Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina Higher Education Scholarship (Donor-Funded)

To be eligible to receive the Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina Higher Education Scholarship, an applicant must meet the following criteria: 

• Be enrolled in or intending to enrol in a CQUniversity Bachelor course (or double degree) in one of the following discipline areas: 
• Accounting
• Agriculture
• Business
• Digital Media
• Environmental Science
• Information Technology
• Law
• Science;
• Be entering their first year of study in 2024 (or equivalent of first year);
• Be residing in Sarina / Mackay region or have a residential postcode within 4737-4803 and maintain residence in that region for the duration of the scholarship;
• Be enrolled studying a minimum of 12 credit points per term for the duration of the scholarship;
• Be enrolled at CQUniversity at the time of the Census Date 2024
• Be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or holder of Humanitarian Visa;
• Not be receiving multiple CQUniversity Scholarships that exceed the annual respective value of the scholarships and not holding any scholarship with another financial services institution;
• Not to be formally or publicly associated with another financial services institution for the duration of the Scholarship.

If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please check by contacting the Executive Assistant | Bendigo Bank Community Bank

Sarina |E: executive@sarinacommunity.com.au | M: 0435 537 012

Applicants will be assessed on the application and a personal statement of no more than three paragraphs addressing the following:

• Community engagement – demonstrated involvement in community activities (doing things for others); also include any evidence of school activities if recently completed secondary school
• Personal and career goals – demonstrated purpose in overall career direction and goals
• Personal presentation and role model – takes pride in personal presentation and is a role model for other Apprentices both at CQUniversity and in the workplace; respects, encourages and supports others in pursuit of their achievements
• Work ethic – demonstrates appropriate behaviours and conduct at work
• Training performance – demonstrated desire to learn, consistent performance; strives to achieve.

Applicants will be assessed based on the application form and your responses to the questions that relate to the selection criteria.

Expectations of recipients

As a scholarship recipient, you may 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 rolling average GPA of 5 
• Remain enrolled as at Census Date each term (Terms 1 & 2 only)
• Participate in a minimum of 3 major events each year with the Community Bank Sarina designated by the Board
• Continue personal community involvement over the duration of the scholarship
• Maintain appropriate professional conduct and personal behaviours - takes pride in one's work and is a role model for students both at CQUniversity and in other activities; demonstrates appropriate behaviours - respects, encourages and supports others in pursuit of achievements
• Not have a conflict of interest through any public or formal relationship with any other financial services institution for the period of the scholarship
• Report as required to the Board of Directors of Community Bank Sarina on your progress
• Not have a criminal record.

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:

• $750 /term for a study load of 12 credit points
• $1,500 /term for a 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 Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina account.

Applicants will need to provide supporting documentation as evidence of your claims in relation to the criteria (e.g., community involvement and volunteering; educational diligence; evidence of your acceptance as an Apprentice with your employer).

Applicants will also need to provide a cover letter and brief resume.  

Applications close 31 March 2024.

Please ensure you read all the Guidelines and submit your application accordingly, which must be via the electronic link provided to you.

For any information (including the Application Process) regarding this

Scholarship please contact:

Executive Assistant | Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina |

E: executive@sarinacommunity.com.au | M: 0435 537 012

Sarina and District Community Financial Services Limited (S&DCFSL) operates Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina and is proud to invest in our community through the Community Engagement Program. Our overarching aim of this community investment is to influence positive change and develop community capacity. The Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sarina Higher Education Scholarship is part of this community investment with the aim of encouraging education and development of expertise through the study of higher education and more broadly to ultimately benefit the community.