In 2020, UTS raised more than $1.6 million dollars through the UTS Staff Giving Program, providing vital financial support to those who needed it most.
A community that cares
Diversity Access Scholarship recipient Jordan Cham with staff donor and General Manager, Faculty of Science, Lara Jacques.
Despite the heavy toll of the pandemic on our community, the UTS Staff Giving Program raised more than ever before in 2020, with 24% more staff donating than 2019. One of these staff donors was Lara Jacques, General Manager of the UTS Faculty of Science.
“Education is vitally important for what we do as a community,” says Lara. “It’s really nice to know that even a small donation that you’re giving every fortnight is contributing to something so much bigger – and something more important and powerful than what any individual can achieve.”
On a personal level, Lara understands better than most how much every dollar matters when you’re working towards a degree. “When I was going through university as a mature aged student, I accessed scholarship support and I wouldn’t have been able to continue without it,” she explains. “Now that I am more established in my career, I really want to support as many students as I can – they are the reason we are here.”
Every year, UTS’s community of staff donors helps hundreds of students, but in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was the first year that UTS staff were also supported through the program.
“The way our community came together to help each other through this very difficult time was inspiring,” says Celia Hurley, Vice-President of UTS Advancement.
I really want to support as many students as I can – they are the reason we are here.
Empowering student success
For Jordan Cham, receiving a Equal Access Scholarship in 2020 meant the difference between staying at university or dropping out of his double Bachelor of Business and IT degree. Since beginning his degree, he has worked daily in a fast food restaurant to make ends meet. Balancing his university commitments with work has been a challenge.
“I was so relieved when I found out I would be receiving the Equal Access Scholarship,” says Jordan. “People don’t realise how expensive university is. There is no way I would have been able to afford my textbooks, food, and train fare from Campbelltown.”
UTS staff donors played a vital role in supporting students through the COVID-19 pandemic, with their incredible generosity contributing to:
- 695 Equal Access Scholarships for students facing financial hardship (16% increase from 2019)
- 102% more disadvantaged students assisted with laptops, software and digital access compared to 2019
- 769 emergency grants, rental subsidies and vouchers given to students struggling with the cost of living.
Behind each of these numbers are students like Jordan. “My parents grew up in Cambodia, and never had the opportunity to go to university. They taught me the importance of education, and I’m so proud of the fact that I got into UTS. I worked really hard to get here,” he says.
“My own motivation is the main reason why I’ve managed to survive as long as I have at university. Mentally, the scholarship helped me a lot in this regard. When I first started university, I felt like I didn’t belong here. But now I know that the university wants me to be here and to succeed. I do fit in and I am determined to make it through.”
