Who will be awarded scholarships?

What are Institution Equity Scholarships (IES)

IES are university-funded scholarships to support undergraduate students with low socio-economic status who can demonstrate financial disadvantage.

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What scholarships are available?

For the first half of 2013 SATAC provides an Equity Scholarships application service on behalf of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. By submitting one free application through SATAC you will be considered for all Institution Equity Scholarships offered. Click the green link below for details of each scholarship on offer.

Adelaide Access Scholarship

 

The University of South Australia

UniSA Study Grant
 

The Pearce Family Transition Grant

IES and taxation

Will I have to pay tax on my scholarship?  

The Australian Taxation Office's website provides information regarding scholarships and tax, including a tool to help you check whether your scholarship is tax exempt.

For further information, contact the ATO enquiry line on 13 28 65.  

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Indigenous Scholarships 

All universities offer a variety of scholarships and bursaries for commencing or continuing Indigenous Australian students. Please contact your university's Indigenous Unit for further information: 

The University of Adelaide 

The University of South Australia 

Charles Darwin University 

Flinders University  
 

Who can I contact if I have any questions? 

Prior to census date, please direct all enquiries to the SATAC Equity Scholarships Service:

Email address:
scholarships@satac.edu.au

Street address:
Ground Floor
104 Frome Street
ADELAIDE
(between Pirie and Grenfell Streets)

Postal address:
PO Box 1
Rundle Mall SA 5000

Equity Scholarship Service Telephone:
(08) 8224 4088
1300 138 440 (local call cost for country and interstate)
Fax: (08) 8224 4091

Hours:
Open – 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Monday to Friday
Closed – weekends, public holidays

After census date, please contact your university scholarships office.  

Application process 

What information do I need to have before I start my Equity Scholarship application?  

You will need to have some important pieces of information available when you commence the scholarship application.

To identify your 2013 course of study, you will need:

• Your SATAC university reference number

or

• Your current UniSA student number and details about the course you are studying in the first half of 2013.

To establish financial disadvantage, you will need:
 

• Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or your Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) file number if you are receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment. The CRN or DVA file number must be your own, not your parent's or partner's .   
• The names, dates of birth and income details for the last two financial years for all family members (including partners) in your household if you are NOT receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment in your own name.
   

Why can’t I click on the submit button? 

You must complete and save ALL of the sections listed in black in the left hand menu. Once EVERY menu item has either a green tick or circle next to it the submit button will become black and you will be able to select it.
 

Will I be notified that my application has been received? 
 

Yes. You will be sent an Equity Scholarships acknowledgement email. If you have not received this email within one week of submitting your application, please contact SATAC Equity Scholarships Service. 

What if my circumstances change?

Changes to Personal Details

If your contact details have changed, you will need to update them. To access your application go to www.satac.edu.au/scholarships, and then select ‘Services for current Equity
Scholarships applicants’.

If your name has been incorrectly recorded or has changed, please advise SATAC in
writing. Ensure that you include your SATAC Scholarships Reference Number on your correspondence.

Adding or changing Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs data

If you applied for a Centrelink benefit after submitting your scholarship application, you can enter your Centrelink CRN or DVA file number into your application. To access your application go to  www.satac.edu.au/scholarships, and then select ‘Services for Current Equity Scholarships applicants'.

If you entered an incorrect CRN or DVA file number or income information, you can amend this information in the same way.

After census date  

After census date, if you have been awarded a scholarship, you must notify your university of any changes in your circumstances which may affect your ongoing eligibility for scholarship payments.

How do I demonstrate financial disadvantage?

What if I don't know my Customer Reference Number (CRN)?
 

Your CRN is your unique Centrelink identifier. It has nine numbers followed by a letter eg 222 555 999H. Your CRN can be found on letters sent to you by Centrelink on the top left hand of the page next to the word “Reference”, or on concession cards, next to “CRN”.

Do not assume this is the number you use to log on to Centrelink online services.

If you do not have any recent letters from Centrelink you will need to phone them to obtain your Customer Reference Number (CRN).

What Centrelink benefits qualify as income means-tested income support payments?

• FamilyTax Benefit Part A and/or B are not considered to be means-tested support payments for the purpose of an Equity Scholarship application.

• You must be receiving the benefit in your own name, not in the name of a parent of partner.

·         If you are receiving a Start-Up or Relocation Scholarship from Centrelink you will not be considered eligible for the UniSA Study Grant.

What will SATAC do with my Centrelink data?

SATAC will not access, use, modify, disclose or retain information or data about any Centrelink customer (including the Customer Reference Number or CRN), except in performing our official duties of assessing Institution Equity Scholarship eligibility.

SATAC will only request data from Centrelink if you provide consent for us to do so on your Equity Scholarships application. If you do not provide consent then you will need to provide income history information.

How do I claim a Centrelink benefit?

If you do not currently receive a Centrelink benefit and would like to apply for one contact Centrelink via the website at:  http://www.centrelink.gov.au/

What income history information do I need to provide?

