UTS is aware of the financial challenges that many students face, and offers various kinds of financial assistance.
This page provides information about Equity Scholarships. For further information please contact the UTS Equity & Diversity Unit. Phone: (02) 9514-1084.
For advice about interest-free loans and other kinds of financial aid available to UTS students, please consult the UTS Financial Assistance Service. Phone (02) 9514 1177 (City) or (02) 9514 5342 (Kuring-gai).
Eligibility for Equity Scholarships
Equity scholarships, valued from $400 - $4,324 per year, are distributed to UTS students in situations of financial hardship.
To be eligible for an Equity Scholarship, you must:
- be enrolled at UTS as an undergraduate or postgraduate student
- demonstrate financial hardship, either by:
providing documents to show that you are receiving a means-tested Commonwealth income support payment (such as Austudy, ABSTUDY, Youth Allowance, Disability Support Pension etc) OR
providing comprehensive information demonstrating financial hardship. - be enrolled at UTS on a full-time basis. Part-time students may apply if they can demonstrate that they are studying part-time because of exceptional circumstances, such as having a disability or significant carers' responsibilities.
- be Australian citizens, permanent residents, or humanitarian visa holders. International students are not eligible to apply for Equity Scholarships, with the exception of students studying at UTS on humanitarian visas.
Particular consideration will be given to students who, in addition to demonstrating financial hardship, also meet one of the following criteria:
- being an Indigenous Australian
- being a sole parent / carer
- having a disability or ongoing illness
- having a non-English speaking background
- having experienced trauma
- being a female student in Engineering, IT, Architecture or Building.
Deadline for submitting your Equity Scholarship application
Equity Scholarships applications are open in August-November and April-June each year, for main and mid-year rounds. Applications must be received by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) - check the UAC web site for the current closing date.
Below is detailed information for new scholarship applicants and for students who have previously received an Equity Scholarship.
New scholarship applicants
The application form for Equity Scholarships is available on the UAC website.
If you submit an application, you will be considered for all of the following types of Equity Scholarships:
- Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS)
- for students from regional and remote areas demonstrating financial hardship, to assist with accommodation costs when they move away from home to undertake higher education.
- valued at $4,324 per year, and paid in instalments each semester for up a maximum of four years.
- only available to undergraduate students. Please see the UTS Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines for more information about eligibility criteria.
- Commonwealth Educational Costs Scholarship (CECS)
- for students demonstrating financial hardship, to assist with the costs of higher education.
- valued at $2,162 per year, and paid in instalments each semester for up a maximum of four years.
- only available to undergraduate students. Please see the UTS Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines for more information about eligibility criteria.
- Indigenous Access Scholarships (IAS)
- for Indigenous Australians entering higher education, particularly those who need to relocate from rural and remote areas to access university.
- valued at $4,080, this is a once in a lifetime payment, paid in two instalments at and after the commencement of semester. Recipients of the IAS also receive an ongoing CAS and/or CECS (see above).
- UTS Diversity Access Scholarship (DAS)
- for undergraduate or postgraduate students who do not qualify for the CAS or CECS, but who demonstrate financial hardship.
- valued in the range $400 - $2,000, this is a one-off payment made after the semester census date.
Students who have previously received an Equity Scholarship
You should not apply for an Equity Scholarship if you are currently receiving either:
- a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS)
- a Commonwealth Educational Costs Scholarship (CECS)
If you are currently receiving a CAS or a CECS, your scholarship will automatically continue to be paid after each semester census date for a maximum of 8 semesters, subject to your satisfying ongoing eligibility requirements.
If you previously received a UTS Diversity Access Scholarship you may apply for an Equity Scholarship again. The application form for Equity Scholarships is available on the UAC website.
