The Public Education Foundation’s Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue Scholarships supports public school students attending a high school in Western Sydney. The scholarships targets students whose personal circumstances are such that without the scholarship they may not have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The scholarships are funded by the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, a not-for-profit community initiative that facilitates interaction between key opinion leaders across industry, government, academic and the community to support and promote Greater Western Sydney.

Each scholarship will provide financial support of $1,000 per year in year 11 and year 12 (total scholarship value is $2,000 per student) to help with resources and services to improve educational outcomes.

The scholarship is to cover educational expenses such as:

  • Uniforms and equipment
  • Stationery and books
  • Laptop, IPad or similar device
  • Subject or study related software
  • Printer
  • Internet connection at home for study
  • School excursions and school camps
  • Furniture for study such as desk, chair, lamp etc
  • Face-To-Face Tutoring or Online Tutoring

If a student leaves public school before the end of Year 12, the scholarship will lapse.  Please note – if a student’s attendance rate falls below an acceptable level at any time during the duration of the scholarship, the scholarship may be withdrawn.  Any unspent monies at the end of the scholarship period must be refunded to the Public Education Foundation scholarship fund.

Before applying for this scholarship, please ensure that you read the scholarship terms and conditions available on our website.

BASIC ELIGIBILITY

SELECTION CRITERIA

  • Attending a high school in the Western Sydney area
  • Evidence of commitment to community issues
  • Potential to do well at school and be able to demonstrate that the scholarship will make a significant contribution to reaching that potential
  • Positive attitude towards school and high rates of attendance
  • Intention to complete their HSC and continue to tertiary education
  • Demonstrate they participation in school life
  • Able to demonstrate contribution in the community and/or in extracurricular activities

SELECTION PROCESS

A selection panel will review all scholarship applications and assess them against the selection criteria. The selection panel will include representatives of the Public Education Foundation, a representative from the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue and independent experts. After considering all applications, the selection panel will recommend the selected applicants for the approval of the Public Education Foundation’s Board. The successful applicant will be notified in December 2023.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome via email. If successful, the scholarship recipient’s school principal will also receive notification directly.

HOW TO APPLY

All applications for the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue Scholarship must be submitted via the Foundation’s online portal. You will need to sign up for a PEF-Apply account to access the form.

Prior to starting your application, you should compile the following information ready to submit:

  • Applicant details including:
    • full name
    • gender
    • date of birth
    • phone number
    • address
    • email (please ensure you nominate an email account you regularly access)
  • Residence status (copy of residency Visa or Citizenship certificate is a requirement)
  • Number of years in formal education before coming to Australia (if applicable)
  • Parent/guardian details (at least one but up to two)
    • name
    • phone number
    • relationship to student
    • email address
  • School details:
    • name of school
    • address
    • principal name
    • email
  • School Point of Contact – the person at the school who you would like correspondence sent to – name, phone number and email
  • Basic information about you / your family:
    • whether you are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or Pacific or South Sea Islander
    • your mob/family/traditional owner/language group
    • who is the primary caregiver at home
    • highest education qualification of your immediate family
    • if you are from a Non-English-Speaking Background
    • country of origin of your parents and yourself
    • which languages you speak and are spoken at home
    • if you have a diagnosed disability or learning difficulty
    • whether you have been in out-of-home care
    • socio-economic background
    • how you found out about the scholarship
  • A statement outlining why you are a suitable candidate for this scholarship and how you meet each of the selection criteria. (Maximum 400 words)
  • A brief outline of your plans after you have completed your HSC (maximum 150 words)
  • A brief explanation of how your planned Year 11 and 12 subject selection and/or work experience will assist you in your future study and/or work goals (maximum 250 words)
  • A brief statement on how the scholarship funds would be used (maximum 150 words
  • A copy of all pages of your most recent school report ready to upload
  • A personal reference from a teacher/counsellor/wellbeing officer from your school. (PDF or Word format, maximum 400 words)
  • A supporting statement from your Principal which addresses the selection criteria (the applicant must initiate a request via the online application to the Principal. This will result in an email being sent to the Principal asking them to complete a statement of support online)

Note for Principals: Please be aware that your statement is a critical component of the application form and your feedback is given considerable weight in the process of panel deliberations.  The panels are looking for feedback that goes well beyond simple confirmation that the student is enrolled in your school.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Once you have finalized your application and all elements are complete (including references and supporting statements as required) you can submit it for review.

Applications must be submitted by 11.59pm on Tuesday 12th September 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Call the Public Education Foundation on 02 7814 2806 or email us at info@publiceducationfoundation.org.au.