The Commonwealth Government provides over 3,000 scholarships each year for open competition among students who wish to undertake tertiary courses at universities and other approved institutions.
Approved Courses
Commonwealth Scholarships are available in all first degree courses and in some undergraduate diploma courses at universities and institutions of university status, in Technical College Diploma courses at prescribed standard, and in other approved professional courses. The courses approved include part-time as well as full-time courses, and in approved circumstances a student may be per- mitted to take a full-time course on a part-time basis.
In general, selected students will be free to apply their scholarships to any single approved course. Students interested
in
combined coursesmust
seek advice from the Commonwealth Scholarships Office.Eligibility
Commonwealth Scholarships are intended to enable boys and
girls
who havesuccessfully completed their secondary education to proceed to a university or similar institution or to continue a tertiary course already commenced. For this reason an applicant will be normally required to have matriculated and to be under twenty-five years of age on 1st January in the year in which he desires to commence his scholarship. Special conditions apply to applicants
for
scholar-ships to do full-time Technical College diploma courses. The applicant and his parents
will,
in general, be required to be permanently residentin
Australia.Special provision is made for a limited number of scholarships to be made avail- able to mature age students aged not less than twenty-five years
on
1st January in the year in which the scholarship is desired and not more than thirty years on 1st January in the year of commencement of the course.Selection
Commonwealth Scholarships will be awarded on the results of applicants at the examination for matriculation in the university in the state concerned, even though matriculation is not required for the course they desire to study. Special provision is made, however, for selection of students who wish to take diploma courses in Technical Colleges and for students already engaged upon tertiary courses.
Combined Courses
In certain circumstances scholarships may be extended to cover more
than
one course. For most of the following combined courses only a limited quota of places
is
available and candidates desiring to do a combined course must make further enquiries at the Commonwealth Scholarships Branch.Architecture
plus—
Diploma of Town and Regional Planning
Arts
plus—
Agricultural Science Architecture Dentistry
Bachelor of Education Engineering
Medicine Music
Oriental Languages Science
Social Studies
Veterinary Science
One year Primary course at Mercer House
Commerce
plus—
Bachelor of Education Diploma of Social Studies One year Primary course at
Mercer House Pharmacy
plus— .
Science
Diploma of Institutional Management Glus—
Registration course in Dietetics 30
Engineering plus—
Engineering (another specialty- e.g. ' Mechanical Engineering Course plus—
Electrical Engineering Course) Science
Law plus—
Arts Commerce Medicine plus—
Science Music plus—
Bachelor of Education
Science plus
Arts—Special course for Physicists
Bachelor of Education Diploma of Dietetics Pharmacy
One year Primary course at Mercer House
Optometry plus—
Science
Technical School Diploma plus—
Fellowship Diploma or
Appropriate University degree course
Diploma of Agricultural Science plus Bachelor of Agricultural or Veterinary Science.
Benexits
All compulsory Fees will be paid, irrespective of the means of the scholar's parents. In addition, selected students who are undertaking full-time courses may apply for a living allowance, which will be payable subject to a means test.
The maximum living allowance at present is #221 per annum for a student living with his parents and 1338 per annum for a student not living with his parents.
Special provision is made for mature age students.
Winners of scholarships will be entitled to benefits for the duration of thèir courses, subject to satisfactory progress.
Living Allowances
(These notes apply to conditions for 1961 and may be subject to alteration.) 1. The holder of a Commonwealth Scholarship taking a full-time course may be eligible for a living allowance subject to a means test.
2. The living allowance is assessed according to the combined gross income (net profit in the case of business income) of the scholar's parents, excluding war pensions, for the previous financial year, but this income is decreased by allowances made for the dependants, other than the applicant, under 16 years of age at the close of that financial year. (#150 is deducted for the first dependant and 175 for each other dependant.) The income arrived at in this way is called the "Adjusted Income". THE INCOME OF A STEPFATHER OR STEPMOTHER SHOULD NOT BE STATED UNLESS THE SCHOLAR HAS BEEN LEGALLY ADOPTED.
3. (a) For students required to live away from home a living allowance on a graduated scale is payable on adjusted incomes up to 12,066 per annum.
For students living at home, the adjusted income limit is 11,676 per annum. It will be seen that in both cases the gross income of the parents will be higher if there are other children under 16 years of age.
(b) If a scholarship holder has a brother or sister doing a full-time course at an approved institution, a different method of assessment is used.
As a consequence the income limits referred to are raised to 1 2,620 and 1 2,035 respectively.
4. On an adjusted income of 1720 or less the maximum living allowance is payable. This is Э38 per annum (fб/10/- per week) for those living away from home and 1221 per annum (f4/5/- per week) for those living at home. The allowance is reduced by 12 for each #10 by which the adjusted income exceeds 1720 up to (1,440, thereafter the rate of decrease will be #3 for each ill. Here is a typical example for a family of two adults, two dependent children under 16, and the scholarship holder
31
Gross income of father .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . (1,045 Gross income of mother .. .. .. .. .. .. 100
Total family income . ..
