Sydney Scholars Awards on Equity and Hardship Grounds

1. Eligibility

a. The University of Sydney Scholars Awards are awarded to school leavers with an excellent performance in the NSW Higher School Certificate Examination or equivalent who:

I. are Australian citizens or permanent residents,

II. apply for a University of Sydney undergraduate degree in the year they undertake the NSW ATAR or equivalent;

III. apply for the scholarship through the University’s designated system in the year of completion of HSC or equivalent; and the Equity Scholarship through the UAC online portal, and

IV. will enrol in an undergraduate degree or combine undergraduate degree immediately following the completion of HSC or equivalent (subject to deferral as stated in Clause 3c)

2. Selection Criteria

a. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of:

I. academic merit,

II. demonstrated financial hardship, and

III. demonstration of one or more of the following:

• carer responsibilities,
• indigenous Australian,
• long-term medical condition/disability or ongoing effects of abuse,
• refugee status,
• regional or remote disadvantage, or 
• sole-parent responsibilities 

3. Value

a. The Scholarship is valued at $6,000 and is tenable for the normal full-time duration of the recipient’s undergraduate degree or combined undergraduate degree (agreed program).

b. The Scholarship does not cover appended Honours or any Masters level courses in a double degree. The Scholarship is also not payable for any postgraduate studies, such as a Master of Nursing or Doctor of Medicine, undertaken as part of a double degree.

c. The Scholarship annual value will be paid in two equal instalments after the census date of each semester.

d. Commencement of the Scholarship can be deferred for up to two years. Deferral of the Scholarship is not permitted without the prior permission of the Scholarships Office.

e. The Scholarship is transferrable to another undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney. Funding will only be provided for the duration of the new approved degree less the period of studies already undertaken. Approval for the scholarship transfer must be sought from the Scholarships Office.

f. The Scholarship recipient must enrol full-time in the agreed program during the tenure of their scholarship. Recipients may hold the scholarship part-time due to extenuating circumstances such as a medical condition which limits the student’s capacity to undertake full-time study. An application for a part-time scholarship must be submitted to the Scholarships Office for consideration. If a part-time scholarship is approved, payment will be 50% of the amount of the normal semester payment.

g. The Scholarship may be suspended under extenuating circumstances. Approval for suspension is on a case-by-case basis upon application to the Scholarships Office.

h. No other amount is payable.

4. Ongoing eligibility

a. To continue receipt of the Scholarship, the recipient must maintain a minimum Semester Average Mark (SAM) of 65 each semester.

b. Recipients undertaking an exchange during the tenure of this Scholarship are required to have achieved a Satisfied Requirements grade (SR) to receive their next payment.

5. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:

I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,

II. commences part-time study without prior approval,

III. does not maintain satisfactory academic performance as stated in Clause 4,

IV. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application,

V. does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave, or

VI. any other provision as indicated in these terms that would lead to termination.

b. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

c. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or withdraws from the relevant course, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.