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Rules governing the award of University Scholarships, Bursaries and Faculty Prizes

The following provisions apply to each of the awards listed in the schedules, except to the extent that they are inconsistent with the special provisions relating to the award.

1. Definitions

1.1 Prize

A Prize may be awarded to recognise a student’s academic achievement in completing a particular unit or course, or for some other achievement, eg leadership and contribution to University life.

1.2 Scholarship

A Scholarship may be awarded on basis of a variety of factors including any or all of: academic merit; financial need; originating location of student (eg regional Australia or a particular country); personal qualities such as leadership; special needs or circumstances (eg Indigenous background, mature-age students with disabilities). A Scholarship provides practical assistance to a student to undertake his/her studies by providing a meaningful financial amount and/or other relevant in-kind support.

1.3 Bursary

A Bursary may be awarded on basis of a variety of factors but particularly financial need or other disadvantage; other factors which may be taken into account include any or all of: academic merit; originating location of student (eg regional Australia or a particular country); personal qualities such as leadership; special needs or circumstances (eg Indigenous background, mature-age students with disabilities). A Bursary provides practical assistance to a student to undertake his/her studies by providing a meaningful financial amount and/or other relevant in-kind support.

1.4 Study Award

A Study Award is similar to a scholarship but with a monetary amount less than that of a scholarship. It is granted to a student to encourage or assist them to pursue their studies, rather than at the conclusion of their studies.

1.5 Development Award

A Development Award is designed to assist a student or staff member enhance their skills and professional development with costs incidental to and arising out of their endeavours, other than tuition fees.

Selection processes

2. All scholarships and bursaries will be subject to application and assessment through open and accountable selection processes.

3. The minimum size of a selection committee for award of a scholarship or bursary will normally be three persons. Where a specific position is named in the membership of a selection committee, the incumbent of that position may nominate another person to act on the committee in his/her stead.

4. The chair of a selection committee will normally be the most senior officer on the committee.

Determinations regarding award of a University scholarship or bursary or Faculty prize

5. An award will not be made in any year if it is considered that there is no candidate of sufficient merit.

6. Scholarships, bursaries, prizes and awards are awarded at the discretion of the University and are subject to funding being available.

7. Academic merit1 will be a determining factor in the awarding of scholarships, prizes and awards.

8. Bursaries will normally be awarded on the basis of financial need. In the event of applicants being equally ranked in terms of financial need, academic merit (as above) will be a determining factor.

9. A student may hold more than one University scholarship or bursary (in addition to any Commonwealth Scholarship) concurrently, provided that the combined value of the University scholarship/bursary does not exceed $6,000 per annum2.

10. Where the award rules include a provision to the effect that ‘one Scholarship/Bursary will be awarded each year’ and an award is made ‘for the length of the course’, unless the rules otherwise specify, one ‘new’ award will be made each year, concurrent with the continuing award(s) to the recipient(s) to whom a Scholarship/Bursary was awarded commencing in the previous year(s).

Duration or continuation of an award

11. Where an award is made "for the length of the course", the applicable period will be the standard duration of the course as specified in the course rules. That course must be the specific course defined in the individual award rules or the course in which the student was enrolled when the award was approved. Where an undergraduate student undertakes a dual degree or honours degree, the award will be for the standard duration of a single undergraduate pass degree only.

12. Where an award is made for a continuing period of more than one semester, the conditions for continuation of the award will include a requirement that the student remains enrolled2 in the relevant course of study and gains a minimum grade of Pass in all units in which he/she was enrolled in the previous semester. Exceptional personal circumstances supported by documentary evidence may be taken into consideration if the student has not satisfied this requirement.

13. Where one of the eligibility criteria for an award relates to the recipient being enrolled at a specified campus, the award will normally be discontinued should the recipient discontinue his/her studies at that campus.

14. The recipient of an award made for a continuing period of more than one semester may apply to intermit the award if he/she interrupts his/her course of study. If the recipient of an award does not resume his/her course of study and take up the award within a period of no more than one academic year, the award will be withdrawn.

15. The rules for any individual award or the relevant selection committee may specify that, in the event that the recipient of an award withdraws from or fails to make satisfactory progress in his/her course of study, or fails to satisfy other requirements for continuation of the award, the balance of the award moneys otherwise payable to the recipient will either -

  1. revert to the scholarship/bursary fund; or
  2. be awarded to the next eligible applicant; in that case -
    1. the amount of the award available to that subsequent recipient will be the original value of the award less any amount already paid to the first recipient; and
    2. he duration of the award will be the normal duration less any period of time during which it was held by the first recipient.

Financial matters

16. Where there is a fund maintaining the award, the annual value of the award shall be no greater than 90 percent of the annual income from the fund to allow for capital growth for inflation.

17. Income from a fund not expended on the award which it maintains will be added to and become part of the fund.

18. Monies payable in any year to the recipient of an award will be paid at such times and in such amounts as the Academic Registrar deems appropriate in the circumstances of each case. Normally the value of an award will be paid in equal instalments, with one payment after the census date of each semester for the duration of the award.

19. The duration of payments is specified on the basis of full-time enrolment in 40 credit points per semester. If the student undertakes a lesser load, payments will be made on a pro rata basis subject to the conditions of the award. Enrolment status is normally not relevant in the case of the award of Prizes.

20. Scholarship and bursary payments may affect students’ eligibility for payments through Centrelink. Students should be alerted to the fact that it is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to ascertain any such impacts.

General

21. If the recipient of an award fails to comply with any of these rules or any rule relating to a particular award or with any condition imposed under these rules or the rules relating to a particular award, the award may be terminated and/or any further emoluments may be withheld or such other action may be taken as the University may deem necessary to enforce compliance with the rule or performance of the condition by the recipient.


1 Academic merit will normally be assessed on performance in year 12, studies at ACU or in other prior studies; it may include demonstration of professional competence in professional experience and/or performance in community engagement activities.

2 This figure excludes the value of any Commonwealth Scholarship or award by any organisation external to Australian Catholic University.