You will get the opportunity to:

• make a significant impact on students in our community
• develop your skills in leadership, communications, project management, budgeting and reporting, with training, mentoring and support from the Student Life team
• build your resume and be recognised as a student leader in our community.

Welcome Grant applications should:

• focus on welcoming students to the start of the new semester or research period
• should be aligned within the context of the University Welcome Program.

Assessment criteria

Your application will be assessed against our expected criteria.

• The project should fit within one or more of the following activity categories:
  • Social and cohort building activities
    Supporting students to build networks and feel a sense of belonging within their cohort and the wider University. For example: social mixers, skills workshop, scavenger hunt, activating circular economy practices, ceramic coaster painting.
  • Navigating University
    Building students’ confidence in navigating the university environment by encouraging a healthy, sustainable study-life balance and providing access to supportive places. For example: scavenger hunt, peer mentoring, study-life balance workshop, mindfulness and wellbeing sessions, campus navigation workshop/walk.
  • Skill development
    Empowering students to develop practical and transferable skills that enhance their personal and professional growth. For example: surgical suturing workshop, LinkedIn professional profile building.
  • Engaging with community and culture
    Encouraging students to explore and celebrate diversity, actively contribute to campus life, and build connections with a wide range of communities. For example: multicultural events, cultural film festivals, LGBTQIA+ student community building initiatives, discussions and knowledge-sharing, yarning circles, traditional games day.
• Designed to encourage broad participation and must be open to all students or targeted to a particular cohort that is broad in nature. Projects that consider equity and strategies for engaging diverse student groups will be highly regarded.
• Demonstrates clear benefits for students’ confidence and engagement by building social connections, a sense of belonging, and community on campus, in line with the University's values and culture.
• Offers a unique and distinguishable experience from existing initiatives with potential for lasting impact. Established events and initiatives may only be considered for funding where the Student Life Welcome Grant funding is shown to increase the scale and impact of the event.
• Demonstrates careful planning, ensuring the event is achievable and feasible within available resources and timeframe.
• Adopts responsible and sustainable practices across environmental, financial, and resource management.
• Considers strategies to minimise financial and student safety risk. Projects deemed moderate or high risk may be considered ineligible.
• Discloses any external interests in the application form, which will be considered.

Events that activate our campus spaces with innovative experiences will be highly regarded and prioritised.

Applications to re-run projects that have previously been funded must outline how the project will be updated or reimagined. Funds are managed by Student Life and are not transferable to individuals, clubs or societies.

Core commitments

Students who receive the funding will be responsible for project implementation with the support of Student Life, based on certain core commitments.

As a student, it is your responsibility to act in accordance with the values and principles of mutual responsibility and expectations between staff, students and the University as set out in the University of Sydney Student Charter.

To be eligible you’ll need to:

• be a currently enrolled student at the University at the time of the project/event taking place
• demonstrate how the project will build a sense of community, embed sustainable behaviours and meet Student Life Grants criteria
• agree to the core commitments
• declare any additional funding support or collaborations with other parties (e.g. external third parties, local councils, other universities or businesses).

We encourage applications from across the diverse student community.

To apply, you will need to complete the application form online, including details of your project design such as budget, timeline, activities, and sustainability planning.

Ensure your application addresses the assessment criteria.

Your application may include multiple events or activities, that must be held in person. You can apply as:

• an individual
• a group of students who are not in a registered society with the University of Sydney Union (USU) or Sydney Uni Sport (SUS)
• a group of students who are within a registered society with USU or SUS
• individuals/groups in collaboration with a registered society with USU or SUS.

Check out previous projects delivered by students.