What are Institution Equity Scholarships (IES)

IES are funded by individual universities and awarded to students experiencing difficulty with the costs of living and studying. These exceptional financial difficulties arise from having limited income and having expenses such as accommodation costs and textbooks.
 

IES also provide consideration to students experiencing a wider range of educational disadvantages including:

• English language difficulties
• moving from a regional or remote area for tertiary study
• disabilities

When you are applying through SATAC you do not need to nominate which IES you are applying for.

 

What universities process their IES through SATAC for mid-year 2010?

SATAC provides a Equity Scholarships application service on behalf of the University of South Australia for the following scholarships:

Value and duration of IES

What are the value and duration of IES offered by the SATAC application process?
 

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 61.  

Indigenous Scholarships 

All universities offer a variety of scholarships and bursaries for commencing or continuing Indigenous Australian students. Please contact your universities 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.

For students commencing study in mid-year 2010 at the University of South Australia:
 

• your SATAC university application reference number
• if you are receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment you will need your (NOT your parent’s or partner’s) Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or your Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Reference Number ; OR
  If you are not receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment in your own name you will need to supply the names, dates of birth and income details for the last two financial years for all family members (including partners) in your household.

 

For students enrolled prior to mid-year 2010 at the University of South Australia and who intend to re-enroll from mid-year 2010:

• your current university Student ID Number
• if you are receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment you will need your (NOT your parent’s or partner’s) Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or your Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Reference Number ; OR
  If you are not receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income-support payment in your own name you will need to supply the names, dates of birth and income details for the last two financial years for all family members (including partners) in your household.

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

Your CRN appears at the top left of letters that you receive from Centrelink next to the word ‘Reference’. It also appears on concession cards next to ‘CRN’.
 

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’. This may not necessarily be the same number that you use to access Centrelink Online Services.
 

Why can’t I click on the submit button? 

You will need to ensure that you have completed and saved ALL of the available sections in black listed in the left hand menu. Once EVERY 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 letter to the email you used to create this application. If you have not received this email within two weeks of lodging your application, please contact SATAC Equity Scholarships Service. 

What if my circumstances change?

Changes to Personal Details

If your address or contact details are incorrect or have changed, you will need to
update them on your Equity Scholarships application. To access your application go to www.satac.edu.au/scholarships, and then select ‘Services for current Equity
Scholarships applicants’. You will need to log in using the username and password that
you created when you started your Equity Scholarships application.

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 have applied for a Centrelink benefit since completing your scholarship
application, you can enter your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) file number on to your application. To access your application go to www.satac.edu.au/scholarships, and then select ‘Services for Current Equity Scholarships applicants’. You will need to log in using the username and password that you created when you started your Equity Scholarships application.

Similarly, if you have entered an incorrect CRN or DVA file number or income information, you can amend this information by logging into your application.

After census date  

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

Can I reapply for an equity scholarship in the next round if I am unsuccessful this time? 

Yes. Equity Scholarship applications will be accepted twice a year in line with the university admission cycle. You must submit a new application and supply any supporting documentation as requested. Some universities may not participate in the mid year scholarship cycle. Please check the Equity Scholarships Service homepage to see which universities are participating.
 

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. 

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

Please Note: You must NOT be eligible for the Centrelink administered Start-Up Scholarship on 31 August 2010.

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

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

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 in relation to determining your entitlement to the service of assessing Institution Equity Scholarship eligibility.

SATAC will only make an enquiry to Centrelink to confirm that you are in receipt of a suitable payment 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?

Contact Centrelink via the website at: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/

Offer process

When will I hear if I have been offered a scholarship?

Universities will make their IES offers as a result of applications submitted as part of a competitive application process.

If your application is successful you will be notified by your university. Equity Scholarship offers will be made from mid-August 2010.

Payment process

When will Equity Scholarship payments be made?

If you are awarded an Equity Scholarship your university will provide details of how and when the payments will be made to you. Your university will make all scholarship payments directly to you. You will not receive any payments before the census date in each scholarship period. You should consult your university for more information about payment procedures.
 

How will Equity Scholarship payments be made?

The value and duration of each scholarship is different. However the stated value of the scholarship is the annual amount payable. The annual amount is paid in two installments per year for the stated duration of the scholarship minus any payments that you have previously received for the same scholarship.

Commonwealth Funded Equity Scholarships 

SATAC will not be taking applications or processing Commonwealth Funded Scholarships in 2010. The Commonwealth Scholarships scheme, including Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships and Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships, has been withdrawn for new recipients; however, it has been replaced in 2010 with the Start-Up and Relocation Scholarships administered by Centrelink.

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.
 

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)

• Note that: 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: The relative position of an applicant against all of the applicants in the pool for the scholarship period.

Applicants are ranked against each institutions selection criteria and other institution equity considerations. In the case of a tied rank, applicants will be separated on the basis of the institution's equity priorities for the current year. Otherwise, applicants will be separated on the basis of academic merit.
 

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

Selection Criteria: Each university applies their eligibility rules to ensure competitive ranking of applicants. This may include socio-economic and academic factors.
 

Social Disadvantage: Educational disadvantages such as membership of a specific equity group and/or significantly adverse personal circumstances, including: sole parent responsibilities, carer responsibilities, English language difficulty and/or long-term medical condition/disability that may be considered by institutions.
 

Study load: The total number of credit points taken in a study period. For the purposes of an equity scholarship a student must be enrolled, or about to commence study, as a full-time student, except for Indigenous applicants enrolling in an enabling course where part-time study is permitted. A full-time study load for 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 a Bachelor degree level.