Skip to main content

Scholarships

Changes to enrolment

As a scholarship recipient, it’s important to understand the conditions of your award, including how certain enrolment changes can affect it.

Suspending

If you hold a University of Sydney scholarship, you can suspend it for a maximum of one year. Once you have suspended your course, you’ll also need to complete the Application to suspend undergraduate scholarship form (pdf, 43KB).

We’ll notify you through Sydney Student once your scholarship has been suspended. When you re-enrol in your course, you’ll need to contact us to have your payments reinstated.

If you’re thinking of suspending your candidature, you need to be aware of how this will affect your scholarship. Refer to the conditions of your scholarship to confirm the requirements around suspension.

When you re-enrol in your course, you’ll need to submit the HDR scholarship recommencement form (pdf, 157KB).

Studying part time

If you are holding a University of Sydney scholarship, you can apply to hold your scholarship on a part-time study load. This arrangement is intended to support students in exceptional circumstances such as illness or disability, or significant carer commitments. Part-time scholarships are paid at half the full-time amount.

If you have a scholarship through the Commonwealth Government, you generally need to maintain a full-time study load except in exceptional circumstances.

To apply for part-time payment of your scholarship, you will need to complete the Application to receive an undergraduate scholarship part time form (pdf, 57KB).

In the event that you change to part-time study after receiving payment, the Scholarships Office will contact you to make necessary arrangements. This may mean either paying half of the amount back to the Scholarships Office or not being paid for the next semester.

The University applies the RTP Stipend (formerly APA) rule to all postgraduate research stipends. This rule states that a part-time scholarship can only be approved in exceptional circumstances if you have an ongoing medical condition, disability or heavy carer commitments which prevent full-time enrolment.

If you are changing to part-time enrolment for one of these reasons you need to apply for approval from the Scholarships Office before changing your enrolment. Changing to part-time status without approval will result in the scholarship payments being suspended. Contact the Scholarships Office for details of the documents you need to provide.

If you obtain approval to hold the scholarship part-time, the limit on part-time employment is a maximum of 10 hours per week (half the 20 hour limit for full-time students).

If you are changing to part-time enrolment for a different reason, you need to contact the Scholarships Office to organise the suspension or termination of your scholarship.

Changing your course

If you’re changing your candidature from a PhD to a Masters, your scholarship tenure will typically decrease by one year. If you receive a scholarship that can only be held by a PhD student, such as the VCRS, your scholarship will end.

If you’re upgrading your candidature, any changes to your tenure will depend on the type of scholarship you receive.

If you’re considering changing your candidature, contact the Scholarships Office to find out how it will affect your tenure.

If you want to change your course, you will need to submit an application for admission to the new degree.

Extensions

Research students

If you’re a PHD student and your scholarship is due to end but you’re not ready to submit your thesis, you may be able to apply for an extension. Check the conditions of your scholarship to see if this is possible. If you are eligible, you can usually request an extension of up to six months.

You can apply using the HDR scholarship extension for doctoral students form (pdf, 285KB).

Applications should be lodged two months before your scholarship is due to end.

Student Centre

Online

Phone

1800 SYD UNI (1800 793 864)
or +61 2 8627 1444 (outside Australia)

Find out more about how we can help

Last updated: 16 November 2023

Website feedback

Tell us if you’ve spotted a typo or something else wrong with this page.

Thank you

Your feedback has been sent.

Sorry there was a problem sending your feedback. Please try again

You should only use this form to send feedback about the content on this webpage – we will not respond to other enquiries made through this form. If you have an enquiry or need help with something else such as your enrolment, course etc you can contact the Student Centre.

Cancel