by Sarah Collier
Students from Victorian dairy communities who plan to start their tertiary studies in 2024 are invited to apply for one of seven Gardiner Foundation Tertiary Scholarships.
Students must pursue a career that will either directly benefit the dairy industry and/or benefit dairy communities. Each scholarship is worth $10,000 per year and available for the first three years of a scholar’s University or TAFE course.
The tertiary scholarships are named in recognition of services to the dairy industry by Niel Black, Shirley Harlock, Jakob Malmo, Bill Pyle and Doug Weir.
“Investing in rural Victorian students builds the social capital of our dairy communities. Gardiner is proud to be able to provide students with the opportunity to gain their tertiary qualifications without some of the financial constraints that can often exist for students from the country,” Allan Cameron, CEO of Gardiner Foundation, said.
“More students from dairy communities obtaining skills and experiences in their chosen field of endeavor will help create thriving and vibrant communities where people want to live, work and invest,” said Mr Cameron.
Students must start their first year of full-time tertiary study in 2024 on campus and need to relocate from home due to study commitments to be eligible to apply. There is no preferred field of study, with past students enrolling in a range of courses including agriculture science, nursing, medicine, engineering, journalism and commerce.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Gardiner scholarship so it’s really special. I’m sure my parents would have helped, but I don’t think I could have afforded to go without the scholarship. It made it a whole lot easier for everybody,” Anastasia Rea, a 2022 Niel Black Gardiner Tertiary Scholar, said. Anastasia is currently studying an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management at Longerenong Agriculture College.
Successful applicants will need to demonstrate intended future contributions to the dairy industry and communities as well as describe their community involvement and academic achievements to date.
Applications must be submitted by 5pm, Monday, 20 November 2023. For more information and to apply please visit www.gardinerfoundation.com.au/ts.
Completed applications must be submitted to scholarships@gardinerfoundation.com.au.