Scholarships, Subsidies, and Awards Policy

PURPOSE

This policy details the processes for selection and administration of scholarships, subsidies, and awards at Leaders Institute (LI).

SCOPE

All staff and students

PRINCIPLES

LI ensures that scholarships, subsidies, and awards:

• consider alignment to LI’s Strategic Plan;

• are designed to attract, retain, and reward staff and students committed to LI’s vision, mission, and values;

• consider equity and diversity;

• consider LI’s budget constraints;

• may cover all or part of tuition fees for the relevant course;

• may be renewed based on evidence of satisfactory academic progress;

• include written consent from the awardee before their name is included in promotional material.

DEFINITIONS

Academic merit: an applicant’s level of academic achievement or improvement during prior or current studies.

Award: an acknowledgement of outstanding academic achievement, leadership contributions, and/or community engagement. This may be an LI course tuition fee discount, equipment, voucher, or subscription to a professional organisation.

Scholarship: course tuition fee discount. LI does not offer bursaries to cover living or other expenses.

Subsidy: course tuition fee discount for LI permanent staff, as noted in the Staff Management Policy.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Criteria for awarding LI scholarships to new or existing students may include, but are not limited to:

• academic merit;

• professional leadership;

• student leadership;

• community contributions;

• disadvantage and/or financial hardship;

• equity and diversity.

External Scholarships

LI is not responsible for the selection or administration of external funding toward tuition fees for students. If LI tuition fees are revised after the external scholarship was awarded, the external donor is responsible to adjust the scholarship if required.

Termination of Scholarships

LI reserves the right to terminate a scholarship if the student is found to have engaged in serious misconduct including, but not limited to, the provision of false or misleading information in their application form, or other breaches of LI’s policies. A scholarship may also be terminated if the student does not maintain satisfactory academic progress. Appeals relating to the termination of scholarships may follow LI’s Grievances and Appeals Policy.

STAFF SUBSIDIES

LI encourages permanent staff to undertake further studies by providing an 80% tuition fee discount for any LI course. Spouses and children of permanent staff are eligible for a 60% tuition fee discount for any LI course. Appeals relating to the termination of a subsidy may follow LI’s Staff Grievance Policy.

GRADUATION AWARDS

Criteria for LI graduation awards may include, but are not limited to:

• graduands who make outstanding contributions to LI and the broader community during their LI course;

• graduates who have made outstanding contributions to LI, their profession, and/or broader community since completing their LI course;

• graduands who earn the highest Grade Point Average in the graduating cohort of their course.

PROCEDURES

PROCEDURES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

1.    Proposal

Any LI staff member may table to Executive Management Team a proposal for a scholarship. The proposal should include:

• category of scholarship;

• evidence of the applicant meeting the criteria;

• recommendation by the relevant Program Director;

• financial value or equivalent;

• terms and conditions.

Executive Management Team may decline or defer a proposal on the grounds of budget constraint.

2.    Approval

If a scholarship is approved by Executive Management Team, the applicant will be notified in writing within 10 days.

3. Application

The approved applicant may then submit the LI Scholarship Application Form and submit to the Registrar. 

Awardees may defer enrolment for up to one year, after which time the scholarship offer is withdrawn. The Registrar should be informed if there are any substantial changes to the awardee’s enrolment status (e.g. study load, course, withdrawal, etc.).

The awarding of an LI scholarship is at the discretion of Executive Management Team. No appeal will be considered.

PROCEDURES FOR GRADUATION AWARDS

• The Registrar determines graduand awardees with the highest Grade Point Average in the graduating cohort of their course.

• The President determines graduand awardees who have made outstanding contributions to LI and the broader community.

• The President determines graduate awardees who have made outstanding contributions to LI, their profession, and/or the broader community since completing their LI course.