Equal Access Scholarship – Information for Recipients
The following information is for recipients of the UTS Equal Access Scholarship.
Scholarship offers are made progressively over the course of the academic year and UAC notifies successful applicants of the Equal Access Scholarship by email.
UTS Scholarships oversees the administering of the scholarship and may also be in contact with recipients.
Recipients will receive an amount each session usually between $400 and $3,000 for the scholarship’s maximum duration.
The minimum duration of the scholarship is one (1) session, up to a maximum duration of one (1) year.
Conditions of Award
The Equal Access Scholarship Conditions of Award (PDF, 174kB) is an important document that outlines your obligations while receiving your scholarship. It also outlines the University's responsibilities in administering the scholarship.
Please read the Conditions of Award in full before accepting your scholarship offer. By accepting your scholarship, you are also agreeing to the Conditions of Award.
Accepting your scholarship
Once you have received an email from UAC offering you a scholarship, follow these steps to accept the scholarship offer:
- Login to My Student Admin, using your UTS email address and password.
- Click on the Scholarships tab at the top right of the page.
- Select your Scholarship, then click the Accept button.
- Update your bank account details
- Enter any other details, then click the Save acceptance button.
Once you complete these steps and have accepted your scholarship/s, the status of your scholarship in My Student Admin will change to ‘Pending Bestowal’. When your eligibility is confirmed and your payment is being processed this scholarship status will change to ‘Active’.
Payments
Equal Access Scholarship offers are made progressively over the course of the year, therefore payment dates will vary.
The following information is to be used as a guide:
- Students who receive and accept their offer prior to the start of the session will usually receive their payment within 4 weeks of the first advertised teaching date.
- Students who receive an offer after the start of the session will usually receive their payment within 4 weeks of accepting their offer.
Please refer to the Conditions of Award (PDF, 174kB) (Clause 3.3 – Payment of benefit/s) for further details.
It is important to make sure your bank details are correct in My Student Admin to avoid any delays with your payment.
If you are concerned that there is an error with your payment, please contact UTS Scholarships via email. This may include:
- If it has been more than four weeks since you accepted your offer and you have not received your scholarship payment;
- You believe your payment is the incorrect amount;
- If you have any questions about your scholarship.
Please note that scholarships cannot be paid in advance. If you are experiencing temporary or ongoing financial hardship, please contact the Financial Assistance Service by calling (02) 9514 1177 or by email to find out what financial assistance may be available to you.
Deferring a scholarship
Equal Access Scholarship offers cannot be deferred.
Ongoing eligibility
The ongoing eligibility criteria of the Equal Access Scholarship require that recipients continue to meet specific enrolment conditions. Please see Clause 8 of the Conditions of Award (Ongoing Recipient Eligibility Criteria) for more detailed information.
Summary of the relevant eligibility criteria:
- Recipients who are awarded the Equal Access Scholarship on the basis of financial disadvantage AND educational disadvantages must continue to be enrolled in an eligible course, either full-time or part-time, in Autumn and Spring sessions or for the duration of the Scholarship.
- Recipients who are awarded the Equal Access Scholarship on the basis of financial disadvantage ONLY, are required to be enrolled in an eligible course, full-time[1] (minimum 18 Credit Points) in Autumn and Spring sessions, or for the duration of the Scholarship unless exceptional circumstance prevail[2] or unless they are in the final session of study with a status of Potentially Complete.
- Recipients experiencing exceptional circumstances may apply to the Scholarship Office to retain the scholarship whilst undertaking a part-time study load.
- Recipients enrolled in a coursework degree or an enabling program that take a Leave of Absence from study will have their scholarship payment suspended for the period of leave with the relevant scholarship payment for the period forfeited.
- Recipients enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research that take a Leave of Absence for a part of the enrolment period may be eligible for a pro-rated payment based on the number of enrolled days.
- If the Recipient defers the UTS offer or withdraws from the UTS course after the start of the session which the scholarship is first awarded, the scholarship will be terminated. Any scholarship payment already made for the session in which they withdraw may be requested to be reimbursed to UTS.
[1] Recipients enrolled in non-standard subjects including but not limited to practical professional experience subjects required for course completion, or Recipients undertaking a session of exchange approved by UTS, will be considered case-by-case as part of the standard ongoing eligibility checking each session.
Recipients in their final session of study with a status of Potentially Complete are not required to maintain full-time enrolment.
[2] Exceptional circumstances may include, but are not limited to, severe disruptions, disability, ongoing illness, carer’s responsibilities and other education barriers, and are considered by UTS Scholarships on a case-by-case basis
If your study circumstances change, please contact UTS Scholarships immediately for further advice.