If you will be in receipt of a means-tested income support payment from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans Affairs on Census Date (31 March 2013) you do not need to provide any information about your income history.

If you will not be in receipt of such a payment the web application will prompt you to enter the name and date of birth of everyone in your household/family, including children and/or siblings. You will then be required to list the past two financial years income for each individual.

After you submit your application SATAC will write to you requesting documentary evidence of all the income details you entered in your Equity Scholarships application.

For those listed as having an income of $6000 or above you will need to provide certified copies of the relevant Australian Tax Office Notice of Assessment.

For those listed as having an income of between $0 and $6000 you will need to provide a statutory declaration stating that the income you have listed is true and correct.

Offer process

If you are offered a scholarship you will be notified by your university after the Census Date. Equity Scholarship offers will be made from mid-April 2013.

Applicants who do NOT receive a scholarship offer will be notified by their university or SATAC in the weeks after offers are made.

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Payment process

How do I receive payments?

If I am awarded an equity scholarship, do I need to reapply in future years? 

No. However, you may be required to provide documentation each year to assist your university to evaluate your continuing eligibility. Your university will contact you to provide this information. If you continue to meet the eligibility criteria for the scholarship that you have been awarded and your scholarship has not been terminated, then your scholarship will continue without you needing to reapply. 

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Other scholarships

Are there any other scholarships I can apply for?
 

Yes, each university offers a range of scholarships. To find out more about those scholarships please refer to the scholarship web site of your university (listed below).
 

Glossary of Terms

Australian Tax Office (ATO) Notice of Assessment: The letter that the Australian Tax Office send out once they have processed a tax return. For more information visit the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au.
 

Census date: 'Census date' is the date prescribed in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 as the final date by which a student may withdraw from a unit or a course without incurring the Student Contribution (normally 31 March for first semester, 31 August for second semester).
 

Certified copy: Certified documents are photocopies of original documents that have been stamped and signed by a Justice of the Peace, notary or police officer to say that they are true copies of the original.
 

Commencing student: A student who is enrolling at a particular institution, in a particular program for the first time.
 

Commonwealth-supported place (Domestic Students only)
The Commonwealth Government provides universities with a specified number of Commonwealth-supported places. For each of these student places, the University is provided with a financial contribution towards the costs of study. The University will then distribute these places to students on the basis of academic merit – this may take into consideration university entrance scores, work experience, etc. Each student holding a Commonwealth-supported place must then pay the remainder of their study costs as part of their student contribution.

Continuing student: A student who is enrolling in subsequent years to complete their degree.
 

CRN: Centrelink customer reference number. Some applicant’s may have more than one CRN. On your Equity scholarships application be sure to use the CRN that appears on the top left of letters from Centrelink next to the word ‘Reference’. It also appears on concession cards next to ‘CRN’.
 

Date of latest enrolment: The date that an applicant was last enrolled in a particular course of study.
 

Eligibility: Meeting the legislative and institutional requirements for an Equity scholarship.
 

Equivalent full time years enrolled: The number of years it would have taken to have completed the proportion of the course that has been completed, if it were taken on a full time basis. For students who have undertaken their course on a full time basis the number of years that they have been enrolled in the course.
 

Exceptional circumstances: Circumstances which prevent full time study, for example, having a disability or significant carer responsibilities.
 

Exceptional financial disadvantage: Experiencing financial difficulty with the costs of living and studying beyond that experienced by most students.
 

Financial disadvantage: Experiencing financial difficulty with the costs of living and studying beyond that experienced by most students. See the section How do I demonstrate financial disadvantage? for more information.

International student: A student who is required to hold a student visa to study in Australia and is liable for international tuition fees. International students cannot hold a Commonwealth Supported Place at a university.
 

Means-tested Commonwealth income support payment: A Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) payment that is subject to an income and assets test (for example Youth Allowance).
 

Family Tax Benefit Part A and Family Tax Benefit Part B are NOT income and assets-tested payments.

Permanent residence postcode: The postcode of an applicant’s home. This must not be the postcode of a term/semester address if an applicant needs to live away from their permanent residence (for example in a residential college) during the term/semester.
 

Rank: If there are more eligible applicants than scholarships available, eligible applicants will be ranked against each university’s selection criteria. Rank is the relative position of an eligible applicant against all other applicants eligible for a particular scholarship.

Ranks are based on each institution’s selection criteria which may include factors such as:

·         Non-English speaking background (NESB)

·         Rural/regional status

·         Disability

·         Academic merit

·         Type of means-tested income support payment

·         Indigenous status

Regional/ Remote area: An area in Australia that is not considered to be a Major City according to The Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). The classification can be found at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/content/locator.

Selection Criteria: The rules each university sets regarding eligibility and ranking of applicants. They may include socio-economic and academic factors.

Study load: The total number of credit points taken in a study period. A full-time study load is at least 75% of an Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL).

Undergraduate student: A student who does not already hold a degree and is studying at an Associate, Bachelor or Honours degree level.

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