This pages outlines the Terms and Conditions for scholarships and awards administered by the Public Education Foundation (PEF). All scholarships and awards will be referred to as ‘scholarships’ herein.

You must read these Terms and Conditions in full. In accepting a scholarship from the Foundation, it is understood that you have read and agree to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

Please note, if you are under 18 years of age, your parent or guardian must read and consent to these terms and conditions on your behalf. 

Further information about each scholarship is available on the website www.publiceducationfoundation.org.au/scholarships or obtained by emailing info@publiceducationfoundation.org.au

ACCEPTING YOUR SCHOLARSHIP

Successful scholarship applicants will receive an email detailing the scholarship benefits and payment timing. If you do not wish to accept a scholarship that you have been offered, you should advise us immediately in writing.

Your scholarships details may be passed on to your school, donors or partner organisation (where applicable). If you do not wish for your details to be passed on, you must advise the Foundation in writing.

PEF reserves the right to change the title of the scholarship awarded depending on funding contributions from external parties.  If the funding level or eligibility changes, PEF will advise the recipient before changing any details but name changes can occur without notice.

If a scholarship applicant is offered a different scholarship to the one they applied for, this will be considered instead of, rather than in addition to, the original scholarship.  PEF will only issue one scholarship per applicant per year.  Students are not permitted to hold concurrent scholarships with the Public Education Foundation. 

HOW YOUR SCHOLARSHIP IS PAID

The method of payment will be advised to you once you have completed your scholarship commencement survey. In most cases, scholarship payments for school students are sent to the student’s school.  Students must meet with their principal or a nominated representative to discuss how the scholarship funds are to be spent. The Foundation is not liable for any payment that may be withheld by schools.

Higher education students (e.g. university, TAFE or CIT) receiving scholarships will receive payment directly once they have completed their survey and provided proof of their full-time enrolment in tertiary or vocational education.

At the end of each academic year for the duration of your scholarship you will be asked to provide a report detailing how the scholarship funds have been spent. It is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to provide this report to the Foundation by the specified time.  Failure to return reports by the specified time may result in future payments being withheld.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All scholarships are awarded on the basis that you will maintain an enrolled status at a public school or full time enrolment in your approved course of tertiary or vocational education. Your scholarship may be terminated if your enrolment status changes, for example if you discontinue your school studies or university course, transfer to a non-government school or, in the case of vocational education, a private training provider or move to a different geographical jurisdiction from where your scholarship was originally awarded.

To retain your scholarship you must also:

  • maintain your attendance and academic performance as at the time of your application, and immediately notify the Foundation of any extenuating circumstances that may prevent you doing so;
  • adhere to the academic and administrative policies of the school and/or education institution at which you are enrolled;
  • maintain your residency status and advise the Foundation within fourteen days if you change your residency status;
  • meet any additional criteria outlines in your letter of offer; and
  • provide confirmation of your circumstances during the term of the scholarship if requested by the Foundation.

DEFERRING YOUR SCHOLARSHIP (UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ONLY)

Requests for deferment of scholarship will be determined on an individual basis and at the discretion of the Foundation. Scholarships will not be paid while students are on leave of absence or on temporary withdrawal from their course of study.

SCHOLARSHIP TERMINATION

The Foundation may terminate your scholarship if you have:

  • discontinued from your government school or approved course of study or have inactive enrolment;
  • failed to meet the eligibility requirements of your scholarship;
  • failed to meet the scholarships terms and conditions;
  • failed to maintain satisfactory attendance and academic progress;
  • spent your scholarship funds on items not accepted by the Foundation, as listed on the Acceptable Funds Usage document emailed once your application has been deemed successful
  • been suspended or excluded from school or your course of study;
  • moved to a different geographical jurisdiction from where your scholarship was originally awarded;
  • been made an incorrect scholarship offer as determined by the Foundation at its sole discretion; and/or
  • have provided incorrect, false or misleading information or withheld relevant information on your scholarship application or after receiving a scholarship offer.

If your scholarship is terminated, you will not receive any further payments. You may be required to repay some or all of your scholarship.

