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Financial support
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General bursaries
COVID-19 update: general bursaries open to all students
If you are experiencing genuine financial difficulties requiring financial support, you will need to submit your application. Follow two steps to apply for financial support.
- Submit a general bursary application through Sydney Student.
- Submit supporting documents including a recent 30-day bank transaction history, along with any additional savings account statements using the General bursary application document upload form. If you don't upload all required supporting documents, your application will be deemed unsuccessful.
Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by COVID-19, general bursaries are open to all enrolled students (including Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and international citizens) who meet the eligibility criteria.
A bursary is a type of scholarship awarded on the basis of financial need, designed to help cover essential living and study expenses (apart from fees). General bursaries are available to all undergraduate and postgraduate students. If you apply for any form of financial support, you will automatically be considered for a general bursary if you meet the eligibility criteria.
All students are eligible to apply once per semester, with a limit of two applications per year.
Your application will be recorded against your student record for auditing and compliance purposes only and will be treated confidentially. Any personal or sensitive information submitted as part of your application will be managed carefully by the University as per our Privacy Policy 2017 (pdf, 219KB)
Benefits
Continuing students can apply for up to $2000 if studying full-time or $1000 if studying part-time.
Commencing students can apply for up to $500 in their first semetser and can apply again in their semester for the full bursary amount ($2000 for full-time, $1000 for part-time).
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for a general bursary if you:
- are studying full time (minimum 18 credit points per semester)
- are currently residing in Australia
- are making satisfactory academic progress
- can provide evidence of experiencing genuine and immediate financial difficulty
- have not applied more than twice in the same year.
If you are studying part time (less than 18 credit points) due to a disability and are receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP), you can apply for a bursary if you meet the other eligibility criteria.
If you’re an international student, applying for a bursary will not affect your student visa. If you applied for the Travel Ban Hardship fund, you may still apply for a general bursary.
Exceptional circumstances
If you are experiencing financial hardship and do not meet the above criteria, in exceptional circumstances you may be able to access bursary assistance if you've been referred to Financial Support Services by Counselling and Psychological Services, Disability Support Services, The Gadigal or Yooroang Garang Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Support Services, a Student Liaison Officer or an Associate Dean, Student Life.
Supporting documents
To be considered for financial support, you need to provide the following supporting documents in your application:
- bank account transaction history of your everyday account, for the past 30 days
- bank account statements for all savings accounts
- documents that show upcoming financial responsibilities (for example bills, invoices, quotes and calculations)
- proof of Centrelink (if relevant).
It is important to upload the right supporting documents or you will need to reapply which will lead to a delay in processing your application.
How to apply
You need to follow two steps to apply for financial support.
- Submit a general bursary application through Sydney Student (go to ‘My finances’, ‘Scholarships, prizes, bursaries and loans’, then ‘Apply for financial support’).
- Submit supporting documents including a recent 30-day bank transaction history, along with any additional savings account statements using the General bursary application document upload form. If you don't upload all required supporting documents, your application will be deemed unsuccessful.
In your application, you will need to:
- demonstrate how you are experiencing difficulty meeting rental obligations and other living expenses in the immediate future.
- provide your current aggregate bank account balance (including your account for everyday transactions and any savings accounts) which indicates an immediate need for financial support with your living expenses and to support the successful completion of your studies.
- ensure all relevant bank accounts have been disclosed, bank statements are provided from the last 30 days and that no transfers have been made to other undisclosed bank accounts prior to your application.
If your current aggregate bank account balance does not indicate an immediate need for financial support with your living expenses, you will need to submit a personal statement. This will need to clearly outline your current financial need, what expenses the financial support would cover, and why the need has arisen. The personal statement needs to be submitted as a single Microsoft Word document. Alternatively, you may re-apply at a later date.
You can apply for up to $2,000 per application, and you may apply twice in the same year if necessary. If you do not receive the full amount or if your application is unsuccessful, you can re-apply if your financial situation worsens.
Providing false information
We expect all students to provide genuine, truthful evidence of financial hardship. Providing misleading information such as transferring funds to a hidden account is in breach of the Student Charter and will be dealt with accordingly. Such conduct is a very serious matter. It also increases the processing time of applications for all students and may delay the granting of funds to students in genuine need.
What happens next
Due to COVID-19, we are working hard to process the unprecedented volume of applications as quickly as possible.
We process applications in the order in which they are received. You need to check your University email address regularly after applying as we may contact you on your University email if further information is required.
Most applications are processed within two weeks, provided all your documents are included. After your application has been assessed you will receive a recommendation in Sydney Student .
If your application is successful, follow the prompts in the message to enable your payment. Payments will be made to your nominated bank account within 4 to 10 working days. Make sure your bank details are correct in Sydney Student (go to ‘My finance’, ‘Your finances’, then ‘Bank details’).
If your application is unsuccessful and your financial situation worsens and you are unable to afford your rent, food or essential living expenses, you will be able to lodge another application for consideration.
If you have questions about the outcome, contact the Financial Services Team at student.financialsupport@sydney.edu.au.
Last updated: 25 February 2021
