• Section 1 - Audience
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• External Funding Bodes/Partners, including Donors
• Withdrawal / Termination / Cessation of Payments
• Disestablishment of a Scholarship Scheme
• Appeals
• Review
• Record and Information Management

Section 1 - Audience

(1) This policy applies to any person, unit, division, college or committee responsible for the establishment, administration, management, awarding, and communication of enabling, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework scholarships approved for inclusion in the University of Newcastle’s (University) scholarship portfolio (hereafter referred to as ‘scholarships’). It is also relevant to University students, alumni, and external funding bodies/partners, including donors.

Section 2 - Purpose

(2) This policy:

1. establishes the intent of University scholarships to bring value to our communities by fostering achievement, realising promise, and enabling opportunity;
2. supports a framework for equity, transparency, and consistency in the establishment, management and awarding of scholarships funded by the Australian Government, University, and external funding bodies/partners, including donors;
3. recognises the strategic importance of scholarships to the University and its broader community; 
4. maximises opportunities to develop a portfolio that attracts, supports, and retains students and enables available scholarship funding to benefit as many students as practicable; and
5. supports the University's financial commitment to maintaining a portfolio of scholarships for University students and upholds the University's commitment to equity, excellence, engagement and sustainability. 

(3) The Coursework Scholarships Procedure is a supporting document to this Policy and should be read in conjunction with this document.

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This policy applies to all coursework scholarships within the University's scholarship portfolio, advertised through the University's scholarships website.

(5) The policy does not apply to:

1. wellbeing support or research grants;
2. vacation learning experiences;
3. awards or prizes;
4. international student scholarships or sponsorships administered as tuition fee reductions;
5. the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program; or
6. other external funding arrangements that have not been approved as University coursework scholarships, even where the University administers or facilitates payment of those.

Section 4 - Policy

(6) The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Global) has overall responsibility for the University's coursework scholarship portfolio.

(7) Proposed scholarships must comply with University policies, principles and values, including equity diversity and inclusion principles, and any applicable legislation. These requirements take precedence over any conditions or requirements proposed by external funding bodies, donors or partners. Where a proposed condition is inconsistent with these requirements the University may require the condition to be amended or may decline to establish or continue the scholarship.

(8) Scholarship eligibility requirements, terms and conditions, and selection criteria will be clearly expressed and made available to applicants to inform their application. Acceptance of the scholarship by a recipient will be considered as acceptance of the terms and conditions provided with the offer.

(9) Scholarships must not be used as a substitute for paid employment with the University or an external partner. Scholarship activities that involve placements, research, mentoring, learning or other activities must be structured having regard to applicable Fair Work legislation and requirements relating to lawful unpaid work.

(10) Each scholarship will be:

1. approved in accordance with the University's delegations of authority;
2. established and administered in accordance with terms and conditions approved by an authorised delegate; and
3. sustainable to implement, administer, monitor and review, having regard to administrative feasibility, selection methodology, and the anticipated eligible cohort.

(11) All persons involved in the establishment, selection and awarding of scholarships including external donors, committee members, funding bodies and partners, must comply with all relevant and applicable requirements relating to ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, privacy and confidentiality.

(12) Approved University scholarships may be recognised as suitable for inclusion on academic records and the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS).

External Funding Bodes/Partners, including Donors

(13) Philanthropic funds received for the purpose of an approved scholarship will be managed in accordance with the University’s relevant policies and procedures.

(14) For donor-funded scholarships, the level of funds pledged in support of the scholarship may inform the permissible specificity of selection criteria. 

(15) Scholarship decisions must be made in accordance with the Scholarship criteria, University policies, and delegations of authority. External funding bodies and donors may be consulted regarding the intent and objectives of a scholarship and may participate in selection processes where expressly authorised, but must not influence or direct individual scholarship decisions.

(16)  The University reserves the right not to accept funds for a scholarship from a donor, or any conditions attached to funding.

(17) The University will not be responsible for funding a scholarship established by a donor unless there is a legal obligation to do so.

(18) Where a donor’s scholarship support arrangements was negotiated and executed on or before 30 June 2027, the arrangement will continue to be administered in accordance with the policy and procedures in effect at the time the pledge was confirmed for the duration of the pledge.

Withdrawal / Termination / Cessation of Payments

(19) The University reserves the right to:

1. terminate a scholarship where it is substantiated that the offer was based on incorrect, incomplete or misleading information;
2. recover scholarship payments made to a recipient if it is substantiated that the applicant has intentionally provided incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in their application for the scholarship; and
3. discontinue further payment of scholarship funds where a recipient fails to meet the eligibility requirements and/or terms and conditions of the relevant scholarship that were in place at the time of the offer. 

(20) The termination of a scholarship must be approved in accordance with the University's delegations of authority.

Disestablishment of a Scholarship Scheme

(21) The University reserves the right to disestablish a scholarship scheme where continuation is no longer appropriate, sustainable or aligned with the University's strategy, priorities or obligations. This includes instances where an external body ceases payments for a scholarship. In the event that a scholarship is disestablished, the University will:

1. communicate the discontinuation in a timely manner to students and/or donors who may be impacted, where practical; and
2. where practical and reasonable, identify possibilities for alternate funding arrangements for students who may be impacted.

(22) The decision to disestablish a scholarship must be in accordance with the University's delegations of authority.

Appeals

(23) A decision made under this Policy or its supporting procedure may be appealed on valid grounds. Valid grounds for an appeal include:

1. the decision was affected by a procedural error, bias or discrimination; or
2. the published eligibility or selection criteria was not applied.

(24) An appeal will not be considered where it is based solely on disagreement with the outcome of the decision.

(25) Appeals will be considered in a timely manner and in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness.

(26) Scholarship decisions are not considered academic decisions for the purposes of the Academic Appeals Policy.

(27) Other concerns may be raised via the University Complaint Management Policy and the Complaint Management Procedure.

Review

(28) The University will periodically review existing scholarships, either individually or as part of a portfolio review, to assess their conditions, value, sustainability, and alignment to University strategy and priorities.

(29) The University may collate and analyse student feedback to continuously improve scholarship processes and offerings.

Record and Information Management

(30) All records and information relating to scholarships will be managed in accordance with the University's relevant policies, including but not limited to:

1. Privacy Management Plan;
2. Privacy Policy; and
3. Records Governance Policy.