Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarship changes in 2010

In 2010, Commonwealth Scholarships will be replaced by two new scholarships administered through Centrelink:

• Student Start-Up Scholarships ($2254 per annum, in 2010)
• Relocation Scholarships ($4000 in first year, $1000 per year thereafter)

For more information on these new Student Start-Up Scholarships and Relocation Scholarships, see the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website.

UWA SWANS Scholarships will continue to be awarded by UWA, but it is likely that the eligibility criteria for these scholarships will change, pending details of the new Student Start-Up and Relocation Scholarships.

Commonwealth Scholarships for Indigenous Students will continue to be awarded through UWA.

More information will be posted here when the outcome of legislation has been resolved.

Basic information

Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships (CAS) are valued at $4,415 in 2009 and payable for up to four years.

The scholarship will not be regarded as income by Centrelink in means-tested benefits.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship you must, by the first census date of the scholarship period (where a scholarship period means a six month period from either 1 January to 30 June or 1 July to 31 December), be:

• an Australian citizen or the holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa; and
• currently enrolled or about to commence
  • an undergraduate course of study, or
  • a graduate diploma in an area of National Priority (primarily teaching and nursing - the Graduate Diploma of Education at UWA meets this criterion) required for initial registration to practice in the chosen National Priority as a Commonwealth supported student as defined under the Higher Education Support Act 2003; and
• enrolled as a full-time student (defined as undertaking as least 75% of an equivalent full time student load in a scholarship period) unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent you from studying full-time; and
• in receipt of a means tested Commonwealth income support payment (such as Youth Allowance, AUSTUDY or ABSTUDY), or provide a statement demonstrating financial hardship;

and you must not have already

• completed the requirements of a course of study which is equivalent to or higher than an Australian bachelor's award, unless each such award is a prerequisite to your current undergraduate course of study or graduate diploma in an area of National Priority (teaching and nursing), and there is no alternative pathway into that course of study at the University (note: A CS is intended primarily for students undertaking an initial qualification); and
• received a Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship for the maximum duration (i.e 8 half years);
• received a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship for the maximum duration (i.e 8 half years).

Rural Criteria

Applicants for a CAS must also meet the following rural/regional criteria:

1. Within the 4 years immediately preceding the commencement of your current undergraduate degree (including study within another program or at another provider from where you have transferred) you must either have:
   1. lived in a regional or remote area of Australia for a total of at least 3 years; or
   2. completed the final 2 years of schooling in a high school or college in a regional or remote area; or
   3. moved away from your regional or remote area home to complete the whole or the majority of your secondary schooling at a high school or college in a major city; or
   4. lived in a regional or remote area of Australia for a total of at least 2 years and have relocated from the regional or remote area of Australia to undertake vocational education and training (eg TAFE) for a maximum of 2 years duration immediately preceding the commencement of your undergraduate course; and
2. it was necessary for you to move from the regional or remote area in order to undertake your higher education course; and
3. as a result of (b), you have incurred additional accommodation costs; and
4. you must be enrolled as an internal student

If you are undertaking a student exchange program you will not be precluded from applying for a CAS provided the study you are undertaking overseas will be credited to your course at UWA.