Record scholarships for uni students

FEDERATION University has reported a record number of student scholarship recipients in 2024.

This year, 254 people enrolled at FedUni are sharing a scholarship pool worth $859,000, with 150 of those students based in Ballarat.

The aim of the scholarships are to help learners achieve and succeed in their tertiary education, regardless of their financial circumstances, and to lift some cost of living pressures.

“Scholarships help to ease the pressure of financial hardship for students, providing them with the opportunity to participate fully in their studies and fulfill their aspirations,” Federation University vice-chancellor and president Professor Duncan Bentley said.

“This is possible through the generosity of our donors and we are so delighted to be able to again award a record number thanks to these partnerships.”

In the past decade since FedUni was formed, scholarship recipient numbers have increased annually.

Diploma of Community Services student and mother of eight children, Sarah Nilson, is a Foundation TAFE Scholarship recipient who said her financial support has meant she could buy learning resources including a computer.

“I can participate in every single class because I have a laptop.

“It has given me the confidence that I can study and not stress about taking money from essential everyday living in order to save for one.

“The scholarship program is acknowledging that I’m worth it, that my education is worth it and that I’m doing the right thing. I want to encourage other people to put their hand up for help. I want to take that stigma away.”