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Financial support
- Overview
- General bursaries
- Interest-free loans
- Advertised bursaries
General bursaries
COVID-19 update: financial support available
We are committed to assisting students experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Our services are still available, with our staff working remotely and conducting interviews by phone.
If you want to apply for financial support, please follow these steps.
- Review these pages to check eligibility and the types of support available.
- Submit a general bursary application through Sydney Student, ensuring you submit supporting documents including a 30-day bank transaction history, along with any additional savings account statements.
- After submitting your application, please arrange a time for a phone interview using the online booking form.
A bursary is a type of scholarship awarded on the basis of financial need, designed to help cover essential living and study expenses. General bursaries are available to all domestic 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.
You can apply for this assistance at any time.
Eligibility
Due to COVID-19 and the exceptional circumstances being experienced, we are opening our general bursaries to all enrolled students (Australian citizens, permanent residents and international) who meet the other eligibility criteria.
You are eligible to apply for a general bursary if you are:
- studying full time
- making satisfactory academic progress
- experiencing financial difficulty.
If you are studying part time 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.
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, Mana Yura 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:
- bank account transaction history of your everyday account, for the past 30 days
- bank account statements for savings accounts
- documents (for example bills, invoices, quotes and calculations) which will support your application for funds
- proof of Centrelink (if relevant).
You will need to upload your supporting documents with your application, or bring them along to your interview.
How to apply
Complete the online application and upload your supporting documents through Sydney Student. Go to ‘My finances’, ‘Scholarships, prizes, bursaries and loans’, then ‘Apply for financial support’.
After submitting your application, please arrange a time for a phone interview using the online booking form. Appointments usually take about 15 minutes and are available between 9.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, contact us to arrange a new time.
What happens next
We will notify you of the outcome of your application in Sydney Student. This will usually be within two days of your appointment.
If successful, follow the prompts in the message to enable your payment.
Payments will be made to your nominated bank account within four to 10 working days. Make sure your bank details are correct in Sydney Student (go to ‘My finance’, ‘Your finances’, then ‘Bank details’).
If you are in need of immediate assistance, let us know when you make your appointment. An Emergency Cash Payment (ECP) of up to $500 may be available when you have your appointment.
Last updated: 22 April 2020
