Parent policy: Selection of Students for Commonwealth Scholarships Policy

Approval authority: Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Responsible officer: Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Designated officer: Director, Student Administration

Date of approval: 11 February 2008

Date last amended: 7 December 2004

Effective starting date: 11 February 2008

Procedures replaced by these procedures: Procedures for the Selection of Commonwealth Learning Scholarships

Council has approved the Selection of Students for Commonwealth Scholarships Policy and these Procedures are intended to implement that policy.

Procedures

1. The University Commonwealth Scholarships Procedures will be implemented in accordance with the Guidelines for Commonwealth Scholarships made under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

2. All undergraduate students will be notified of the criteria and application process for Equity Scholarships including Commonwealth Scholarships, University of the Sunshine Coast Equity Bursaries and other donor-funded Equity Scholarships.

3. The application form will be made available on the University website and will be available by request from Student Administration. Applications will be accepted in hard copy only.

4. The Director, Student Administration will set an application date and no late applications will be accepted other than in exceptional circumstances (eg the University makes an offer to a student after the closing date for scholarship applications).

5. An Equity Scholarships Selection Panel will be appointed annually by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to consider Equity Scholarship applications. The Panel will place each applicant in order according to their ranking as outlined in the policy and will make a recommendation for allocation of the scholarships to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for approval.

6. The University will make Commonwealth funded scholarship payments directly to students after the University receives written acceptance of the scholarship offer in accordance with the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines.

7. Applicants will address each of the criteria and give documentary evidence of financial and personal circumstances and academic merit. For commencing students academic merit will be based on their Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) and for continuing students their Grade Point Average (GPA) converted to a TER using the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) formula for tertiary transfers.

8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants will be encouraged to apply by staff in the Indigenous Services Unit.

9. The Scholarships Officer shall consider the ‘exceptional circumstances’ cases made by part time students and will make a recommendation to the Director, Student Administration as to whether or not their applications should go forward. Consideration will be given to factors such as disability and significant carer responsibilities in determining inability to study full-time.

10. The Scholarships Officer will arrange for payment to be made to students in accordance with an agreed business process as soon as possible after the Census Date in each semester.

11. Commonwealth Scholarship holders are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Following each exam period the Scholarships Officer will receive a report on academic progress for each scholarship holder and assess continuing eligibility.

11.1 A Commonwealth Scholarship holder who is identified as At Risk and placed on monitored enrolment will be required to meet with the Scholarships Officer and the Director, Student Services (or delegate) to discuss the status of the student’s Commonwealth Scholarship.

11.2 The Scholarships Officer will then make a recommendation to the Director, Student Administration as to whether or not the student’s Commonwealth Scholarship should be terminated. In making such recommendation the Scholarships Officer and the Director, Student Services (or delegate) will consider the individual circumstances of each student.

11.3 If the Director, Student Administration makes a determination that the Commonwealth Scholarship should be terminated, that determination will be forwarded to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for approval. The Director, Student Administration will notify a student in writing if their Commonwealth Scholarship is to be terminated.

12. A scholarship holder may be accepted into an Honours program at the University and be unable to continue immediately into that program due to:

12.1 a requirement by the Faculty that the student commence their Honours program in a specific semester, or

12.2 a seasonal requirement of the research the student intends to undertake.

In such circumstances their scholarship will be held for them for a period normally up to six months. The student must advise the Scholarships Officer of such arrangements prior to the census date in the semester during which the student will have no enrolment. Faculty confirmation of the arrangement is required.

13. The Scholarships Officer will confirm the ongoing eligibility of Commonwealth Scholarship holders prior to each payment being made.

14. Where scholarship holders fail to meet the eligibility criteria or fail to provide evidence of continuing eligibility they will be notified in writing that their scholarship is to be terminated.

15. Review of decision

15.1 An applicant may request a review of a decision not to award them a Commonwealth Scholarship or a Commonwealth Scholarship holder may request a review of a decision to terminate their scholarship. Such a request must be made in writing to the Director, Student Services within 14 days of the date of the written advice that their application was unsuccessful.

15.2 The Director, Student Services, will conduct a review of the decision.

15.3 The Director, Student Services will notify the applicant in writing of the outcome of the review within 7 days of the review being finalised.

16. Appeal against non-award or termination of Commonwealth Scholarships

16.1 An applicant or scholarship holder may appeal against a decision made under 15.2. The appeal must be in writing, state the grounds for appeal, include any relevant documentation and be lodged with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor within 7 days of the date of advice given under 15. Review of Decision.

16.2 The appeal will be conducted by an independent person or panel of independent persons nominated by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

16.3 The decision of the appeal will be given in writing to the applicant by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor with 7 days of the decision.

16.4 The decision made under 16.3 is final.

Definitions

GPA: Grade Point Average. The average grade achieved (on a 7-point scale) across a program of study. The 7 point scale is based on: HD = 7, DN = 6, CR = 5, PS = 4, FL = 0, WN = 1.5.

TER: Tertiary Entrance Rank. A rank (between 1 and 99, with 99 being the highest) allocated by QTAC, based on an applicant’s qualifications.

QTAC: Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre

guidelines: Guidelines for Commonwealth Scholarships made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003