CQUniCares Downer Scholarship (Donor-Funded)

To be eligible to receive the CQUniCares Downer Scholarship, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled or intending to be enrolled at CQUniversity in Term 1, 2024
• Be female
• Be in their first or second academic year of one of the following courses
  • Associate Degree of Engineering [CC02]
  • Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours) [CC62]
  • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) [CC31]
  • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Diploma of Professional Practice (Co-op Engineering) [CC32]
  • Bachelor of Engineering Technology [CG21]
  • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Construction) and Diploma of Construction Management [CL72]
  • Be enrolled with a term study load of at least 12 credit points*
  • Be enrolled at Census Date in Term 1, 2024
  • Downer offers this scholarship with the expectation that the recipient will complete work experience and employment opportunities with them. Therefore, the recipient will not be eligible to be considered for additional CQUniversity donor-funded scholarships for the full duration of their scholarship

Applicants will be assessed on the application and a written submission of no more than 500 words addressing the following:

"How will a CQUniCares Downer Scholarship assist with your studies?"

• Tell us about yourself:
  • Name/ course/ interests
  • You may wish to also share your current situation, challenges you have experienced or overcome, as well as any examples of success, leadership, community, or volunteering.
• How will a scholarship help you to overcome financial barriers to success?
  • You may wish to further explain your current situation and how a scholarship will assist you in managing general living and study expenses.
• What are your career goals and how will a scholarship assist you in achieving your educational objectives?
  • You may wish to outline your aspirations following graduation, as well as your plans for giving back and supporting our regions.  

Expectations of recipients

Downer offers this scholarship with the expectation that the recipient will complete work experience and employment opportunities with them. Therefore, the recipient will not be eligible to be considered for additional CQUniversity donor-funded scholarships for the full duration of their scholarship. 

As a scholarship recipient, you will be asked to participate in a feedback survey. You may also be approached to assist with promoting CQUniversity’s Scholarship program by sharing your experiences as a recipient through testimonials, media or invitations to attend events such as Orientation or Open Days. If you do not wish to be publicly recognised or be involved in the above initiatives, please advise the Philanthropy Team via ourpartners@cqu.edu.au immediately following acceptance.

CQUniversity has a range of support services located on our website Student Support Services and Financial Preparedness.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

In addition to the eligibility criteria, the successful applicant must:

• Maintain a minimum GPA of 4.0 each term
• Remain enrolled in the course as at Census Date each term with a minimum study load of 12 credit points.

Please note that failure to meet the continuing eligibility criteria may result in the scholarship being cancelled.

Additional information

Students may request a deferral of their scholarship in special circumstances. This request must be made through the Student Scholarships Team and should occur in conjunction with an official Leave of Absence request to the University. If approved, a scholarship may only be deferred for a maximum period of two terms (excludes Term 3). Continuing students must still maintain a minimum GPA of 4.0 in the term directly before taking a Leave of Absence.

In special circumstances, a student may also make a request to transfer their scholarship to an alternative course of study. This request must be through the Student Scholarships Team and is at the discretion of the scholarship donor. 

Public recognition and your involvement

CQUniversity is committed to protecting your privacy. CQUniversity will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the collection, use, disclosure and handling of personal or health information provided by you complies with CQUniversity Information Policy and Procedures and the Information Privacy Act (2009). Visit www.cqu.edu.au/privacy for more information. 

As funds for your scholarship have been generously donated, CQUniversity is required to share your name, course/ study area and ongoing eligibility (including academic performance) with the donor of your scholarship. CQUniversity may also share your student email address and your nominated phone number, if requested by your scholarship donor, for the purpose of enabling their representatives to contact you regarding your scholarship. Donors may wish to celebrate their recipients, however if you do not wish your donor or CQUniversity to promote your name publicly, this can be arranged.

If you do not wish to be publicly recognised or be involved in the above initiatives, please advise the Philanthropy Team via ourpartners@cqu.edu.au immediately following acceptance.

Thanking your Donor

Many of our scholarships are made possible by generous donations from community partners who are committed to supporting CQUniversity students to reach their academic goals. Our donors are always keen to hear how their support is making a difference. You are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of thanks (Word/ PDF) or short video to ourpartners@cqu.edu.au to express your appreciation. To help you get started, we recommend providing a brief overview of who you are, what you are studying and your career aspirations, as well as some insight into how your scholarship will benefit you. 

Payment of scholarship

The successful applicant is required to enter their current financial institution details (banking details) into MyCQU for payment to occur. This must be done prior to Census Date to avoid delays.

Payments are based on term study loads as follows: 

• $1,250 /term for study load of 12 credit points
• $2,500 /term for study load of 18 credit points or more

Payment will be made to the successful recipient in week 6 of Term 1 and 2 following post Census Date and ongoing eligibility checks. 

Payments will be credited electronically to the student’s nominated bank account. 

*Disclaimer - Students may be required to provide further documentation to support their application. This can include the following:

• Written submission
• Documentation demonstrating academic achievement or unofficial transcript
• Documentation demonstrating community involvement, exemplary work or demonstration of leadership
• Resume
• Documentation demonstrating low personal or family income/ financial need
• Confirmation of Identity or 2 x Cultural References + a Statutory Declaration (if relevant to scholarship)

All requests for further information to support applications will be sent to the student email account. Failure to supply further information will deem the application incomplete and will not be considered.

To apply for the CQUniCares Downer Scholarship:

Complete a Scholarship Online Application Form, ensuring all supporting documentation is completed and attached as outlined here

• For Current students (applicants who have already have a Student ID number) apply through MyCQU. You will need to log in with your student details.
• For Future students (applicants who have applied or are intending to apply to study at CQUniversity but not yet received or accepted an offer) apply now.

A section panel, consisting of representatives from Downer will be formed to determine the successful applicant. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to attend an interview (either face-to-face or online).

Scholarships at CQUniversity are highly competitive. All applications are ranked based on how well applicants address the selection criteria, and in comparison, to other applicants.

Being eligible or being a recipient in the past is no guarantee of having a successful application.

A scholarship will only be offered where there is an applicant of sufficient merit.

All applicants are advised that any request for further information to support their application will be sent to their student email accounts or nominated email account for future students. Students will be required to re-submit any further information requested through their original application in MyCQU. Failure to resubmit further information will deem the application incomplete and will not be considered.

The Student Scholarships Team are unable to provide updates to students on the progress of their individual application until all assessments are completed.

Voted as an AFR Top 100 employer where Graduates would like to work, Downer is a leading provider of services to customers in markets including Engineering, Industrial Services, Mining, Rail, Defence, Transport, Utilities, Telecommunications, Renewables and a leading Facilities Management service provider in health, catering, and education.

At Downer, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our purpose is to create and sustain the modern environment by building trusted relationships with our customers. Our promise is to work closely with our customers to help them succeed, using world-leading insights and solutions.

With a history dating back over 150 years, Downer employs approximately 50,000 people across more than 300 sites, primarily in Australia and New Zealand.

We offer a range of opportunities which provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to help you succeed in your industry and to start building a solid foundation for your career.

For further information please visit the Downer website.