EFFECTIVE DATE April 2021
DATE OF LAST REVISION August 2024
ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE Director (Enrolments)
APPLIES TO
STUDENT EMPLOYEES
VISITORS
CONTRACTORS
Pivotal to Canberra Girls Grammar School’s 100-year legacy of educational excellence, connection and opportunity is our Scholarships and Bursary Program.
The CGGS community’s commitment to gender equity and inclusion is infused throughout our history and is profoundly connected to the ethos of the Community of the Sisters of the Church. This collective belief is at the core of our Program, which continues to evolve and improve over time. The focus remains to enable a broad range of students access to a life-changing CGGS education.
The Program has two goals, to recognise student dedication and excellence, and to provide a world-class education to those who may not otherwise have such opportunities.
There are two streams to the Program:
1. The Scholarship stream is the option that specifically acknowledges and rewards students who have demonstrated academic excellence in combination with high achievement in sport, music, artistic pursuits, or across multiple disciplines. This stream also provides opportunities for Indigenous students, with boarding as an offering for students in remote, regional and rural communities.
Scholarship applicants can request to have their applications means-tested as part of the process. This option requires an applicant to sit the Allwell Academic (AAS) test*.
2. The Bursary stream is the option that specifically enables students who require financial support, with boarding as an offering for students in remote, regional and rural communities. This option requires a means-test via an independent external financial review conducted by the School’s professional partner, Edstart.
Please see the accompanying booklet CGGS Guidelines: Scholarships and Bursary Program for details regarding each Scholarship or Bursary on offer, including but not limited to:
• How to apply.
• When to apply by.
• Eligibility.
• Entitlements.
• Obligations.
• Exclusions.
PROCESS
a) Applying
The CGGS Scholarship and Bursary Program is only open to permanent residents of Australia or those who hold Australian citizenship.
To apply for a Scholarship or Bursary, an applicant must first make a formal enrolment waitlist application, including payment of the $220 application fee.
A Scholarship or Bursary application can then be submitted including payment of the application fee, being Scholarship ($105) or Bursary ($50).
Students residing at least 300 km or 3 hours from Canberra Girls Grammar School may apply for a remote or distance application. The application fee of $275 is to enable remote invigilation by AAS.
All application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable
An applicant must meet minimum standards, regardless of the Scholarship or Bursary, and an application must be submitted online by the closing date, providing:
• Evidence of age, identity, and Australian citizenship or permanent residency status.
• A personal letter of reference (non-family member).
• Current school academic and school reports from the last two years (copies).
• Most recent NAPLAN report or equivalent (copies).
Other requirements:
• A Scholarship applicant is required to sit the AAS test*.
• A Bursary applicant is required to agree to a means-test via an independent external financial review conducted by the School’s professional partner, Edstart.
An applicant is advised to only apply for their Scholarship of choice or Bursary. If unsuccessful, CGGS reserves the right to consider a different scholarship option for which an applicant is eligible.
When a Scholarship or Bursary application is received, a place on the applicable waitlist is automatically
held for the student, pending the outcome of the scholarship process.
Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in subsequent years for the same or a different Scholarship or Bursary. The Scholarship or Bursary application fee payable each year may be subject to change without notice.
*The AAS test is used as a benchmarking tool and does not constitute part of the selection process for Bursaries. Scholarship applicants may be means-tested should they request consideration for a higher level of fee remission than the standard 25%.
b) Offering
CGGS offers a number of Scholarships and Bursaries each year to students entering Years7–11. The number and type of Scholarships and Bursaries offered each year is at the discretion of the Principal and not all options may be offered each year.
The final decision to award a Scholarship or Bursary and the level of remission granted is at the discretion of the Principal. The CGGS Scholarships and Bursary Program is reviewed annually by the Principal, Director (Enrolments), the Director (Finance and Risk) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
CGGS does not provide a report on the applicant’s performance in the Scholarship examinations, auditions or interviews.
c) Accepting
If the applicant is successful, the applicant’s parent/carer will receive a letter of offer for an enrolment place, as well as a letter of offer for a Scholarship or Bursary.
If the parent/carer accepts the offer for an enrolment place, and a Scholarship or Bursary, the nonrefundable, non-transferable enrolment deposit ($2000) is payable at that time.
If a Scholarship or Bursary application is not successful but the parent/carer accepts the offer of an enrolment place without a Scholarship or Bursary, the non-refundable, non-transferable enrolment deposit ($2,000) is payable at that time
If both offers are declined, the Scholarship or Bursary $220 application fee is non-refundable and nontransferable
d) Obligations and monitoring
Obligations for each Scholarship or Bursary are stipulated in both the CGGS Guidelines: Scholarships and Bursary Program and the CGGS Scholarship and Bursary Agreement, which is provided at the time an offer is made. Please refer to these documents for the specific obligations relevant to each Scholarship or Bursary.
