2024 - Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship

Status: Closed

Applications open: 19/09/2023
Applications close: 17/11/2023

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

The prestigious Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship has been developed by Curtin University to encourage, support, and acknowledge academically outstanding students who have demonstrated excellence in the fields of leadership, community service, sport, arts/culture or entrepreneurship.

Recipients will be provided with opportunities that enhance their employability and position them for other prestigious scholarships such as the John Monash, Fulbright and Rhodes scholarships.

Student type

• Current Students

Faculty

• Centre for Aboriginal Studies
• Faculty of Business and Law
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Science courses
  • Engineering courses
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

Course type

• Undergraduate

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

The Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship will provide the following support for the expected remaining duration of the undergraduate degree (based on a full-time study load of 200 credits per year).

• A total value of $12,000 per annum paid as a cash stipend of $6,000 per semester. The amount can be used at the recipient’s discretion to contribute towards educational related expenses
• One-off payment of up to $6,000 for an international student exchange/leadership development opportunity and networking. Payment is subject to enrolment/admission to the recipient's intended program.

Scholarship Details
Eligible courses

• All undergraduate courses, including Honours

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship:

• Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident (PR visa holder), New Zealand citizen, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder
• Enrolled in, or received an offer of admission into a Curtin undergraduate course at Curtin University in WA by the scholarship closing date; which upon completion, their qualification will be awarded by Curtin University
• Enrolled at Curtin in Semester 1, 2024
• Have completed  200 credits, including Credits for Recognised Learning (CRL)* of study in an undergraduate degree by the end of Semester 2, 2023:
  • Applications from students who have only completed 100 credits by the closing date of the scholarship will be accepted but must have completed 200 credits by results release in semester 2, 2023
• Minimum Course Weighted Average (CWA) of 80** following result release for Semester 2, 2023
• Ability to demonstrate excellence in one (or more) of the following:
  
  • Leadership
  • Community service
  • Sport
  • Arts/Culture
  • Entrepreneurship
• Must not be in receipt of another Curtin scholarship
• Willing to provide feedback on their scholarship experience, if requested

Please note:

*Credits for Recognised Learning (CRL)

• For applicants transferring courses (within Curtin or from another university) and receiving CRL for units previously undertaken, it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their CRL is completed by the results release for Semester 2, 2023 in order to meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants who do not have CRL finalised by this date (29 November 2023) will not be considered.

**A minimum CWA of 80

• For students who have exceptional circumstances that affected their CWA, it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure their circumstances are disclosed in their application before the closing date. Sufficient information and relevant supporting documentation must be provided in their application.

Students who will be undertaking an Honours course in 2024

• Students who have completed their undergraduate degree at Curtin in 2023 and will be undertaking an Honours course in 2024 are eligible to apply for the Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship, as long as your undergraduate course was a pre-requisite to your Honours course admission for 2024 and receive the course offer by mid-January 2024.
• Students must apply for an Honours course prior to the scholarship closing date and provide the following information in their scholarship application:
  • an Honours course information, and
  • a letter of support issued by their school / faculty confirming that they were invited to undertake an Honours course in 2024 and their current undergraduate course is a pre-requisite for their Honours course

Students below are not eligible for this scholarship:

• Enrolled through Curtin OUA undertaking single subjects in the "Open Universities Australia" non-award course
• Enrolled in a not-for-degree course
• Students from all other institutions who are enrolled in a Curtin course as part of an exchange program or cross-institutional studies where their qualification will be awarded by their home institution

Students who are currently in receipt of another Curtin scholarship

• Students who are currently in receipt of another Curtin scholarship (continuing basis) may apply for a Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship. However, they will be required to relinquish their Curtin scholarship in order to accept the Don Watts High Achiever Scholarship, if successful.

Application process

Step 1: Apply

• Application form can be accessed via the ‘Apply Online’ button on the top right-hand side of this page
• The link will take you through to your OASIS account log-in for online application

Step 2: Complete

• Complete the application form online
• Application form can be saved at any point of the process
• Tips on how to complete your application can be found under the Applying for scholarships link on the scholarships website

Step 3: Submit

• Closing date listed at top of page and within scholarships channel on OASIS
• Incomplete applications will be assessed as unsuccessful
• Once submitted, application status will change to submitted
  

Step 4: Receipt

• Application receipt will be sent to student email once application has been submitted

Step 5: Assessment

• Applications will be assessed by an assessment panel using the following criteria:
  • Academic merit
  • Vision and passion
  • Leadership potential
  • Responses to questions in application form
  • Demonstrated excellence in the fields of leadership, community service, sport, arts/culture or entrepreneurship
  • Performance in interview

Step 6: Shortlist for Interview

• Shortlisted applicants will be sent on interview date and time via their student email late-January 2024
• Interviews are tentatively scheduled for late January to mid-February 2024, however, this is subject to change
  
• Shortlisted applicants must be available for designated interview time
• Unsuccessful applicants will be sent a notification via scholarships channel on OASIS

Step 7: Outcome

• Successful and unsuccessful interview applicants will be notified of the outcome via scholarships channel on OASIS within approximately 2 weeks of the interview

Step 8: Acceptance

• Successful applicants must return acceptance documents by deadline listed in scholarships channel on OASIS

Please note:

• Scholarship will be awarded if there are applicants of sufficient merit
• Scholarship will commence from first semester of study
• Scholarship is not transferrable to another major, course or university

Enrolment Requirements

Recipients must meet all of the following:

• Remain enrolled in an undergraduate course
• Maintain a full-time study load of at least 100 credit points each semester / study period at Curtin University
• Maintain a Course Weighted Average (CWA) of 80 or above each semester, unless exceptional circumstances exist
• Pass all units attempted each semester

Enquiries

Scholarships Office

E: [email protected]

T: 1300 222 888

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions

Further Information

For further information about applying for scholarships including important dates and tips for preparing your application, utilise the resources available on the Applying for Scholarships webpage.

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