Scholarships and Prizes Policy

1. Purpose

1.1 The Scholarships and Prizes Policy (the policy) outlines how scholarships and prizes are established and managed at UTS.

1.2 This policy provides the framework for UTS to reward achievement and provide support to current and future students during their studies at UTS. The policy should be read in conjunction with the Scholarships and Prizes Procedure (the procedure).

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to all UTS scholarships and prizes, and all staff, affiliates and students. The policy also applies to relevant sponsors and donors.

2.2 The following are out of scope of this policy:

1. research training program scholarships (refer Research Training Program Scholarship Policy)
2. the award of university medals (refer Award of UTS Medals Guidelines)
3. donations and other fundraising activities (refer Philanthropic Fundraising Policy).

3. Principles

3.1 UTS seeks to provide a transparent and equitable approach to the establishment and management of scholarships and prizes.

3.2 Scholarships and prizes facilitate access to learning opportunities and reward excellence in support of the UTS 2027 strategy.

3.3 All potential candidates must be assessed using defined selection criteria as outlined in the award conditions.

3.4 As part of the university’s commitment to student safety and wellbeing, eligibility requirements must be developed in line with this policy and the procedure.

3.5 UTS will meet its compliance requirements in relation to modern slavery (refer Eradicating modern slavery).

3.6 All staff and affiliates (hereafter staff) must act in line with the Code of Conduct and the Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy.

4. Policy statements

UTS scholarships and prizes

4.1 Scholarships and prizes (collectively awards) may be proposed by faculties, centres or units (hereafter faculties) and must be established and managed in line with this policy.

4.2 Scholarships are developed to provide financial, experiential or other support to students on the basis of specified criteria and conditions. Scholarships are awarded for a specified period of time on the basis of merit or equity, or both.

4.3 UTS scholarship categories, values and descriptions are outlined in Appendix 1. Scholarships, as part of their establishment, must specify the expected number of recipients and the minimum total value for each recipient, aligning to the minimum amounts outlined in Appendix 1.

4.4 Prizes may be a single award or may be provided to multiple recipients. UTS prize categories are outlined in Appendix 2.

4.5 Scholarships and prizes approved and awarded in line with this policy must be managed and recorded in line with the Records Management Policy.

Approving an award

4.6 Faculties must work with the Lifetime Learner Experience Unit (LLEU) and any other relevant stakeholders (for example, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, the Graduate Research School and the Advancement Unit) to:

1. agree the appropriate award type, classification, conditions and funding sources
2. develop the compulsory conditions of award in line with this policy and the procedure as part of the approval process
3. create a comment to appear on the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) for all scholarships with a merit-based component or prize recipients (refer Academic Records Policy).

4.7 Donor-funded award conditions and due diligence processes are overseen by the Advancement Unit and developed in consultation with donors (refer the procedure).

4.8 Conditions of award must be clear, transparent and provide the necessary details to establish, communicate and manage the award. Conditions of award are approved in line with the UTS Delegations and the procedure.

4.9 Conditions of award must be developed in line with this policy and the procedure and must include at a minimum:

1. award type and category
2. award title
3. eligibility criteria, selection criteria, application processes and ongoing eligibility (including termination) and process where no eligible candidate is identified
4. value (overall and for each recipient) and number of proposed recipients (per year or overall)
5. funding arrangements (with gift agreement)
6. administrative responsibilities and ownership
7. termination requirements
8. endorsement of stakeholders
9. relationship/donor management responsibilities (refer Philanthropic Fundraising Policy).

4.10 The award is considered approved once the conditions of award are approved. All approved awards must be listed at Scholarships at UTS, and communicated and promoted in line with the procedure. Applications should be completed online. Where online applications are not possible, the alternative application process must be approved in line with the Delegations.

4.11 The responsible delegate is responsible for the overall management of scholarships and prizes (refer Delegations). Where there are multiple owners or contributors, the specific obligations and duties of each owner should be clearly outlined in the conditions of award.

4.12 The Advancement Unit is responsible for the overall management of donor-funded awards as it pertains to the donated funds and the donor relationship.

Award recipient selection

4.13 A selection committee is required for all scholarships and for any prize where a qualitative judgment is required (refer Selection committees). The Higher Degree Research Committee or nominee at faculty level acts as the selection committee for graduate research scholarships unless otherwise delegated.

4.14 Awards with objectively clear selection criteria (for example, highest Weighted Average Mark (WAM) or Grade Point Average (GPA)) do not require a committee. For these awards the relevant authority (or nominee) may select and notify the award recipients.