For first dependent child under 16, deduct .. .. .. 150 For second dependent child under 16, deduct
... . ..
75Adjusted income .. .. .. .. ..
f1,145 225 920 As the adjusted income of f920 exceeds f720 by f200 (or 20 times ill) the maximum living allowance must be reduced by 20 times f2 = f40. Thus for a scholar living away from home, the living allowance would be f338 less f40= f298, or f221 less f40 = f181 for a scholar living at home.
5. Five important points should be noted:
(i) The income of a scholar during the academic year may cause a reduction in the living allowance payable. A scholar may receive up to f2 a week (including amounts received from other awards) without incurring any deduction, but any amount received over this figure is deducted from the allowance otherwise payable for the week concerned.
Earnings during the long vacation are ignored and do not affect the allowance.
(ii) Although calculated on a weekly basis, a living allowance is not paid weekly, but in regular instalments throughout the year.
(iii) Should there be any change of a permanent nature in family financial circumstances (e.g., death, retirement, etc.) during a year, a scholar may become eligible for an allowance, or for payment at a higher rate.
Inquiries should be made at the Commonwealth Scholarships Office.
(iv) The benefits payable under the means test may be varied in cases where its application may cause undue hardship, e.g., where high medical expenses have been incurred.
(v) Married scholars, scholars over the age of 25 years, scholars who can establish that they have maintained themselves independently of their parents for a continuous period of five years, orphans, wards, and ex-wards of the State, may be eligible for a living allowance at a special rate of payment.
6. An application for a living allowance may be made on the appropriate form which should be lodged NOT LATER THAN 31st MARCH, 1961. Applications received after that date will be
paid
only as from the date of receipt.Deferment
A student awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship will be permitted in certain circumstances to defer his scholarship for a maximum period of twelve months.
A written application for deferment setting out the reasons should be made immediately an award is notified.
Employment
Mature-age scholars and scholars in receipt of living allowance may under- take employment during term only with the permission of the Education Department, and provided also that Faculty approval, where necessary, is first obtained. No restriction is placed on the amount of employment any scholar undertakes during the long vacation.
Closing Dates
The closing date for applications for Scholarships is 30th November.
Application forms and any further information may be obtained from—
The Officer-in-Charge,
Commonwealth Scholarships Branch, University Grounds,
PARKVILLE, N.2, VICTORIA.
DAFYDD LEWIS TRUST. Under the terms of The Dafydd Lewis Trust, scholarships for University of Melbourne courses other than Theology, Music, Arts and Education are available to boys who have been educated in Victoria at
32
State Elementary, State Secondary or Technical Schools" for at least five years before the award of the scholarship. The age limit, reckoned at January 1st, is for Technical School candidates 201 years, and for others 18# years. The parents of the the applicant must not be in receipt of a joint weekly income of more than an amount equivalent to the purchasing power of £6 at the time of the benefactor's death (17/8/41). For the purpose of the 1960 awards the figure was f20/15/2 per week. Na holder of one of these scholarships shall be entitled to hold also a Government Senior Scholarship or to reside at any of the University colleges.
Renewal of the award annually depends upon satisfactory progress in work. The scholarships provide for payment of University fees and for maintenance of students during the tenure of the scholarships. There is also provision for post-graduate work and study abroad for any student who shows exceptional talent and fitness for the career he proposes to follow. Applications must be lodged by 1st December each year with the Secretary,. The Dafydd Lewis Trust, c/o The Trustees, Executors
& Agency Co. Ltd., 401. Collins Street, Melbourne, from whom further details may be obtained.
GOWRIE SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND. In addition to post-graduate research travelling scholarships and secondary school scholarships, four or five University entrance scholarships, of the value f75 p.a. and tenable for the normal period of a University course, are awarded by the Trustees. Applications for all Scholarships are due on 30th November each year. Further particulars may be obtained from the Secretary, The Gowrie Scholarship Trust Fund, G.P.O., Box 2069, Sydney, N.S.W.
STUDENTS' LOAN FUND. Loans from il0 to f150 may be made in any one year to matriculated students who are pursuing or intend to pursue University course, and who cannot proceed without such assistance. In special cases consideration may be given to making loans of up to f200 in any one year.
Applications for loans must be lodged with the Registrar on the appropriate form not later than 13th February.
Applications must be accompanied by evidence of the student's ability and full particulars of his financial , position. The borrower must also provide a guarantor who is able and willing to guarantee the repayment of the loan.
Provided that the borrower's work is satisfactory, the loan is free of interest during his course. Thereafter interest is chargeable at the rate of 41 per cent»
for five years, and at 5 per cent, on any balance unpaid after that period.