Home
Rural Health
Scholarships & Grants
NSW Rural Allied Health Scholarships

NSW Rural Allied Health Scholarships

Requirements | Eligible area | Application forms | Further information

Rural Allied Health Scholarships are offered to students from a rural background undertaking "entry level" studies in allied health (leading to a degree that qualifies the student to practice.
Up to 50 NSW Rural Allied Health Scholarships, valued up to $10,000, are offered each year.

Requirements

To be eligible for a scholarship you must:

Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and a resident of NSW.
Have resided in a rural or remote area in NSW for a minimum of five consecutive or eight cumulative years since the age of five and whose immediate family currently resides in a rural or remote area of NSW.
Be enrolled as a full time student in the second last or final year of a course in the following Undergraduate disciplines:
- Aboriginal / Indigenous Health
- Audiology
- Diagnostic Radiography
- Dietetics
- Exercise Physiology
- Genetic Counselling
- Hospital Laboratory Science
- Nuclear Medicine
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Oral Health (excl Dentistry)
- Orthoptics
- Orthotics / Prosthetics
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Pre Hospital Care (Ambulance / Paramedics)
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Radiation Therapy
- Social Work
- Speech Pathology
  
  OR either year of a Masters (entry level) course in any of the above listed disciplines (leading to eligibility to practice in that profession).
  Applicants who already have an undergraduate degree in the same discipline (that would qualify them to practice in NSW) are not eligible.
  
  Current NSW Health employees are not eligible to apply.
Provide evidence of successful completion of the course to date.
Have undertaken a rural or remote clinical or vacation placement or be scheduled to undertake a rural or remote placement in 2012.
Not be a recipient of a previous NSW Rural Allied Health Scholarship (past recipients are ineligible to re-apply) or be in receipt of any other scholarship or grant valued at more than $6,000 per year.
Demonstrate a strong interest in rural community through participation in local community organisations, groups or volunteer work.
Be a member of a University Rural Health Club.

[back to top]

Eligible area

The term “rural” refers to areas covered by rural Local Health Districts:

Far West
Western NSW
Northern NSW
Mid North Coast
Murrumbidgee
Southern NSW
Hunter New England (excluding: Cessnock, Maitland, Port Stephens, Newcastle, and Lake Macquarie LGA)
Illawarra Shoalhaven (excluding: Kiama, and Shellharbour LGA)
Nepean Blue Mountains (Lithgow LGA only)

A map is able to be found at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/rural/alliedhealth/map.asp

[back to top]

What is expected?

Scholarship recipients are expected to:

Complete at least one university elective / placement or vacation placement in a rural or remote community for experience of rural practice and lifestyle
Join a University Rural Health Club and/or association relevant to their future profession.
Encouraged to enrol in any course that may assist you in understanding the nature of rural practice.
Encouraged to seek employment in rural or remote NSW after graduation.

CENTRELINK payments

If you are in receipt of Youth Allowance or AUSTUDY payment through Centrelink, you are obliged to notify Centrelink of your acceptance of a Scholarship as it may affect your entitlement to payment.