4.15 Award recipients are selected by the following authorities (in line with the Delegations) based on achievement of the criteria specified in the conditions of award:

1. Deans: For faculty-based coursework scholarships, coursework prizes, research prizes, including cross-faculty research prizes, and for internally funded prizes
2. Dean, Graduate Research School (GRS): For graduate research scholarships
3. Provost: For awards below the minimum values (refer Appendix 1 and 2)
4. Relevant directors (or nominees): For cross-faculty coursework scholarships and cross-faculty coursework prizes
5. Vice-Chancellor: For any awards to members or recent members of Council or its committees
6. Vice-President, Advancement: For donor-funded awards.

4.16 Recipients are awarded no more than one  merit scholarship at any given time. Any exceptions to this requirement must be articulated in the conditions of award.

4.17 Students can receive multiple equity scholarships at any given time. Where multiple scholarships are permitted, preference may be given to students who have not received a scholarship previously.

Selection committees

4.18 Selection committees must be established for each coursework award (refer Award recipient selection and the Delegations). Selection committees are comprised as follows:

1. Committees must have at least 3 UTS staff members (including the chair) with relevant knowledge and experience.
2. Where an award has an equity component, one of the UTS staff members must be nominated by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Justice and Inclusion).
3. Where an award is designed to support Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, one of the UTS staff members must be nominated by the Director, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.
4. Where a scholarship or prize has external funding, and where stipulated in the conditions of award, the donor or sponsor (or their nominee) may be invited to participate as an additional/external committee member.
5. Where conditions of award outline other requirements for selection committee composition these must be adhered to by the chair.

4.19 Committee members (and alternates) are appointed for a period of one year. Each committee member will have equal input into the determination of the recipient.

4.20 The dean or director may nominate another appropriately qualified person to act as their nominee and chair the selection committee (refer Appendix 3).

4.21 The committee will act in accordance with the terms of reference and recommend award recipients for approval by the relevant authority as outlined in Appendix 3 and the Delegations.

4.22 Graduate research scholarships or prizes may be approved without a selection committee process where:

1. rationale for an alternative selection process is satisfactory
2. an alternative clear and transparent selection process is outlined as part of the conditions of award, and
3. clear records of the decisions and decision-making processes are retained in line with the requirements of this policy.

Award acceptance and ongoing eligibility

4.23 Faculties, GRS or LLEU will notify award recipients of their offer in writing (under the authority of the dean, director or committee chair). This signed letter should include the conditions of award and any other relevant information.

4.24 Scholarship recipients must accept their scholarship and all conditions of award as specified in the written offer. Faculties, GRS or LLEU can provide advice to recipients on offer letters and acceptances. Award recipients will be paid any financial benefit in line with the procedure.

4.25 Scholarship recipients may be obliged by the conditions of award to meet stated ongoing eligibility criteria and will be assessed after the relevant period, before any further payments are made. Scholarship recipients are not required to meet any additional requirements or obligations other than those outlined in the approved conditions of award (refer Principles and Approving an award).

4.26 Recipients who do not maintain their ongoing eligibility requirements must be notified in writing of any penalties and/or award termination in line with this policy. Where the decision is made to terminate a scholarship, recipients will have the opportunity to appeal. For donor-funded scholarships, the Advancement Unit must be notified and will manage communications with the donor before any decision is finalised.

4.27 Any requests to waive ongoing eligibility clauses in the conditions of award as a result of changes in recipients’ circumstances must be forwarded for consideration by the selection committee or chair. Decisions must be authorised by the relevant authority on the recommendation of the committee or chair (refer Appendix 3).

Termination of scholarships

4.28 Scholarships may only be terminated by the authorised delegate (refer Delegations) following recommendation by the selection committee under the following circumstances:

1. termination of the scholarship is requested by the recipient in writing
2. a breach of the conditions of award
3. a breach of the student misconduct rules (refer Student Rules).

4.29 Recipients must be notified of the scholarship termination in writing as outlined in the procedure.

4.30 The Advancement Unit will manage communications with donors for donor-funded scholarships before the scholarship is terminated and before the decision is finalised.

Management, communication and review of awards

4.31 LLEU and/or GRS is responsible for the data maintenance of the authoritative award source and for standardising scholarship and prize information. Faculties must advise LLEU of award approvals, reviews, changes and/or disestablishments to enable and ensure data accuracy. Records must be maintained in line with the Records Management Policy.

4.32 Details of all UTS scholarships and prizes must be publicly available on the UTS website. Scholarships at UTS is the authoritative source and primary communications channel for award information. Content is managed and approved by the Executive Director, Lifetime Learner Experience.

