What has happened to the Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship (IAS), Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship (I-CAS) and Indigenous Education Cost Scholarship (I-CECS)?

Universities still manage them, but VTAC handles applications.

Are there scholarships for overseas and or professional placements?

Some faculties have them. Please contact your faculty.

Applying

When do I apply?

La Trobe University Excellence and Access scholarships and Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships for 2013:

Applications for the following scholarships have closed for 2013:

La Trobe Access Scholarship
La Trobe University Vice Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship
La Trobe University Vice Chancellor's Excellence & Access Scholarship

Faculty, campus and residential college scholarships: check dates with the faculty, campus or residential college.

How is my application assessed?

La Trobe University Excellence Scholarships are based on Year 12 ATAR or equivalent.

La Trobe University Access scholarships are based on financial and educational disadvantage, not school or university results. However, to keep the scholarship you must make satisfactory academic progress. Your application is scored using the information you provide about low income, financial or educational disadvantage, caring for others, non-English speaking background, disability, or other hardship or disadvantage that may affect your study.

Will you accept a late application if I have a good reason for not applying on time?

VTAC will not accept late applications for scholarships they manage.
For other scholarships, check with the faculty, campus or residential college.

Can I apply for a La Trobe University Access scholarship in mid year if I cannot get my application in on time?

No.

What if I do not have all the information that is required or cannot answer all the questions on the application form?

It will harm your chances of receiving a scholarship.

When will I know if I have been successful or not?

For 2013 VTAC will send provisional offers in mid-late December, 2012. The University will send second-round offers in early February and March 2013.

Eligibility

If I have a TAFE qualification am I still eligible for a scholarship for “commencing” students?

Yes. The scholarships are for students starting university courses.

Which scholarships can I apply for in year 2 or 3 of my course?

There are no scholarships for students in year 2 or 3 of a course.
Contact Centrelink if you are eligible for the Start-up or Relocation scholarships.

If I am not successful in getting a La Trobe University Excellence or Access scholarship can I apply again in the next year?

No. These scholarships are only for commencing first year students starting their course. Commencing students are defined as those starting a university course at first year undergraduate level for the first time at any institution.

If I did a graduate diploma a long time ago and want to enrol in a new bachelor degree can I apply for any of these scholarships?

No. The scholarships are for students new to university courses.

If I have just finished my bachelor degree and am enrolling in a graduate diploma can I still apply for one of these scholarships?

No.

Deferring

If I get a scholarship and then defer my course, can I still get the scholarship when I start?

No.

Leave of Absence

Can I take a Leave of Absence and retain my Scholarship?

Subject to an application to the Scholarships Unit and formal approval, recipients may be permitted to retain their scholarship when they take a Leave of Absence from their course, for a maximum of one year of Leave of Absence over the total duration of the course, and only after successfully completing the first year of the course. Requests to retain a scholarship while on a Leave of Absence are not automatically approved by the relevant committee. Scholarship payments will be suspended during a period of leave of absence.

Centrelink benefits

Do I have to tell Centrelink about my scholarship? Will it affect my Centrelink benefits?

Yes. Your Centrelink benefits may be affected.

Do I have to be on a Centrelink benefit to get a scholarship?

No. If you are not eligible for a benefit, you may still be eligible for a scholarship.

Part-time study

Can I accept a scholarship offer and study part-time?

Only in exceptional circumstances. You will need to explain these circumstances to the Scholarships Unit.
This does not apply to the La Trobe University Indigenous Students Scholarship and Honours Year Grants.

If I do get approval to be part-time what happens to my scholarship payments and how long does the scholarship continue?

If you have a La Trobe University Access scholarship, you will get half the full-time rate. It is the same total spread over a longer period, equal to the full-time length of your course.

Transferring

Can I transfer to another course at La Trobe and keep my scholarship?

Yes, but only with approval from the Scholarships Unit.
If you have a La Trobe University Academic Excellence Scholarship and you are considering transferring courses please seek advice from the Scholarships Unit regarding your scholarship.

Can I transfer to another La Trobe campus and keep my scholarship?

Yes, but only with approval from the Scholarships Unit. Restrictions on changing campus apply to:

La Trobe Vice-Chancellor's Regional Scholarships
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor’s City of Whittlesea Scholarships.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor's Excellence & Access Scholarship

If I am enrolled in a course where I can only do 1 or 2 years at a regional campus, what happens to my scholarship?

Usually your scholarship will continue. Check with the Scholarships Unit if you are unsure.

If I transfer to another university can I keep my La Trobe University Equity scholarship?

No.

Failing or dropping subjects or not re-enrolling

If I fail one or more subjects, what happens to my scholarship?

You must tell the Scholarships Unit. You will be told about any impact this may have on your scholarship.

I need to drop a subject during the semester what happens to my scholarship?

You must tell the Scholarships Unit. If your study load is still full-time (more than 75% of a full-time study load) for that semester, the scholarship will usually continue. You only get the scholarship for the original number of years, so the scholarship may run out before you finish your course.

If I fail 2 or 3 subjects in one semester, but I am allowed to re-enrol and repeat them, can I keep my scholarship?

You should advise the Scholarships Unit. They will decide if you can keep the scholarship.

If I had a scholarship last year and did not re-enrol, can I get my scholarship back if I re-enrol this year?

Contact the Scholarships Unit. You may have lost your scholarship.

After the scholarship has been awarded

If I do Honours will my La Trobe University Equity scholarship continue?

Yes, if you have not done more than the normal length of the course. You can also apply for an Honours Year Grant

What happens if I only have a part-time load in my last semester to finish my course?

You can keep your scholarship if you:

have time left on your scholarship
cannot study full-time because part-time study gives you enough credits to finish your course.

If I do a student exchange overseas, can I keep my scholarship?

Yes, for 1 or 2 semesters. Make sure we have your current postal address and other contact details, or tell us if someone at home can legally act for you.

Payments

Why do I have to wait until April or September to get my scholarship payment?

We can only pay you after the semester 1 and 2 Subject census dates.

How do I change my bank details?

Please use the bank details form.

What if I really need money before then?

You can apply for a student loan. Loans take 2-4 weeks to be approved.
Tell the Loans Officer about your scholarship.

While every effort has been made by La Trobe University to ensure that the information on this website is up to date and accurate, La Trobe University does not give any guarantees, undertakings or warranties in relation to the accuracy completeness and up to date status of the above information.

Scholarships

Frequently asked questions

Contents

What scholarships are available?