Destination Australia scholarships

The Destination Australia scholarships for Domestic and International Students will be open to competition among candidates who are:

• A domestic student, i.e. Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Permanent Humanitarian Visa Holder, OR an international student studying on a valid student visa;
• A commencing student in 2024 in a course listed in the table above;
• Studying full-time, face-to-face study at one of the campuses listed in the table above.

The value of the scholarship will be $15,000 per year for the duration of the course.

Scholarship payments will be made in 2 instalments within 6 weeks after the census date of Study Period 1 and Study Period 2.

Applications must be submitted on the official online application form and be received no later than the advertised close date. Applicants must submit with the official form:

Written statement of no more than 600 words outlining:

• Why you have chosen to study at JCU and in a regional community;
• How you plan to contribute to the local community during your studies at JCU as well as contribute to the skills shortage in regional Australia upon graduation; and
• Why JCU should choose you to receive the Destination Australia Scholarship. Please include examples and attach evidence of how you have contributed to your local community.

Your application is checked for completeness and eligibility, and you will receive an email confirmation it has been received. After the closing date it will be individually assessed and put forward to a selection committee who will rank your application against others who have applied. Applicants may be required to attend an interview as part of the selection process.

Introduction

The Destination Australia scholarship is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The Destination Australia Program:

• Supports regional and remote Australian tertiary education providers by promoting activities that contribute to growth and sustainability.
• Offers students from Australia and overseas the opportunity to undertake high-quality education, training and research and to experience life in regional and remote Australia.
• Ensures regions share in the social, cultural and economic benefits that international students bring.
• Helps fix areas of skills shortage by prioritising domestic and international students studying courses aligned with the Skills Priority List.
• Provides scholarships to domestic students from underrepresented groups to enable them to access tertiary education in regional Australia.
• The Destination Australia Program defines a regional location as any area outside of Major Cities of Australia, in line with the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Structure.

This scholarship is subject to the provisions of James Cook University’s Coursework Scholarships, Bursaries and Grants Policy.

Value and Payment of the Scholarship

The value of the scholarship will be $15,000 per year for the duration of the course.

Scholarship payments will be made in 2 instalments within 6 weeks after the census date of Study Period 1 and Study Period 2.

Eligibility Criteria

The Destination Australia scholarships for domestic and international students will be open to competition among candidates who are:

• A domestic student, i.e. Australian citizen, permanent resident or permanent humanitarian visa holder, OR an international student studying on a valid student visa;
• A commencing student in 2024 in a course listed in the table above;
• Studying full-time, face-to-face study at one of the campuses listed in the table above.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be assessed on four criteria:

• Eligibility under the program guidelines (Section 5.1.1)
• Quality of response to the written submission questions; and
• Any other criteria that the Selection Committee deems appropriate.

Application Procedures

Applications must be submitted on the official online application form and received no later than the advertised close date. Applicants must submit with the official form:

Written statement of no more than 600 words outlining:

• Why you have chosen to study at JCU and in a regional community;
• How you plan to contribute to the local community during your studies at JCU as well as contribute to the skills shortage in regional Australia upon graduation; and
• Why JCU should choose you to receive the Destination Australia Scholarship. Please include examples and attach evidence of how you have contributed to your local community.



Ongoing Eligibility

• The recipient must maintain a full-time, face-to-face enrolment in the course for which the scholarship was awarded.
• The recipient must maintain a course GPA of 4.0 or above for ongoing payments to be made.
• Where the recipient fails to meet this requirement of ongoing eligibility, evidence of special circumstances contributing to the reduced GPA must be provided to the Selection Committee for consideration.



Conditions of the Scholarship

• If the recipient defers their study, the recipient will no longer be eligible for the award.
• If an award holder takes an official leave of absence, the award will be terminated.
• The scholarship is not transferable to another campus of enrolment.
• The scholarship is not transferable to another course of study.
• A student may lodge a request for a review of a decision in accordance with the provisions of the Student Appeals Policy.



Administration of the Scholarship

The scholarship shall be administered by the Scholarships Office, on behalf of the Selection Committee.

The scholarship funds shall be held in an account in the name of the University and administered by Scholarships Office.

Where a fund maintains the award, the annual value of the award shall be approximately equal to the annual income from the fund. (Only required if restricted fund set up).

Where an award benefits the recipient from a body external to the University, or an obligation upon a body external to the University, the University, its servants and agents, shall not be liable for that benefit or obligation.

Please refer to Glossary of Terms.