All Scholarship or Bursary recipients are monitored as part of the on-going and regular processes of reporting and assessment within the School. The Inclusive Learning and Enrichment team compile the recipients’ report data and provide this information to the Head of School or their delegate. The Head of School or delegate will meet with individual students as required.
If a recipient falls below or does not meet the obligations of their Scholarship or Bursary or CGGS standards more broadly, the School reserves the right to rescind the Scholarship or Bursary.
EARLY ENROLMENT
If a new (future) CGGS student is awarded a Scholarship or Bursary but chooses to enrol the year prior to the Scholarship or Bursary taking effect, this may be considered.
The full remission cannot be accessed or awarded until the year the Scholarship or Bursary officially begins.
ULTIPLE SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES AND FEE REMISSIONS
Successful applicants will only be eligible to receive one Scholarship or Bursary at a time. The exception to this is a boarding student who chooses to apply for a Bursary to assist with the cost of boarding fees, which will be offered and granted at the discretion of the Principal, and will be subject to means-testing.
Should a current recipient choose to reapply for a different Scholarship or Bursary in subsequent years and be successful, the previous Scholarship or Bursary must be rescinded and the new Scholarship or Bursary will be instated. Should they be unsuccessful, the original Scholarship or Bursary will remain in place.
Gabriel Bursaries awarded to Boarders forfeit the full tuition and boarding fees provided by the Gabriel Foundation if they leave the Boarding House and become a Day student.
A Scholarship or Bursary fee remission cannot be aggregated with other discounts such as the Sibling Discount. The family can choose which fee remission to accept. Once the fee remission is determined it is final and cannot be altered in the future, except at the discretion of the Principal in exceptional cases. An exception to this is where a Scholarship or Bursary is offered to a Student of a current member of staff. The Staff Discount and a Scholarship or Bursary can be aggregated up to, but not exceed, a 40% remission.
EXISTING DEBTORS
Current families with an overdue debt to the School must meet with the Principal prior to applying for a Scholarship or Bursary.
Definitions
Academic excellence
Bursary
All Scholarship and Bursary applicants must meet a minimum standard of academic ability or show evidence of their aptitude for academic achievement, regardless of the award requirements or entitlements.
Scholarship applicants must show evidence of achieving mostly A grades across most subject areas.
The award or grant given to the recipient to support their academic or other achievements, subject to means-testing.
Means-test An assessment of the financial status of a family. Scholarships may be means tested upon request, but Bursaries are subject to means-testing. Bursary applicants must therefore agree to undergo external financial assessment under strict confidence.
NAPLAN National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy test; an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 covering skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
Obligations Responsibilities of the student for standards agreed upon by the School.
Recipient The student recipient of the CGGS Scholarship or Bursary.
Scholarship The award or grant given to the recipient to support their academic and other achievements.
Related policies and other references
VERSION HISTORY
ACT Government, Gifted and Talented Student Policy, 2014
ACT Government, Students with a Disability: Meeting their Educational Needs,
2008 Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration
CGGS Admissions Policy
Discrimination Act 1991
Education Act 2004
Education Act 2004 (ACT)
Human Rights Act 2004
Kemp, Response to Intervention and Differentiated Instruction, 2014 Hawker Brownlow Education
McInerney and Elledge, Using a Response to Intervention Framework to Improve Student Learning, 2013 American Institutes for Research
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians
Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth)
VERSION APPROVED BY
OF CHANGE AUTHOR
1 Principal April 2021 New policy Director (Enrolments)
2 Principal August 2021
Principal March 2022
4 Principal July 2022
5 Principal April 2023
6 Principal January 2024
Addition to existing debtors policy section Director (Enrolments)
Revised to include pro-rata aspect of Standard Family Contribution (SFC), update to application fee, and clarity around offering and granting of multiple awards. Director (Enrolments)
Revised to update application link information, levy payment clarification, change to orientation and monitoring, aggregation of discounts, and eligibility requirements. Director (Enrolments)
Revised to update eligibility and detail around exclusions, and information around entitlements and obligations. Director (Enrolments)
Removal of SFC, update on Scholarship and Bursary means testing. Eligibility and entitlements changes. Update staff discount. Numerous updates to reflect separate approach to Scholarships and Bursary and to align with Guidelines and Agreement.
7 Principal September 2024
Revised to reflect additional details regarding distance applications, and amendments to the process of accepting a Scholarship and Bursary.
Director (Enrolments)
Director (Enrolments)