The Rotary Club of Bendigo Market Place
Club Scholarships
The Rotary Club of Bendigo invests in our future leaders and philanthropists by funding scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study.
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There are two types of scholarships:
Rotary clubs offer scholarships for secondary, undergraduate, or graduate study.
Rotary club scholarships are given by individual clubs and are open to anyone except Rotary members and their families. ​
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The Rotary Foundation offers scholarships for college graduates and professionals to study peace and conflict resolution.
Rotary peace fellowships are available to candidates who want to participate in a master’s degree or certificate program at one of our six partner universities.
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Learn about our Agricultural Scholarship being offered below:
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Agricultural Scholarship 2024
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In 2024, The Rotary Club of Bendigo will award a scholarship to support a student taking a tertiary course in Agriculture. The scholarship will provide the successful student with funding to the value of $2,000 per year for up to two years (subject to academic performance) to assist with their tertiary studies. The funding is to support study-related expenses including course costs, study materials and equipment, textbooks or tutoring.
The successful student will:
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Be a first-time undergraduate tertiary student in 2024;
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Have completed secondary school or Certificate IV (Agriculture) in Bendigo Region* during 2023;
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Show sound academic achievement and community involvement;
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Have been offered a place at to study agriculture at University or a post-secondary agricultural college;
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Demonstrate an understanding of agricultural industries;
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Have a career commitment that will ultimately benefit agriculture and/or regional and rural communities;
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Be in genuine need of assistance;
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Be an Australian citizen or permanent - resident.
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Selection process
Applications close on 19 January 2024
Applications will be shortlisted with interviews held late January/Early February
All applications will be acknowledged.
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Reporting
The successful applicant will be expected to make a short presentation to a Club meeting on the award of the scholarship and on the completion of first year studies.
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Eligible courses include: (Applications for other courses will be considered if appropriate.)
Melbourne University (including Dookie Campus): Bachelor of Agriculture;
Diploma in General Studies.
Latrobe University (including Bendigo Campus): Bachelor of Agricultural Science;
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness); Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology;
Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences’
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga: Bachelor of Agricultural Science.
Longerenong Agricultural College: Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management;
Diploma of Agronomy.
Marcus Oldham College, Geelong: Bachelor of Business(Agriculture) subject to completing 12 months industry experience prior to starting course.
*Bendigo Region for the purpose of this scholarship includes schools in City of Greater Bendigo and Shires of Loddon, Buloke, Campaspe, Gannawarra and Mt Alexander.
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If you are interested in applying, please download the Selection Criteria Here and the Expression of Interest form Here or Contact us.
Read the stories below of local and international students and graduates who have benefited from a Rotary Scholarship...
Meet Reza, Studying an Arts Degree at Monash University
Made Possible by Rotary Scholarship
I have been in Australia for just over 7 years now. My father came alone before us and was successful in acquiring a humanitarian visa. My father was forced to flee Afghanistan due to the unrest caused by the Taliban and the war ravaging the country.
When we arrived in 2013, my family was the first Afghan family in Bendigo. Bendigo has been a very great city that has welcomed us and made us feel at home and continues to do so.
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A University degree was something that I did not consider before coming to Australia. However, thanks to the myriad of opportunities created by generous Australians, University has become a reality for many individuals like myself.
Once I finish my studies, I will be the first in my family to acquire a tertiary education which is a large milestone for my family.
This certainly would not have been possible without the generous assistance of the Bendigo Rotary Club. I could not have been more grateful and thankful of Rotary Club’s members who have encouraged and supported me throughout my studies at Monash University. Without the help and assistance of this scholarship my transition to Monash would not have been as seamless and smooth as it turned out to be, which is why I am forever indebted and grateful for this Club’s unwavering support of me and my education.
I am now very close to finishing my first semester of 2020 which was spent under the shadow of a global pandemic. The initial adjustments announced by the University before the beginning of the semester to conform with government regulations were challenging to adjust. Monash announced that all classes and lectures will be conducted remotely via Zoom with many changes to assessments and exams.
These changes and the confusions surrounding some University policies and timetable at the beginning of the semester made for a stressful start to the academic year. However, as time has passed it has become a lot easier and less stressful to conduct our studies remotely.
I have completed my last unit as part of my minor, criminology, which heralds the conclusion of one portion of my Arts degree. I now have 4 units left to complete as part of my Arts major (politics) and expect to complete it by Semester 1 2021 at the very latest.
Upon the conclusion of my Arts degree I will be transitioning into a full time Law student, to finish my remaining law units.
Cheers
Reza
Meet Kamala, who studied a 3 year Health Diploma in Nepal
Made Possible by Rotary Scholarship
During 2015 the club worked with its partner in Nepal, the Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation, to identify a young Nepali person who required support and assistance to achieve their goal of achieving a tertiary education and employment in Nepal. The student was required to commit to working in their chosen field in a community setting in Nepal for 2 years post-graduation.
A recruitment and interview process was established by the club and undertaken by our partner in Nepal. The process successfully identified a young Nepali woman as the inaugural recipient of the Program for Education and Training.
The successful applicant was Ms. Kamala Tamang. Kamala lived in Okhaldhunga, a remote farming village in rural Nepal. Her village was destroyed during the earthquake in April, 2015, making aspirations for ongoing education almost impossible without support.
Kamala heard about the program from participating in community youth activities at Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation. Kamala wanted to work as a nurse with her remote community and was interviewed and selected on the basis of personal attributes, High School exam results, and commitment to achieve a nursing qualification.
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In 2015 Kamala commenced a 3 year Health Diploma at Manmohan Institute of Health Sciences, Kathmandu, graduating in 2018. Since 2018 Kamala has worked as a nurse in rural Nepal providing nursing care and community health programs in a remote area health post.
The Program for Education and Training assisted Kamala to complete her 3 year health science nursing degree by assisting her university costs. Kamala and her family were grateful for the club’s support; they personally thanked members during the club’s study tour to Nepal in 2016 where Kamala was presented with her Program Award Certificate and a pink stethoscope by Past President Larrie Winzar.
Education has been essential in improving the quality of life for Kamala and with a University Degree Kalama can fulfil her dream of giving back to her community by working as a nurse to ensure improved health and wellbeing outcomes that benefit the entire community.
Meet Norma, from Samoa...
Recipient of the Royce and Jean Abbey Agricultural Scholarship
This Rotary Scholarship provided the opportunity for Norma to experience and learn from a range of production and marketing processes on farms in central Victoria. This included both organic and appropriate inorganic properties.
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Norma gained experience an confidence in speaking to groups including at universities,farm groups and at Rotary meetings.
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Working with the network of organic producers across Victoria strengthened the value of the training and provides for on going contact and support from some Victorian producers to Women in Business Development, Samoa.
The involvement of Bendigo-Kangan TAFE in the training program provides a structured framework for Norma’s experiences and the opportunity for ongoing contact between Bendigo-Kangan TAFE and Women in Business Development, Samoa. For example the inclusion of Women in Business.
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Norma explains her experience in Australia undertaking the scholarship program:
This training had a huge focus on rural development practices and organic farming. My participation in Australia was a wonderful learning experience for me. At first it was daunting for me visiting a country miles away from home and trying to adapt to the new environment as well as the cold weather. I have visited many farms to develop my practical farming skills. First training started at Mt Alexander Fruit gardens, Harcourt, working,sharing, gaining and learning knowledge and experience … and for the first time of my life picking pears.
From there I experienced what kind of work people from Samoa and my neighbours are doing here inAustralia or in New Zealand (picking apples and other sorts of fruit). I have learnt everything from picking,sorting, packing and markets.
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