Publishing Scholarship for Indigenous Students

1. Background

a. The scholarship will provide tuition fees to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students seeking to study Publishing at the University of Sydney. This scholarship is specifically designed to support the development of First Nations editors and other publishing professionals who are under-represented in the Australian publishing industry. 

b. The scholarship will provide tuition for a Graduate Certificate or Master of Publishing to be undertaken in a full-time or part-time mode depending on the preferences of the scholarship recipient. 

2. Eligibility

a. Applicants must identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island person as defined in the University of Sydney’s Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity Policy 2015.

b. Applicants should be enrolled or planning to enrol in Graduate Certificate or Master of Publishing at the University of Sydney.

c. Applicants planning to study Master of Publishing require a bachelor's degree with a minimum credit (65%) average calculated over the whole degree. 

d. In the absence of a bachelor's degree, Applicants must provide evidence of three years equivalent professional experience in a relevant field to study Graduate Certificate in Publishing.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of:

I. curriculum vitae,

II. academic transcript or a portfolio of works (max. five items), and

III. a personal statement which demonstrates the applicant’s commitment to publishing and how the Scholarship will support them to undertake the degree. Applicants may address financial disadvantage or other hardship(s) in this statement (max. two pages).

b. Preference will be given to applicants demonstrating financial or other hardship.

c. Where applicants demonstrate equal levels of financial or other hardship(s), preference will be given by academic merit.

The Scholarship will be awarded by the Director, Master of Publishing on recommendation of the  Selection Committee that includes:

I. Director, Master of Publishing,

II. an Indigenous academic from the University of Sydney, and

III. at least one other academic from the Discipline of Media and Communication.

4. Value

a. The scholarship will provide academic course fees for the duration of the eligible degree, subject to satisfactory academic performance. 

b. Deferral of the Scholarship on acceptance is not desirable but permitted with the prior permission of the Director, Master of Publishing. 

c. Suspension of the Scholarship is not desirable but permitted for up to 6 months with the prior permission of the Director, Master of Publishing.

d. The Scholarship is not transferable to another University school, faculty or university.

e. No other amount is payable.

5. Ongoing eligibility

a. To continue receipt of the Scholarship, the recipient must maintain a minimum Semester Average Mark (SAM) of 50 each semester.

b. Recipients undertaking an exchange during the tenure of this Scholarship are required to have achieved a Satisfied Requirements grade (SR) to receive their next payment.

6. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:

I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,

II. does not maintain satisfactory academic performance,

III. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application, 

IV. accepts an alternative scholarship, administered by the University of Sydney, valued at $8,000 per annum or more for the same purpose as this Scholarship, or

V. does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave.

b. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.  

c. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or the Scholarship is terminated under any instance in the Termination Clause of these terms and conditions, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.