Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Scholarship

Applications for the 2009 Scholarship have closed.

As part of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s commitment to help build stronger regional communities, the Bank has established a scholarship.

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding but disadvantaged students, usually from a rural or regional area, who have been offered a full-time place at an Australian university or college campus.

The scholarship is intended to provide support to selected students who otherwise, due to particular social or financial circumstances, would not have been able to undertake tertiary education.

The scholarship enables selected students to commence tertiary education at a centre of excellence by providing financial support in the early years of their transition from secondary to tertiary education.

The scholarship will signal that the successful applicants are students of a high calibre in study, leadership and individual character.

Eligible tertiary campuses

There is no restriction in respect to the tertiary institution selected by scholarship applicants, other than the institution must be appropriately accredited and a nationally recognised tertiary institution.

Grants under the scholarship must be tax deductible to the Bank. The recipient tertiary institution must have satisfied the Australian Taxation Office requirements in respect to tax deductibility and may be required to provide the Bank with documented evidence that the institution has the necessary Australian Taxation Office endorsements in respect to deductible gift recipient and / or income tax exempt charitable entity.

Scholarship terms and conditions

The Bank will allocate an aggregate amount of $25,000 per annum towards the scholarship.

Any amount that has not been allocated by the Bank by year-end may be carried forward and added to the subsequent year’s scholarship allocation.

The aggregate scholarship will be divided into individual student allocations of up to a maximum of $12,000 per annum.

The scholarships may be awarded for part or whole of the duration of a scholar’s academic course. It is intended that the individual grants under the scholarship will initially apply for the first two years of the student’s course and, at the discretion of the Bank, may also be extended.

Grants under the scholarship may be applied to cover the costs of residency at a University college or other accommodation (and resource materials) of successful applicants. The student’s residency must be at any Australian university or college or other institution which is affiliated with a university or college in Australia.

The scholarship will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students who are commencing higher (tertiary) education for the first time. To be eligible, applicants must be attempting their first university or college qualification and must clearly demonstrate how their personal circumstances meet the purpose of the scholarship.

The scholarships will be awarded by the Bank annually before the commencement of the academic year.

Applicants must provide the Bank with a completed application in the form determined by the Bank. Application forms will be available from the Bank’s web site. Applications may also be made through university colleges and offices. The application must be accompanied by a personal profile including a copy of their academic transcript and information demonstrating the circumstances of their particular social or financial hardship.

Grants under the scholarship for the second year of residency (and subject to the Bank’s approval, the third year of residency) will be subject to satisfactory performance.

Grants under the scholarship will only be made upon receipt of a GST recipient created tax invoice from the tertiary campus for the amount of the respective grant.

Student application and scholarship approval process

All applications will be assessed by the Bank and submitted to the Managing Director and Chairman for decision.

The Chairman and Managing Director will, at their absolute discretion, determine the successful applicant(s) in accordance with the purpose and terms of the scholarship.

Reporting

The tertiary campuses or colleges receiving payments under this scholarship must provide the Bank with an annual update on the scholarship holder’s progress. The report must include, at a minimum, confirmation that the relevant student has successfully completed all units in the previous year of their course.

Promotion of scholarship

It is expected that recipient tertiary institutions will undertake promotional activities for the scholarship. The recipient tertiary institution must notify the Bank of their intended scholarship promotional arrangements prior to the Bank awarding a scholarship.

Variation of scholarship terms and conditions

The Bank will retain an absolute discretion to vary the terms of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Scholarship including, as deemed appropriate by the Bank, the aggregate amount allocated to the scholarship, the application criteria and payment of grants to individual students under the scholarship.

Application form

Bendigo Bank Scholarship Application Form - Approx. 65Kb

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