has been requested as part of the application process will be deemed ineligible, or the particular section/s to which the missing documentation relates will not be assessed. 4.3. The CSU Scholarships Office will assess and rank the successful candidates from among all eligible applicants. 4.4. A Scholarship recipient who undertakes a program of study overseas or as a Commonwealth supported student with another University approved by CSU as a crossCSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 2 institutional arrangement will not be precluded from accessing the Scholarship during this period. This is on condition that the program of study counts towards the requirements for the course of study in which the student is enrolled at CSU and ongoing eligibility criteria is maintained by the Scholarship recipient during this period. 4.5. The effect of deferring study or applying for Approved Leave of Absence is outlined in section 11. 4.6. A Scholarship recipient should be aware that Scholarships are regarded as income by Centrelink and it is the responsibility of the recipient to seek independent advice with respect to any taxation or Centrelink implications resulting from receiving this Scholarship. 4.7. Due to privacy laws, any discussion of a Scholarship application or recipient must take place only with the Scholarship applicant/recipient. 4.8. Scholarship applicants awarded this Scholarship part way through their course will receive up to the session amount for the session in which the Scholarship was awarded and for the remainder of their course, providing the ongoing eligibility criteria in section 6 continues to be met. This means that the total Scholarship amount received will be a pro rata amount. 5. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 5.1. To be eligible for this Scholarship in 2015 a student must, by the Census date of their first session in 2015: (a) be studying their first undergraduate degree; (b) b e a commencing student at CSU in 2015; (c) be enrolled as a full-time student; (d) be enrolled as an internal student; (e) h ave an ATAR score of 80 or above (inclusive of the Regional Bonus), or demonstrate high level attainment in other studies, achievements and/or work experience; (f) be an Australian Citizen, permanent Australian Resident or the holder of a Humanitarian Visa; and (g) not be in receipt of another scholarship or grant, either from CSU or elsewhere, to the value of $7,500 or more per annum. CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 3 (h) be enrolled in one of the following courses at CSU as a Commonwealth supported student: 2015 Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management Bachelor of Computer Science Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Bachelor of Pharmacy Bachelor of Science 6. ONGOING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 6.1. To continue to be eligible for a Scholarship, the recipient must, by the Census date of each subsequent session, continue to: (a) be enrolled as a full-time student; (b) be enrolled as an internal student; (c) m aintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 or higher (credit average); (d) be an Australian Citizen, permanent Australian Resident or the holder of a Humanitarian Visa; (e) not be in receipt of another scholarship or grant, either from CSU or elsewhere, to the value of $7,500 or more per annum; and (f) be enrolled in one of the following courses at CSU as a Commonwealth supported student: Courses Accepted previous to 2015 for the CSU Science Scholarship: Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management Bachelor of Agriculture Science Bachelor of Agriculture Science (Integrated Honours) Bachelor of Applied Science (Parks, Recreation and Heritage) Bachelor of Clinical Science Bachelor of Computer Science Bachelor of Environmental Science Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Bachelor of Equine Science Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathology) CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 4 Bachelor of Medical Science - with specialisations Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Nuclear Medicine) Bachelor of Pharmacy Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science (Agriculture - with specialisations) 7. SCHOLARSHIP OFFER PROCESS 7.1. Application 7.1.1 To be selected for the Scholarship, students are required to complete an application form and provide all supporting documentation. 7.2. Selection 7.2.1 Scholarship applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the eligibility criteria as set out in section 5 of these Guidelines. 7.2.2 Sections will only be assessed if the required documentation is provided. Where documentation required to determine eligibility is not supplied, the applicant will be deemed ineligible. 7.2.3 Applicants will be assessed and ranked based on the information provided in the application and supporting documentation, in accordance with section 5 of these guidelines. 7.2.4 There are no interviews required. 7.2.5 Students may be assessed as eligible but not receive this Scholarship due to quota restrictions as there are often more applications than funds available. 7.2.6 A pplicants that are ineligible will be notified by CSU in writing. 7.3. Provisional Offer 7.3.1 CSU will contact each eligible Scholarship applicant and make a provisional offer, which is made on the condition that the student is still eligible to receive the Scholarship at Census date. 7.3.2 The provisional offer will include: (a) the value of the scholarship; (b) a link to the Scholarship guidelines; (c) a link to the CSU student portal with instructions on how to accept the offer; and CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 5 (d) the date by which to accept the offer. 7.4. Final Eligibility Assessment 7.4.1 S cholarship final eligibility assessment will be conducted after: (a) the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) main offer round date; (b) the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) round one - main undergraduate offer round date; and (c) Census date. 7.4.2 A Scholarship provisional offer is retained by the applicant on condition that the student meets the Scholarship eligibility criteria as at the Census date of each session of enrolment. 7.4.3 Applicants that are no longer eligible to receive the Scholarship will have their provisional offer withdrawn and no Scholarship payment will be made. Ineligible applicants will be notified by CSU in writing. 7.5. Scholarship Acceptance 7.5.1 The successful applicant is required to accept the offer, as instructed on the provisional offer. 7.5.2 If a student accepts their Scholarship, CSU will notify them in writing that it has received their acceptance. 7.5.3 If a student has been made a Scholarship provisional offer, they have accepted it, but they do not meet the eligibility requirements at Census date, the offer will be withdrawn and the scholarship will not be paid. 7.5.4 If a student has been made a Scholarship offer, but they have not accepted it, the offer will be withdrawn and the Scholarship will not be paid. 8. PAYMENT 8.1. If a student has been made a Scholarship offer, they have accepted it and are still eligible at Census date, payment will then proceed. 