4.33 Advertising, communication, promotion or marketing of UTS awards must:

1. be drawn from the authoritative source (Scholarships at UTS)
2. reflect the criteria defined in the approved conditions of award, and
3. be managed in line with the procedure.

4.34 Scholarships and prizes must be reviewed by the faculty or GRS as appropriate at least every 3 years, or more regularly as outlined in the conditions of award. The review process is outlined in the procedure. Donor-funded awards will be reviewed by the Advancement Unit.

Policy exceptions, breaches and complaints

4.35 Staff who identify a perceived or actual conflict of interest in relation to an award, a selection committee or any other award management process must bring this to the attention of their immediate supervisor, or the chair of the selection committee, in line with the disclosure processes in the Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Policy.

4.36 Breaches of this policy by staff will be investigated by UTS and managed under the Code of Conduct, the conditions of award and/or section 16, Student Rules.

4.37 Staff or scholarship recipients with any complaints or concerns relating to a scholarship or prize at UTS (including concerns relating to ongoing award eligibility) should notify the university via the Student Complaints Policy (for scholarship recipients) or the Staff Complaints Policy (for staff). Where necessary, staff and students will be provided with support and guidance by UTS when making a complaint.

4.38 Suspected breaches that represent serious wrongdoing (including corrupt conduct, maladministration or serious or substantial waste) must be reported in line with the Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy.

4.39 Proposals for scholarships or prizes that do not comply with the normal values requirements of this policy must be considered for approval by the Provost in line with this policy and the Delegations.

5. Roles and responsibilities

5.1 Policy owner: The Provost is responsible for enforcement and compliance of this policy, ensuring that its principles and statements are observed. The Provost is also responsible for the approval of any associated university level procedures and for scholarship approvals in line with this policy and the Delegations.

5.2 Policy contact: The Director, Student Administration is responsible for the day to day implementation of this policy, acting as a primary point of contact for advice on fulfilling its provisions and for approving the conditions of award for cross-faculty scholarships and prizes in line with the Delegations.

The Dean, Graduate Research School acts as the primary point of contact for advice on graduate research scholarships.

5.3 Implementation and governance roles:

Faculty deans have overall responsibility for faculty-based scholarships and prizes in line with the Delegations, this policy and the procedure.

Unit directors (or nominees) have overall responsibility for non-faculty-based scholarships and prizes in line with the Delegations, this policy and the procedure.

The Lifetime Learner Experience Unit (LLEU) is responsible for:

1. cross-faculty and university-wide scholarships
2. the central management and administration of coursework scholarships in consultation with the responsible faculty/unit in line with this policy and the procedure
3. applying AHEGS comments to student records on completion of the scholarship (for LLEU managed scholarships)
4. general guidance on how to initiate the establishment of a UTS scholarship or prize.

The Graduate Research School is responsible for the management of graduate research scholarships in line with this policy and the procedure.

The Advancement Unit is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of donor-funded awards in consultation with the LLEU (refer Philanthropic Fundraising Policy). The Advancement Unit also provides guidance and advice on communicating with donors and liaises with donors in relation to awards and the recipients.

UTS International is responsible for the management of international scholarships (refer Appendix 1).

6. Definitions

The following definitions apply for this policy and all associated procedures. These are in addition to the definitions outlined in Schedule 1, Student Rules. Definitions in the singular also include the plural meaning of the word.

Award, for the purposes of this policy, is a generic term used to describe both scholarships and prizes.

Award title means the name of the scholarship or prize. The name of scholarships and prizes should be kept short and clear, appropriate to the type of award and avoid the use of commercial slogans.

Benefit means the particular payment, in-kind benefit or other advantage(s) awarded to the recipient. This may include:

1. cash benefit or benefits via bank transfer
2. cheques (usually for prizes only)
3. tuition fee payment on the recipient’s behalf
4. goods or services
5. internship arrangement
6. recognition for meritorious achievement or community service.

Conditions of award means the fundamental requirements of the scholarship or prize providing the necessary details and specifications required for its approval and establishment. Conditions of award are compulsory.

Cross-faculty award means scholarships and prizes approved, owned and awarded by:

1. 2 or more faculties, or
2. a division, unit or non-faculty centre (for example, awards from Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, Scholarships Office, Graduate Research School or UTS International).

Donor is defined in the Philanthropic Fundraising Policy.

Eligibility criteria mean the standards and benchmarks that all award candidates must fulfil in order to be considered for an award. These are defined in the conditions of award and must be broad enough to attract a sufficient number of applicants.

Equity scholarship means a scholarship that assists students with a demonstrated financial need and/or other conditions of disadvantage (for example, from a rural background or remote location, students with carer responsibilities, single parents and/or students with diagnosed medical conditions).