REPAYMENT OF YOUR SCHOLARSHIP

You will need to repay the scholarship if:

  • the payment is made to you in error or you have been overpaid;
  • your scholarship is terminated
  • you have spent your funds on unacceptable items or services
  • you do not meet the conditions of the scholarship or are deemed to be ineligible for the scholarship; and/or
  • you have been made a scholarship offer in error.

In the event that you are required to repay your scholarship, you must do so within 4 weeks of receiving the notification.

HOW DOES MY SCHOLARSHIP AFFECT MY TAX AND / OR CENTRELINK PAYMENTS

The Public Education Foundation cannot provide you with advice on taxation or Centrelink matters. The information provided here is of a general nature only and does not take into account your individual circumstances. In most cases, if you are enrolled as a full-time student, your scholarship payment will not be taxed. If you are not enrolled as a full time student, your scholarship payment will be taxed. You will also need to declare your scholarship as assessable income in your tax return.  Scholarship payments may impact your eligibility for Centrelink payments.

The Public Education Foundation is not liable for the payment of any tax or any other obligations you may incur as a result of accepting a scholarship from us. You must seek appropriate financial advice prior to accepting a scholarship.

Further information can be obtained from the ATO website:  www.ato.gov.au, the Centrelink website www.centrelink.gov.au or the Social Security Law website http://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-law/4

TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT

If you have also been provided with technical equipment as part of your scholarship, the Foundation does not offer any warranty period and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of the equipment.

LIABILITY WAIVER

In accepting a scholarship from the Public Education Foundation you agree to WAIVE, RELEASE, AND DISCHARGE the Public Education Foundation, its officers, associates and partner organisations from any and all liability, including but not limited to, any liability arising from the negligence or fault of the entities or persons released, for death, disability, personal injury, property damage, property theft, or actions of any kind which may occur to you during or after the scholarship period, including during or after any travel undertaken as part of the scholarship.

CONSENT FOR MEDIA, PUBLICITY & PROMOTIONS

If you receive a scholarship, your details including name, name of school, photographs, videos and scholarship awarded may be passed on to media and used by the Foundation and / or partner organisations for publicity and promotional purposes, including but not limited to the Foundation’s and / or partner organisations’ websites, social media channels, print, and electronic media.

By signing the Terms, Conditions and Media Consent Form, permission is given to use, promote and communicate the student’s name and name of school of the student, images and / or recording of the student in the websites, events, activities to the public, publish, publicly display, modify, translate, adapt, upload, download in any form or manner and / or incorporate this material into other materials or works in any format or medium for any non-commercial purpose and the right to sublicense those rights for noncommercial purpose. We may also provide media with details of your scholarship either before or after events.

If you attend events held by the Foundation and / or partner organisations, your photos and videos of you at the event (along with your name, name of school and scholarship), may be used for publicity and promotional purposes by the Foundation and / or our partner organisations, including but not limited to the Foundation and / or partner organisations’ websites, social media channels, print, and electronic media.

It is agreed that the use of your details, photographs and videos shall in no way be used in any other forum other than official Foundation and / or partner organisations’ businesses. The scholarship recipient also waives the right to inspect or approve the finished product, the advertising copy or other matter that may be used in connection therewith or the use to which is may be applied.

If you do not wish for your details, photographs and videos of you to be used for publicity and promotional purposes, you must notify the Foundation in writing or email events@publicedcuationfoundation.org.au.  Consent may be withdrawn at any time and must be done in writing.

KEEPING YOUR CONTACT DETAILS UP TO DATE

All correspondence during the application process will be sent to the applicant’s school’s postal address, residential address or primary email address submitted in the scholarship application form.

It is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to inform the Foundation of any changes to their email, postal or residential address. It is also the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to inform the Foundation if they change their place of school / tertiary institute during the course of their scholarship.

 Please note, if you are under 18 years of age, it is understood that your parent or guardian has read and agreed to the Scholarship Terms and Conditions on your behalf.

The Public Education Foundation reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions for commencing and continuing scholarship holders.

Any questions about these Terms and Conditions should be directed to:

Public Education Foundation

105 Phillip Street

Parramatta NSW 2150

Alternatively you may email info@publiceducationfoundation.org.au or call us on 02 7814 2806.