Applications for Rural Bank's 2020 Scholarship Program opened yesterday, with students from regional and rural Australia encouraged to apply.
The 2020 Program will support up to 15 first-time undergraduate students looking to pursue tertiary education and contribute to the overall success of Australia's agriculture sector.
Rural Bank chief operating officer Will Rayner said the program would enable students to pursue their career ambitions, while gaining knowledge and skills that would in turn support regional communities to prosper.
"This year has been a challenging year for major parts of regional and rural Australia. The Rural Bank Scholarship Program aims to support regional students to pursue further studies by removing some of the hurdles they face in accessing tertiary education and settling into university life," he said.
"Each year we receive a high number of applications.
"These applications reflect the wide variety of talent available across Australia - from the Top End to Tasmania.
"For more than 25 years, we have been able to support hundreds of students and have seen the difference a tertiary education can make in helping to kick start their career - be it in agriculture, engineering, science, commerce, psychology, business or medicine.
"We're committed to continuing our support for the next generation of leaders to empower Australia's regional and rural communities to thrive."
Rural Bank Scholarship 2019 recipient Hayley Lewis, said the program has helped her to be able to afford coursework materials as well as provided her several opportunities to network with professionals in her chosen field of agricultural science.
"The Rural Bank Scholarship has allowed me to balance my study and work life, focus on my studies, and set myself up for success,"she said.
Rural Bank said recipients would receive financial support to the value of $5,000 to cover study-related expenses such as accommodation, travel, study materials and other course costs.
Subject to academic performance, the scholarship funding would be extended to support their second year of study.
They said the Rural Bank Scholarship Program was part of the broader Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Scholarship Program, one of the leading privately funded scholarship programs in Australia.
The program offered a range of scholarship opportunities to first-time tertiary and TAFE students from regional and rural areas.
Applications for the 2020 Rural Bank Scholarship Program are open until January 28.
For further information and to apply, visit ruralbank.com.au/scholarships.