Establishment means the process of proposing, developing and formally approving an award which may be marketed to eligible students.

Gift agreement is defined in the Philanthropic Fundraising Policy.

Merit scholarship means a scholarship awarded on the basis of academic merit.

Prize means a once-only reward granted to students based on success or meritorious achievement in specific academic or non-academic (for example, sporting or community) fields. Students are normally eligible for each prize at one point during their time at UTS (refer Appendix 2).

Proposer means the individual, faculty or unit who seeks to establish a scholarship or prize.

Recipient means the selected beneficiary of an award who has been made an offer for and has provided, or is in the process of providing, written receipt of an award.

Responsible faculty means the faculty or unit that establishes the award, authorises the payment of benefits, manages the conditions of award and ultimately acts as the owner or custodian of the award. Processes and responsibility for coursework scholarships are mutually determined in consultation with the Lifetime Learner Experience Unit and the responsible faculty. Faculties are responsible for the management of their prizes. The Graduate Research School is responsible for managing scholarships and cross-faculty prizes for graduate research students.

Scholarship means a grant of financial aid provided on the basis of merit or equity, with a minimum value and duration (normally the duration of the course). Scholarships are subject to agreed conditions as outlined in this policy (refer UTS scholarships and prizes and Appendix 1).

Selection committee means the group of UTS staff established in line with this policy to rank applicants and select award recipients in accordance with the selection criteria.

Selection criteria means the standards and benchmarks defined in the conditions of award that the selection committee use to rank applicants and select award recipients. The criteria should allow for a reasonable number of eligible candidates and allow the selection committee to make an informed decision even between equally ranked candidates.

Serious wrongdoing is defined in the Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy.

Sponsor means a person, organisation or other entity that provides sponsorship to the university.

Stakeholder, for the purposes of this policy, means any staff, donor and sponsor responsible for proposing, establishing and managing a UTS scholarship or prize.

Approval information

Policy contact	Director, Student Administration
Approval authority	Academic Board
Review date	2024
File number	UR21/1297
Superseded documents	Scholarships and Prizes Policy (UR12/1274)

Version history

Version	Approved by	Approval date	Effective date	Sections modified
1.0	Academic Board (AB/21-5/86)	10/11/2021	16/12/2021	New policy.
1.1	Deputy Director, Corporate Governance (Delegation 3.14.2)	03/03/2022	03/03/2022	Change to reflect new PVC (Social Justice and Inclusion) title.
1.2	Director, Governance Support Unit (Delegation 3.14.1)	25/08/2022	25/08/2022	Clarification of ongoing eligibility requirements and complaints processes.
1.3	Council (COU/23-2/38)	19/04/2023	16/06/2023	Change to align with the Delegations (aligning to a position, not a division or unit).
1.4	Director, Governance Support Unit (Delegation 3.14.1)	08/09/2023	30/09/2023	Changes resulting from the development of the Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy.
1.5	Deputy Director, Corporate Governance (Delegation 3.14.2)	22/09/2023	06/10/2023	Amendments to reflect name change of Higher Degree Research Board to Higher Degree Research Committee and new Graduate Research School Board.

References

Academic Records Policy

Award of UTS Medals Guidelines

Code of Conduct

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Policy

Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy

Philanthropic Fundraising Policy

Records Management Policy

Research Training Program Scholarship Policy

Scholarships and Prizes Procedure

Scholarships at UTS

Staff Complaints Policy

Student Complaints Policy

Student Rules

UTS Delegations

UTS 2027 strategy

Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy

Appendix 1: UTS scholarship categories and attributes

A scholarship may be awarded on the basis of merit or equity, or a combination of both, as defined in the conditions of award.

Minimum value and duration

Coursework scholarships have a minimum initial funding commitment of 3 years. The minimum value per year is $5000 per recipient. It is preferred that scholarships are awarded to students for their entire course duration at a full-time load.

Graduate research scholarships may allow for shorter minimum durations (including one-off payments) and lower minimum values. These are subject to endorsement by the Dean, Graduate Research School and approval by the Provost in line with the policy and the Delegations.

Exceptions to minimum value and duration

Coursework scholarships under $5000 per year per recipient will only be permitted by exception for internally funded scholarships and are subject to endorsement by the Executive Director, Lifetime Learner Experience, or delegate, and approval by the Provost.

The Equal Access Scholarship (EAS) is permitted to be under $5000 per recipient per year. The EAS is an equity-based scholarship administered by the LLEU Scholarships team. Payments under the EAS can vary and value will be determined by the selection committee each year, subject to relative need and the available pool of funding.

