Related links
Scholarships
- Overview
- Managing your scholarship
- Changes to enrolment
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.
Last updated: 16 November 2023
