DCJ SCHOLARSHIPS 2020 - Guidelines for New Applicants - Department of Communities & Justice - Family & Community Services
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DCJ SCHOLARSHIPS 2020
Guidelines for New Applicants
Department of Communities & JusticeOVERVIEW
Our new name
The Department of Communities and Justice, or DCJ Scholarship Program (formerly the FACS Scholarship
Program) is now open for 2020. Our name has changed but the Scholarship Program is the same as last
year.
Overview
The Scholarships Program sits under Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW. Future Directions was
launched in January 2016 and outlines the NSW government's focus on improving educational outcomes
and employment opportunities for social housing clients to help them divert from, or successfully transition
out of social housing.
The program helps students enrolled in education or training to get the support they need to stay at school
and achieve their full potential and complete their studies by offering $1,000 to help with school expenses
and secondary support services. Students can receive additional funding if they remain in studies, this
includes vocational training and tertiary education. Priority access will be given to students who are
committed to their education and who are facing barriers and multiple disadvantage.
There will be 800 scholarships on offer for the 2020 academic year.
Meeting the eligibility and selection criteria does not guarantee you a scholarship. Each year we receive
more applications than available scholarships.
AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following criteria:
Social Housing
Living in social housing in NSW:
Public housing including Aboriginal housing
NSW Housing Register (wait list)
Private Rental Assistance from DCJ
Rent Choice from DCJ Start Safely Youth Veterans Transition
Community Housing/Aboriginal Community Housing
Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC)
Supported accommodation (Specialist Homelessness Service Providers)
Homeless Youth Assistance Crisis / Immediate Needs Transitional Housing
Out-of-Home Care (OOHC)
Temporarily staying with friends or relatives
(Note: Applicants living away from home or temporarily staying with family/friends need to be on a current
social housing tenancy or have an active social housing application).
Education
Studying in 2020 in one of the following:
Year 10, 11 or 12 at a NSW high school or equivalent
undertaking a school based apprenticeship or traineeship
studying a VET subject at a NSW high school/institution
|2SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
How much is the scholarship
The scholarship is $1,000 (no GST).
When can I use the money
If you are successful, the scholarship funds will be available in Term 1, 2020. The scholarship funds
should be spent by the end of the 2020 academic year.
How do I get the money
The scholarship funds will be paid directly to your school and they will be responsible for the administration
of your scholarship. You will need to speak to your responsible staff member about how the school will
purchase goods on your behalf.
What can the scholarship be used for
The scholarship funds will be used for educational or support related costs to help you complete the school
year. Provided they are used for those costs, the program is flexible as to what can be purchased with
scholarship funds. The scholarship funds cannot be used towards school fees.
Some examples are and not limited to:
Primary Support
school uniform (including sports uniform and shoes)
private tuition or coaching
text books, workbooks, study guides and stationery
course costs (including equipment and specialised clothing/footware)
excursions, study camps
IT‐related expenses (including computer, laptop, iPad, tablet)
smart phone
internet
computer software, scanner and printer
Secondary Support
medical tests (including eye tests, speech therapy, learning development tests)
medical equipment (e.g. specialist glasses, speech recognition devices)
transport
childcare costs
rent
social Inclusion activities (e.g. sports, youth programs, formal tickets)
What the scholarship should not be used for
The funds cannot be used to pay for any expenses relating to your family members who are not
scholarship recipients.
HOW DO I APPLY
Visit www.facs.nsw.gov.au/scholarships or https://nsw-facs.smapply.io/ to apply online.
Registration
You must use a valid email address to set up an account on the SurveyMonkey Apply portal. This email
address will be used to receive communication about your scholarship application. You must use your own
email address, not your parent/guardian/carer. Do not use a school email address.
An email notification will be sent to your email address to confirm your registration.
|3Collaborator
If you need someone to help you with your application, you can add them as a ‘collaborator’. You can vary
their level of read and write access to your application.
Application form
The application form for New Applicants consists of the following sections:
Pre-Eligibility
You will be asked to complete a pre-eligibility questionnaire. If you meet the criteria, you will proceed to the
application form.
Student Information
This section will ask for your name, gender, date of birth and contact details.
Social Housing
This section will ask you to provide details of your current social housing situation.
If you are living in out-of-home care (OOHC), you will need to include a copy of a Court Oder, or a
Confirmation of Placement letter or any document showing you are in OOHC. You will not be able to
submit your application without this evidence.
If you are living away from home or temporarily staying with friends or relatives, you will need to be on an
active social housing tenancy or have a live social housing application.
DCJ may use this information and contact your social housing provider to confirm your tenancy.
Education
This section will ask details of your study year or course and the school that you’ll be attending in 2020.
More about the Student
This section we would like to know more about you. This includes providing a personal statement to help
us understand your current situation and need for assistance (e.g. family, living situation, day to day
challenges). You may also like to include how these circumstances impact your decision to finish high
school or complete other studies.
Evaluation Survey
The application form contains a few questions to help us understand if our housing services are meeting
your needs and contributing to your wellbeing. We won’t use your answers to these questions when we
assess your application. We’ll use them to improve our services to you – now and in the future.
Applicant Declaration and Media Consent
In this section you must declare that all the information you have provided is correct.
You do not have to take part in media and promotional activities to get a scholarship.
If you are under 18 years of age, you must have a parent/guardian declaration to provide consent.
Application Support
You will need to nominate someone over the age of 18 to provide a recommendation for your application.
A range of people can support your application: parent, carer, guardian, caseworker, support worker or
staff member from your school. Make sure you approach them in the first instance and ask for their email
address. Your recommender will receive an invitation from SurveyMonkey Apply to complete the online
application support form.
An email notification will be sent to your email address once your recommender has completed the
application support form. It is your responsibility to follow up with your recommender before the due date.
You will not be able to submit your application without the recommendation.
|4SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
When do applications close
Applications must be submitted online by 5:00pm, 31 October 2019.
Late applications will NOT be considered.
Application Checklist
Make sure the following tasks are complete:
Scholarship Application Form – New Applicants
Application Support
Out-of-home Care evidence (this only applies to applicants in OOHC)
Click on the SUBMIT button to progress your application to the next stage.
An email notification will be sent to your email address to confirm you have submitted your application.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Internal Review and Assessment
Submitted applications will be checked by the Scholarships team against the eligibility criteria and may
contact you, your school or housing provider for more information.
Eligible applications will progress to the assessment stage and scored against selection criteria.
Applications will be ranked and a shortlist will be submitted for approval.
Application outcomes
You will be notified in writing about the outcome of your application before the end of Term 4, 2019.
Make sure you check your email during this time.
Your education institute will also be notified of the outcome of your application.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE
Web: www.facs.nsw.gov.au/scholarships
Phone: Housing Contact Centre on 1800 422 322
Housing Services press 2 then press 4 for General Enquiries
Email: education@facs.nsw.gov.au
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