UQ adopts year-round scholarships

UQ has become the first Australian university to make it easier for students to apply for research scholarships all-year-round.

Most universities traditionally announce research scholarships in March and October.

At UQ, prospective research students can now apply every day of the year for a research scholarship using one form that covers the student’s application for admission and a scholarship.

The Dean of the UQ Graduate School Professor Alan Lawson said streamlining the scholarship process was designed to better serve students.

“We’ll become the first Australian university to enable students to apply for scholarships every day of the year rather than in a single, mad scramble in late October,” Professor Lawson said.

Professor Lawson said the new scheme gave students the flexibility to start when they liked, after the two-week assessment of their application.

“UQ wants to be even more flexible than other universities that dictate how and when students can enrol or apply for scholarships,” he said.

“We think future students should be able to apply for scholarships when they like and when they are ready, and then start when it suits them and their advisory team.”

He said filling out one form for admission and a scholarship would also save time by cutting bureaucracy.

In 2008, UQ will provide about 500 new scholarships – in addition to all the scholarships offered by schools, faculties, individual research groups and external agencies.

UQ has more than 3600 research higher degree students, graduating more than 400 PhD students each year – a 100 percent increase on just over a decade ago.

The University has the second-highest number of PhD students and highest number of international PhD students in Australia.

Its researchers supervise more PhD students per head than colleagues in other Australian universities.

More than $20 million in scholarships are offered to ease the financial burden for our research higher degree students.

MEDIA: Tony Miscamble from UQ Graduate School (07 3365 8846, t.miscamble@research.uq.edu.au) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619)