Guidelines

The Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust distributes more than 300 student scholarships every year. These scholarships are funded by individuals and organisations who strongly believe in supporting CSU and its students.

Who can apply

• Any Australian/New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident who has applied for admission to CSU or who is enrolled in a CSU course.  Both on campus and online students are eligible unless otherwise stated in individual scholarship criteria

• Any international students who are classified as an international student in Australia with either a full unconditional offer from CSU to study in Australia or continuing enrolment as a full-time student at a CSU campus. The exemption is scholarships involving work placement due to citizenship requirements for work purposes. 
  

Who cannot apply

• International students studying via online from their home country.
• International students studying via CSU’s international partners in their home country.
  

Will I be notified that my application has been received?

Yes. You will be notified by email when your online application has been successfully submitted. You will also receive an email reminder for draft applications prior to the scholarship close date.

Can I be awarded more than one scholarship?

It depends on the particular scholarships as each scholarship has its own conditions which state whether the student can hold other scholarships or not.

This information is outlined in the eligibility criteria for each scholarship and it is incumbent upon the applicant to ensure they meet the criteria for each scholarship they apply for.

How are applications assessed?

Applicants must read scholarship criteria carefully before applying as scholarships are awarded based on the criteria for each scholarship.

Successful applicants are selected after a series of shortlisting processes, including a review by CSU staff and donors.

From the final shortlist of strong applicants, it is up to the donor to determine the scholarship recipient(s). Sometimes this process will include donors interviewing the strongest candidates.

Conditions of scholarship

Scholarships are presented at ceremonies on CSU campuses towards the end of May and recipients are required to be present at these ceremonies. Recipients are also required to send a thank you letter to their donors.

When will my Scholarship be paid?

Scholarship payment occurs in June, following the scholarship ceremonies and the thank you letter.

Most Scholarships valued at $5000 or less are paid in full, unless otherwise specified.  Scholarships valued at more than $5000 or with a specified tenure will be paid in two instalments - following the scholarship ceremony and following enrolment Census dates for each subsequent year.

Scholarships are subject to the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress and continued enrolment in their course.  If these conditions are not met, Scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

Can I defer my scholarship offer?

Typically, no. The vast majority of scholarships cannot be deferred. Please refer to scholarship conditions for further clarification around deferring or suspension of a scholarship.

Can my scholarship be suspended or terminated?

Yes, if you fail to meet the criteria for your scholarship.

Suspension may occur if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades or the GPA specified in the scholarship criteria.

Suspension or termination of a scholarship will occur if the recipient is excluded from their course.  The scholarship may be reinstated if the recipient resumes their studies following an exclusion of no longer than one year.

Termination of a scholarship will occur if the recipient withdraws or cancels their enrolment or if the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory grades over a prolonged period.  Scholarships will also be terminated if the recipient transfers to another university or place of study. In some instances the recipients will be required to repay the scholarship amount to the donor via the CSU Foundation Trust.

Can I apply for an Approved Leave of Absence (ALA)?

In some circumstances, students may be granted a leave of absence which places their tenured scholarship on hold until they return to study, up to a period of 12 months.

Any request for a leave of absence must be made in writing to the CSU Foundation Trust Scholarship Office stating the expected date of return to study.  Following re-enrolment, the student must advise of their return to study to re-activate their scholarship.

The decision to allow a scholarship to be placed on hold is entirely at the discretion of CSU.
If the leave of absence is to be for more than 12 months or if at the end of 12 months the student does not return to study, the scholarship will be terminated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which students can apply for a scholarship from the Charles Sturt University Foundation?

Students who are Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who have applied for admission to Charles Sturt University or who are enrolled in a course at the University can apply.  Both on-campus and distance education students are eligible.

International students can apply for a Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship if they are classified as an international student in Australia, have a full unconditional offer from CSU to study in Australia or are a continuing enrolled full time international student at a CSU campus (the exception may be a scholarship involving work placement, in which case the requirement to be an Australian Citizen for the purposes of work will be included in the criteria).

How many times per year are scholarships offered?

Scholarships are only offered once per year

When will I be notified of my applications outcome?

You should be notified before no later than the end of the first week of May.

Am I eligible to receive more than one Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship?

In most cases students are only eligible to receive one Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarship each year.  However, circumstances may arise where a student is awarded two scholarships in the one year.  This is not the norm.