One-off scholarships awarded to commencing students at the time of offer may be approved by the Executive Director, Lifetime Learner Experience.

Table of UTS scholarships

Type of scholarship	Definition
Grant (also fund)	Once-only financial assistance payment for a specific purpose (for example, travel, accommodation, to study overseas).
Financial benefits for a specified duration	Awarded to coursework or graduate research students during their study. May be awarded at any point during a course of study. May include opportunities for a placement or internship.
Student fees scholarship	Students may receive a partial or full UTS sponsorship for student fees. May be awarded at any point during a course of study.
International sponsored student scholarship	Scholarships made by the Australian government (or government departments) or by foreign governments. Normally governed by the relevant government regulations, and terms of the awards may be included in specific agreements with UTS for the provision of financial assistance to international students, which can be in various forms and payment arrangements.
Cooperative scholarships	These are three-way partnerships between UTS, sponsor organisations and students. Scholarships sponsored by industry, combining financial benefits with structured training through industry placements. Minimum of $14,000 per year per recipient. May also offer the possibility of graduate recruitment. These are normally awarded at course commencement and last the duration of the course of study.

Appendix 2: UTS prizes categories

The Provost must approve prizes below the minimum amount specified in the table of UTS prizes (as outlined in the policy and delegations). All prizes are administered by the owning faculty or unit. All prizes must have an approved conditions of award.

Table of UTS prizes

Title	Minimum value	Description and value
Externally funded prizes	Non-commercial entity: $500 Commercial entity: $1000	Prizes funded by non-commercial or commercial entities and professional organisations. May include gifts or sponsorship and may be funded by individuals or organisations. Donor-funded prizes will be managed in line with the Philanthropic Fundraising Policy. Normally have a minimum initial funding commitment of 3 years.
Internally funded prizes	$1000	Prizes funded from university (including faculty or unit) funds. Establishment must be approved by the Provost in line with the policy.
In-kind prizes	n/a	Prizes that are not provided as a financial sum, such as books, vouchers, computers or other tangible objects. Where the value of the in-kind prize cannot be measured clearly in monetary terms, their establishment must be approved by the Provost.

Appendix 3: Selection committee terms of reference

Prize and scholarship committee selection committees are comprised as outlined in this policy. A committee should be established for each scholarship and prize.

Terms of reference

1. Committees make recommendations to the chair on:

• shortlisting and ranking candidates against the selection criteria defined in the conditions of award
• award recipients (for approval in line with the policy) or, where there are no eligible candidates, recommending that the scholarship or prize is not awarded
• terminating a scholarship in cases where an award recipient has breached the conditions of award or is found guilty of misconduct as outlined in the policy
• considering changes in scholarship recipient circumstances not specified or addressed in the conditions of award in line with the procedure.

2. Committees shall be convened by the dean or director or nominee (hereafter dean) when required and in accordance with the policy, the procedure and relevant conditions of award.

3. The dean acts as chair. A nominee must convene a committee if the dean is unable to chair the committee.

4. All committee members must be present (virtually or in person as appropriate) at the committee selection committee meeting and act in accordance with the policy requirements, the Code of Conduct and the Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy.

5. Any perceived or actual conflicts of interest should be identified, declared and managed in line with the Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Policy. Where the dean has a conflict of interest, the nominee acts as chair and takes the approval authority of the dean.

6. The chair may appoint additional academic or professional staff as committee advisors (non-voting members of a committee) to provide impartial advice and guidance, assisting committee members to understand all of the relevant issues and circumstances. Committee advisors:

• may include faculty staff, academics, subject matter experts, or directors of relevant support units
• may attend meetings or provide written advice as appropriate
• must be impartial and must not advocate for either students, faculties or units.

7. The committee recommendations are normally made during the committee selection meeting and approved by the committee chair. Where a nominee is acting as chair, committee recommendations are agreed by the committee and submitted to the dean or director by the chair.

8. Committee recommendations require a simple majority. In the case where the vote is tied and:

• the dean acts as the chair, the chair has an additional casting vote
• a nominee is chair, and the dean has no conflicts of interest, the tied decision may be presented to the dean for decision and approval
• a nominee is chair, and the dean has identified a conflict of interest, the chair has an additional casting vote and acts in place of the dean.

9. For donor-funded scholarships, before submitting the recommendation to the chair for approval, the donor may be asked to endorse the committee’s recommendation. The Advancement Unit is responsible for maintaining the relationship with the donor.

10. Award recipients are advised of their award in writing in line with the policy and the procedure.

11. Decisions of the chair (or approval authority where there is no chair) are final.