CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship

To be eligible to receive the CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled at CQUniversity in Term 1, 2025 in an undergraduate course related to any of the following disciplines:
  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Business
  • Digital Media
  • Information Technology;
• Be able to demonstrate financial hardship by completing and submitting the Scholarships Confidential Statement of Support_Financial Hardship;
• Be enrolled with a minimum term study load of 12 credit points or more at Census date of Term 1, 2025*;
• Be an Australian Citizen;
• Not currently in receipt of a CQUniversity Scholarship/Sponsorship or a Scholarship/Sponsorship where payments are administered by CQUniversity.

Preference (in declining order) will be given to applicants who are:

• Past CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship recipients;
• Residing in the Sunshine Coast;
• Residing in regional Queensland;
• Residing in regional Australia.

*If you are unable to enrol into the required credit points due to pre-requisites, unit availability or placement commitments and are therefore prevented from meeting the credit point eligibility criteria of the scholarship, please advise the Student Scholarships team by emailing studentscholarships@cqu.edu.au and your eligibility will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants will be assessed on the application and a 500-word personal statement addressing the following:

"How will a CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship assist with your studies?"

• Tell us about yourself:
  • Name/course/interests.
  • You may wish to also share your current situation, challenges you have experienced or overcome, as well as any examples of success, leadership, community, or volunteering.
• How will a scholarship help you to overcome financial barriers to success?
  • You may wish to further explain your current situation and how a scholarship will assist you in managing general living and study expenses.
• What are your career goals and how will a scholarship assist you in achieving your educational objectives?
  • You may wish to outline your aspirations following graduation, as well as your plans for giving back and supporting our regions.  

Expectations of recipients

As a scholarship recipient, you may be asked to participate in a feedback survey. You may also be approached to assist with promoting CQUniversity’s Scholarships program by sharing your experiences as a recipient through testimonials, media or invitations to attend events such as Orientation or Open Days. If you do not wish to be publicly recognised or be involved in the above initiatives, please advise the Philanthropy team via ourpartners@cqu.edu.au immediately following acceptance.

CQUniversity has a range of support services located on our website Student Support Services and Financial Preparedness.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

In addition to the eligibility criteria, the successful applicant must:

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
• Remain enrolled in the course as at Census date of Term 1 and Term 2 with a minimum study load of 12 credit points.
   

If you are unable to enrol into the required credit points due to pre-requisites, unit availability or placement commitments and are therefore prevented from meeting the credit point eligibility criteria of the scholarship, please advise the Student Scholarships team by emailing studentscholarships@cqu.edu.au and your eligibility will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that failure to meet the continuing eligibility criteria may result in the scholarship being withdrawn. 

Additional information

A scholarship may be deferred for a maximum period of two higher-education terms (excludes Term 3) or two VET intakes.

Sharing details with the Donor of your Scholarship

Personal information is collected, stored, used, and disclosed by CQUniversity to process your scholarship. As funds for your scholarship have been generously donated, the University is required to share your name, course/study area and ongoing eligibility (including academic performance) with the donor of your scholarship. The University may also share your student email address and your nominated phone number, if requested by your scholarship donor, for the purpose of enabling their representatives to contact you regarding your scholarship. Donors may wish to celebrate their recipients, however if you do not wish for your donor or the University to promote your name publicly, this can be arranged by contacting the Philanthropy team via ourpartners@cqu.edu.au.

Information collected can be disclosed without consent when required by law. Any other provision of personal information will be authorised in accordance with the University’s Privacy Policy and Procedure, and in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld), and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Visit our privacy webpage for more information.

*Disclaimer – The Scholarships Confidential Statement of Support_Financial Hardship Form is only required to support your Scholarship Application and will not be shared with the Donor or panel members as part of the Selection Process.

Thanking your Donor

Many of our scholarships are made possible by generous donations from community partners who are committed to supporting CQUniversity students to reach their academic goals. Our donors are always keen to hear how their support is making a difference. You are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of thanks (Word/PDF) or short video to ourpartners@cqu.edu.au to express your appreciation. To help you get started, we recommend providing a brief overview of who you are, what you are studying and your career aspirations, as well as some insight into how your scholarship will benefit you.

Payment of Scholarship

The successful applicant is required to enter their current financial institution details (banking details) into MyCQU (refer to instructions) for payment to occur. This must be done prior to Census date to avoid delays.

Payments are based on term study loads as follows:

• $625/term for study load of 6 credit points
• $1,250/term for study load of 12 credit points
• $2,500/term for study load of 18 credit points or more
   

Payment will be made to the successful recipient by week 6 of term following post Census date eligibility checks.

Payments will be credited electronically to the successful applicant’s nominated bank account. Requests for an early payment will not be considered.

*Disclaimer - Students may be required to provide further documentation to support their application. This can include the following:

• Scholarships Confidential Statement of Support_Financial Hardship Form

All requests for further information to support applications will be sent to the student email account. Failure to supply further information will deem the application incomplete and will not be considered.

To apply for the CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship:

Complete a Donor-Funded Scholarship Online Application Form, ensuring all supporting documentation is completed and attached as outlined here:

• For Current students (applicants who already have a Student ID number) apply through MyCQU.
• For Future students (applicants who have applied or are intending to apply to study at CQUniversity but have not yet received or accepted an offer) apply now.

Applicants are required to provide a 500-word personal statement addressing the following question:

How would a CQUniCares Scott Williams Foundation Scholarship assist with your studies?

Complete applications must be received by 10 am AEST on the closing date.

A selection panel, consisting of representatives from CQUniversity will be formed to determine the successful applicant.

Scholarships at CQUniversity are highly competitive. All applications are ranked based on how well applicants address the selection criteria, and in comparison, to other applicants. Being eligible or being a recipient in the past is no guarantee of having a successful application. A scholarship will only be offered where there is an applicant of sufficient merit.

The Student Scholarships team are unable to provide updates to students on the progress of their individual application until all assessments are completed.

Mr Scott Williams AO is an award-winning small business operator and philanthropist recognised for his services to local government, business, community radio, higher education and philanthropy. As Chair of the Scott Williams Foundation, Scott continues to play an important role in helping CQUniversity students reach their full potential by offering these life-changing scholarships.