Students who are recipients of a tenured or on-going scholarship that is still current are not eligible to apply for further scholarships during the tenure of their awarded scholarship. 

How do I apply for a scholarship that has Hardship as criteria?

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please complete the Hardship section of the online application if you wish to be considered for these scholarships.
Similarly, if you have a disability, please complete the Disability section of the application form. 

What is my ATAR and how important is it?

It is important that you have an ATAR mark if you are applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship.
The ATAR is a rank that allows the comparison of students who have completed different combinations of HSC courses.  It is calculated solely for use by institutions to rank and select school leavers for admission to tertiary courses.
If you are a commencing student and apply before you receive your ATAR results, please use the ATAR mark which you obtain following your HSC trials.  If your application is successful, you may be asked to provide the original of your HSC ATAR results.

What is a Grade Point Average and how important is it?

It is important that you know your GPA if you are continuing student applying for a Charles Sturt University Foundation Scholarship.

A GPA is a numeric value which is assigned to each grade that a student achieves e.g. Distinction = 6, Credit = 5. A GPA is calculated by dividing the total marks by the number of subjects completed.

Your GPA can be found at here by following the 'personal details' link under Administration. The GPA can be found at the bottom of the transcript page.

Am I eligible to apply as a commencing student if I have received credit for previously completed study?

No, however you may apply for Scholarships open to Continuing and Any Year.

Where else can I look for financial support?

A selection of scholarships offered independently of the Charles Sturt University Foundation are listed on Scholarships & Grants

For more information on Scholarships and other resources with helping with the costs of University try Scholarships & help with costs

You can also download the Making University Affordable booklet on helping with the costs of university.

What effect will a scholarship have on my financial assistance from Centrelink?

To assess whether your Centrelink payments or other tax arrangements will be affected, we advise you to seek independent advice. You may find information from the Australian Government Department of Human Services on this link helpful.

What effect will a scholarship have on my tax?

For information on the effect on your tax use the tool found on the ATO (Australian Tax Office) website scholarship tax tool . If you are unsure, consult an independent tax advisor.

Tips on applying for a scholarship

1. Pay close attention to scholarship application closing deadlines. Applications submitted past the deadline are usually not considered.
2. Prepare your Resume - this is a good way to outline your thoughts, your activities and achievements.
3. Always proofread your answers to the questions.
4. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

For more read the information provided on the How to Apply tab on each scholarship

How do I get Paid?

Scholarships with a value less than or equal to $5,000 will be paid in full shortly following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded. Scholarships greater than $5,000 or with a specified tenure will be paid in two instalments each year with the first payment following the scholarship ceremony at which the scholarship is awarded and subsequent payments being made following the census dates for enrolments each year of the tenure

Scholarships which have tenure over a specified term are subject to the student maintaining satisfactory academic progress and a continued enrolment in the program. If these conditions are not met, Scholarships may be suspended or terminated.

When are the Scholarship Presentation Ceremonies held?

Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarships are presented at ceremonies held on each campus in the first half of the year, usually in May or early June. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend these ceremonies.

The ceremonies are attended by Charles Sturt University Foundation donors or their representatives, senior staff of the University, scholars and their guests. These are special functions which allow students to meet their donor and build ongoing relationships.

How to Apply

Step 1

*NB Each Scholarship will require a separate application.

• Read the criteria carefully for each scholarship you wish to apply for to ensure that you are eligible
• Scholarships may require additional responses including essays. These will need to be pre-prepared in a word document format and submitted along with your application. All applications require a resume including the cover letter as stated in step three.

Step 2

Before you begin, you must prepare answers to the following which you will be required to copy and paste into each application:

• Three examples which demonstrate the difference you have made to your community (e.g. sport/volunteering/ the arts)
• What is your understanding of philanthropy and how do you plan to contribute to the public good in the future - Yindyamarra Winhanganha (500 words max.)
• A statement outlining in 250 words or less, what receiving a scholarship would mean to you?

Step 3

Before you submit your application, please ensure you have copies of the following to attach to your application:

• Up to date resume including a cover letter outlining what experiences have led you to tertiary study and your goals and aspirations for the future?
• ATAR or equivalent (If you have left school in the last two years)
  
• Your current GPA (Continuing students ONLY)
  
• If your selection criteria involves Local Government Areas (LGA), please supply ONE of the following:
  
  • electricity bill
  • phone bill
  • rates notice
  • school record

* Copies will need to be attached to your online application and provided in PDF or DOC format.