McConachie Stedman Accounting Scholarship

Scholarship

USQ in 2010 will offer one McConachie Stedman Scholarship to an undergraduate student continuing full-time on campus study at USQ Toowoomba Campus. The Scholarship is awarded in the first Semester to a third year student of either a Commerce and Business degrees with Accounting major or combined studies in Commerce and IT with an Accounting major.

McConachie Stedman was founded by John F. McConachie in Toowoomba in 1948, and they are taxation and business advisers to a large range of clients across all fields of commerce. Their highly computerised practice operates from the central business district of Toowoomba although offices are maintained at St. George and Crow’s Nest on a regular basis. They offer the entire range of business services from taxation, audit and management through to financial planning, lending and insurance services. Consequently the successful candidate will have exposure to a wide range of experience.

Scholarship value

The Scholarship will have a value of $5,000 per year for the successful recipient. This will be paid in a stipend of $2,500 per semester. The successful applicant will also be able to participate in 10 days of work experience for the year as mutually arranged. This allows the student to gain invaluable real work experience within an established accounting firm.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be citizens of Australia or have permanent resident status
• start their studies at USQ, full-time, on-campus, in Toowoomba, beginning Semester One 2010
• be studying Bachelor degrees of Commerce and/or Business in their third year of study, in the areas of Accounting, Commerce and/or IT
• must submit a brief essay (300 words maximum) explaining how this Scholarship will assist them to achieve their future plans.

Conditions

• The scholarship will be paid directly to the recipient by electronic funds transfer (EFT) as a stipend of $2,500 per semester after the last date to drop courses for each semester.
• Applications must be received by the closing date and in writing.
• Scholarship recipients may be asked to participate in 10 day’s work experience as mutually agreed upon between McConachie Stedman and the Scholarship recipient within the year of the Scholarship.
• Scholarship recipients may be asked to serve 20 hours each year of their Scholarship assisting to promote USQ as required by the Marketing and Public Relations Department.
• Recipients may be asked to participate in focus group research.
• Maximum of six short-listed applicants.
• Scholarships are not transferable to other students in any circumstances.
• The Scholarship will be forfeited if, during the Scholarship period, the recipient:
• changes their mode of study from on-campus to external or enrols in less than four study units per semester, unless exceptional circumstances prevent full time study
• defers their program of study
• withdraws from study at USQ
• changes their program outside of Commerce and Business degrees and/or combined studies in IT (all with an Accounting major)
• fails to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.0.
• One Scholarship will be awarded each year to the applicants deemed most outstanding by the Scholarship selection panel. The decision of the panel is final.
• McConachie Stedman and USQ reserve the right to not award the Scholarship in a given year if the applications are deemed to be unsuitable.

Selection Criteria

Applicants must:

• meet the eligibility requirements as outlined above;
• have a strong intellectual ability witnessed by a high Grade Point Average; and
• in their brief essay demonstrate a history of involvement with their local community in any social / sporting / educational / work based / charitable / extracurricular context.

Submitting an application

To apply for this Scholarship you must forward a completed Continuing students application form (PDF 45 KB) to:

Scholarship Officer
Student Services
USQ
Toowoomba Queensland 4350

Applicants may be required for an interview and are asked to maintain up-to-date USQ Personal Details via UConnect. Successful applicants will be advised by mail.

Closing date

To be considered for a Scholarship commencing Semester One 2010, applications must be received by Friday 30 October 2009.

NOTE: Due to late notice, late applications will be accepted given students contact Student Services of their intentions to apply as soon as they can.