Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) Scholarship

USQ in 2012 will offer one TRC Scholarship in Engineering to an undergraduate student commencing full-time on campus study at USQ Toowoomba Campus. The Scholarship is awarded in the first Semester to a student pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering in either Civil or Environmental Engineering.

The Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) area is situated on the Great Dividing Range in South-East Queensland, strategically located at the junction of the Warrego, New England and Gore highways. With a diverse economy and in close proximity to Brisbane and the Sunshine and Gold coasts, it offers the best of both urban and regional environments. The TRC area enjoys a unique position at the heart of the productive Darling Downs and is the gateway to the resource-rich Surat Basin Energy Precinct. Of the 74 Queensland Local Governments, the TRC is ninth largest in population and is the economic and commercial hub of the Darling Downs. It services a diversity of primary and secondary industries and plays a significant role in the economic development of a large area of southern and south western Queensland.

Council offers stable and expanding employment options for professionals and a structured and exciting program for undergraduate and graduate engineers.

Scholarship value

The student who is awarded the Scholarship will receive a maximum value of $22,000 depending up on the recipient’s duration of study. Each year the recipient may receive a maximum value of $6,000 in the first and second year of study and $5,000 in the third and fourth years of study.

In addition, the successful applicant will be required to undertake 50 days paid work experience as an intern. This can be undertaken part-time during the university semester and/ or full-time during university holidays. As council employees, scholarship holders are eligible to apply for internally advertised positions, such as engineering cadetships or council’s Graduate Development Program.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be citizens of Australia or have permanent resident status
• have completed Year 12 in 2010 or 2011
• be commencing a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil or Environmental) at USQ Toowoomba Campus, full time, on-campus in Semester 1, 2012

Conditions

• Applications must be received by the closing date and in writing
• Maximun of six (6) short-listed applicants
• The duration of the Scholarship supports four years of recipients full-time study
• Scholarships recipients may be asked to participate, for not more than 20 hours, in the year of receipt of their scholarship, in assisting to promote USQ as required
• Recipients may be asked to participate in focus group research
• The Scholarship will be forfeited if, during the Scholarship period, the recipient:
• changes their mode of study from on-campus to external or full-time to part-time study, unless exceptional circumstances prevent full-time study
• defers their program of study
• withdraws from study at USQ
• changes their program outside of Civil or Environmental Engineering
• fails to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.5.
• Scholarships are not transferable to other students in any circumstances
• One Scholarship will be awarded each year to the applicant deemed most deserving by the Scholarship selection panel. The decision of the panel is final
• TRC and USQ reserve the right to not award the Scholarship in a given year
• TRC and USQ reserve the right to alter the conditions of the Scholarship based upon exceptional circumstances
• The Scholarship recipient must be available to undertake 50 days paid work experience with TRC, including participation in TRC promotional events and careers fairs, as mutually arranged.
  

Payment

• The Scholarship will be paid directly to the recipient in a nominated bank account, by electronic funds transfer (EFT), upon presentation of an academic transcript to TRC.
• The Scholarship will be paid after the Census date (the last date to drop courses for each semester) in a stipend of $3,000 per semester for two semesters in the first and second year, and $2,500 per semester for two semesters in the third and fourth year of the recipient’s degree if all conditions of the Scholarship have been met.
• Ongoing payment of each instalment will be subject to satisfactory progress in the recipient’s study program. If conditions are not met, recipients may be required to show cause for why the scholarship should not be cancelled.

Selection criteria

Applicants must:

• meet the eligibility requirements outlined above
• must submit a personal statement (no more than one page/500 words) outlining:
• What is it about civil or environmental engineering that interests you most?
• What is it about local government engineering (compared with private practice) that attracts you to Toowoomba Regional Council?
• How do you think that the TRC scholarship will assist you in achieving your future career goals over the next 5-6 years?
• must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
• must provide evidence of academic achievement, e.g. High School academic transcript or other post-secondary studies as applicable
• may demonstrate a history of involvement with their local community in any social, sporting,educational, work based, charitable, extracurricular context.

Applications

To apply for this Scholarship you must forward a completed USQ Scholarship Application Form (PDF*158KB) and any supporting documents to: 

Private and Confidential
Scholarships Officer
Student Services
University of Southern Queensland
West Street
Toowoomba Qld 4350

Applicants completing their Year 12 studies must also attach a Statement of Support (PDF* 162 KB) with their application.

 
Applicants may be required for an interview. Successful applicants will be advised by mail.

Closing date

Applications for this scholarship must be received by 5.00 pm Friday 28 October 2011.

Further information

Ros Alexander
Training and Mentoring Development Officer
Toowoomba Regional Council
Phone: +61 7 4688 6453
Email: ros.alexander@toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au 

*This file is in Portable Document Format (PDF) which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Acrobat Reader may be obtained from Adobe. Users who are unable to access information in PDF should contact Customer Relationship Management Centre, telephone 1800 269 500 to obtain this information in an alternative format.