8.2. Scholarship payments will occur via electronic funds transfer (EFT) to the bank account registered with CSU by the Scholarship recipient. 8.3. If a Scholarship recipient does not register bank details with CSU, a cheque for the Scholarship payment will be mailed to the student’s mailing address. 8.4. To register bank details with CSU, students can do this on the Student Administration website and go to Personal Details to enter or change bank details. CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 6 8.5. Scholarship payments are made within 3-4 weeks after the Census date of eligible sessions. 8.6. Scholarship recipients should be aware that money received from the Scholarship is counted as income for the purposes of Taxation and the Social Security Act. 8.7. Scholarship recipients will be asked to acknowledge in their application and acceptance of their Scholarship that it is their responsibility to seek independent advice with respect to any Centrelink and Taxation implications. 9. SCHOLARSHIP EXPENDITURE 9.1. Scholarship payments are expected to be spent on general education costs associated with studying at CSU. 10. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES 10.1. CSU will take into account factors such as long term illness, disability, ongoing effects of trauma or abuse, indigenous community responsibilities, course constraints outside a student’s control and significant carer responsibilities when considering the initial and ongoing eligibility criteria of being a full-time student for this Scholarship. 10.2. Students must complete a Special Circumstances form if they are unable to meet the fulltime study requirements as defined above. 10.3. If this Scholarship is awarded based on part time study, the payment amount will be a proportion of the full amount for each session based on the number of subject points enrolled at Census date. 11. DEFERMENT/SUSPENSION 11.1. Scholarships cannot be deferred. Scholarship recipients who defer their studies will have their Scholarship withdrawn and the Scholarship will not be paid. These students are eligible to apply in a future session providing they still meet the initial eligibility criteria outlined in section 5. 11.2. Scholarship recipients taking an Approved Leave of Absence in any session will have their Scholarship suspended for that session and will not receive any payment for that session. The Scholarship is automatically re-activated the next session the student enrols in subjects. 11.3. Scholarship recipients may apply to have their Scholarship suspended for a maximum of four sessions of Approved Leave of Absence over the duration of their Scholarship. CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 7 12. SCHOLARSHIP TERMINATION 12.1. CSU will terminate the Scholarship if: (a) the student ceases to meet the initial eligibility criteria or ongoing eligibility criteria as specified in sections 5 and 6 of these guidelines, other than during a period of approved suspension; or (b) the maximum duration of the Scholarship has been reached; or (c) CSU determines that a student is guilty of academic misconduct; or (d) CSU determines that the Scholarship was awarded on the basis of false or misleading information. 13. PROVISION OF FALSE INFORMATION 13.1. If CSU knows or has reason to believe that a Scholarship recipient has provided false or misleading information to CSU in relation to this Scholarship, CSU will immediately: (a) provide the student with an opportunity to explain; and (b) re-assess the student’s entitlement to the Scholarship. 14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS 14.1. Upon receipt of a Scholarship, students agree to fulfil all requirements as set out in these guidelines. 14.2. In accepting a Scholarship offer, students consent to CSU accessing the student’s records for the purposes of assessing and administering the Scholarship. 14.3. A Scholarship recipient must provide in writing, at the earliest possible convenience, the details of circumstances that have changed from the application form. These changed circumstance details are to be provided to the CSU Scholarships Office at [email protected]. Upon receipt of details regarding a change in circumstances, CSU may re-assess the Scholarship recipient’s eligibility. 15. PRIVACY 15.1. Charles Sturt University (University) recognises the importance of protecting personal information provided for the administration of the Scholarship/Grant program. The University is bound by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth) as amended in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Cwlth) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 8 15.2. The information collected will only be used by authorised University staff to assess eligibility and administer the Scholarship/Grant program. The information collected may also be used for assessment purposes for other scholarships, grants and equity programs across the University. Students should be aware that they provide information of their own free will. 15.3. Personal and health information provided by the applicant will not be made available to any person within the University or any person or organisation outside the University for any other purpose without the applicant’s consent, except where the University may be legally required to do so. 15.4. Applicant files will be held in a secure online environment which is accessible only to authorised employees and will be kept for the appropriate legal time limit and then destroyed. 15.5. Students may access their personal information to ensure that it is accurate, relevant to the purpose for which it was collected, not misleading, incomplete or out-of-date. Students may also ask the CSU Scholarships Office to amend any of the information held about them or to add comments or explanations in relation to their information. To do any of these things students should contact the CSU Scholarships Office at [email protected]. 15.6. Students dissatisfied with the way the CSU Scholarships Office has handled their personal information may apply to have the matter reviewed by lodging a formal application with the CSU Ombudsman. 16. RELEVANT LEGISLATION 16.1. The following legislation, as amended from time to time, is directly relevant to this policy: (a) Higher Education Support Act 2003; (b) Freedom of Information Act 1982; (c) Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth) as amended in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Cwlth); (d) Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW); and (e) Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). 17. AMENDMENTS 17.1. Amendments may be made to these guidelines from time to time by the CSU Scholarships Office. CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 9 18. VERSION CONTROL Date 23 September Version 2 Author Description / Amendments Rebecca Gransden Second version 2015 8 Jan 2014 1.1 Jacinta Ducat Inclusion of Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science as an eligible course. 9 Sep 2013 1.0 Melissa Peake First version for 2014 CSU Science Scholarship Guidelines 2015 Version 2 – 5th November 2014 Page 10
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