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Scholarships and Prizes Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This policy provides the framework for establishing and managing scholarships and prizes awarded by RMIT.

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Section 2 - Overview

(2) RMIT awards a range of scholarships and prizes to commencing, current and graduating students at all levels of study. This policy sets out a unified approach to the governance and management of scholarships and prizes that supports the strategic direction of RMIT and ensures meaningful outcomes for internal and external stakeholders. 

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Section 3 - Scope

(3) This policy applies to staff and students of the RMIT Group and scholarship and prize sponsors and donors.

(4) It applies to all scholarships and prizes awarded to students by RMIT except external scholarships where RMIT has no administrative oversight and higher degree by research scholarships which are governed by the Higher Degree by Research Policy. It does not apply to the remission or refund of fees or other financial assistance provided on grounds of financial hardship, compassion or university error.

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Section 4 - Policy

Principles

(5) RMIT is committed to a consistent and coordinated approach to establishing, awarding, managing and reviewing scholarships and prizes.

(6) RMIT supports scholarships and prizes that:

  1. align with the mission, values and strategic direction of RMIT
  2. have clear and specific objectives which are reflected in the proportionate value
  3. are allocated fairly and inclusively against transparent eligibility criteria and selection processes
  4. have practicable terms and conditions, are cost-effective and managed through transparent and coordinated processes.

(7) Grievances and complaints relating to scholarships and prizes are managed in accordance with the Student and Student-Related Complaints Policy.

Responsibilities

(8) Responsibility for approving the establishment, amendment and rescission of a scholarship or prize is determined by the Delegations of Authority according to value and funding source.

(9) The following positions are responsible for the overall management of scholarships and prizes:   

  1. Executive Director, Students; Coursework Scholarships, Global Experience Scholarships
  2. Director, International Student Recruitment; Commencing International Scholarships
  3. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education; RMIT Vietnam scholarships and prizes, RMIT University prizes 
  4. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation; RMIT Research prizes
  5. College Deputy Vice-Chancellor; college prizes
  6. Dean or Head of School; school prizes.

(10) Operational units responsible for the management of scholarships and prizes (operational units) are responsible for:

  1. reviewing scholarship or prize proposals
  2. making selection decisions
  3. cancelling recipient’s scholarships in accordance with relevant terms and conditions
  4. monitoring ongoing eligibility by conducting regular checks such as enrolment status and academic progress.

Reporting

(11) Operational units and colleges will report annually to the Scholarships and Prizes Committee.

(12) The Scholarships and Prizes Committee will submit an annual report the Academic Board.

Review

(13) This policy will be reviewed at least once every three years in accordance with the Policy Governance Framework.

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Section 5 - Procedures and Resources

(14) Refer to the following documents which are established in accordance with this policy:

  1. Scholarships and Prizes Procedure
  2. The Scholarships, Prizes and Grants Policy continues to apply to All RMIT University scholarships, grants and prizes awarded to higher degree by research students. 
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Section 6 - Definitions

Donor An individual or organisation which has funded a prize or scholarship with no condition that the recipient provides work or another service to the donor.
Prize A University award in recognition of previous achievement, such as for study, innovation, sport, leadership, or community involvement, for example. It carries no condition of further study.
Relationship manager An individual with the authority to negotiate terms and conditions and agreements for a scholarship or prize on behalf of RMIT.
Scholarship A benefit provided to a student to support current or future study, based on either personal circumstances or achievement or both, as well as other eligibility criteria. It may include financial allowances, tuition fees (full or partial), or non-financial benefits received on a recurrent or one-off basis. It includes benefits that may otherwise be known as grants, stipends, bursaries, fee reductions or fee waivers.
Sponsor An organisation that has funded a prize or scholarship conditional upon the provision of work or another service to the sponsoring organisation.