Banking on a great future
The Deakin University Community Bank® is set to provide big dividends for Deakin students, announcing an additional $80,000 for student scholarships in 2019.
The Deakin University Community Bank® Relocation scholarships will provide welcome support for four rural and regional students with the ability but not the means to pursue a university education.
This generous scholarship program comes on top of the Bank’s existing generous commitment to providing scholarship support for 20 students for the duration of their undergraduate degree.
The new scholarships are only possible thanks to the overwhelming support of Deakin staff, students and alumni who have elected to do their banking through the Deakin University Community Bank®, which is committed to turning profits into philanthropy.
Deakin University Community Bank® University Relationship Manager Ashley Wijey, who is based at the Burwood Customer Hub, said he is delighted to see the Australian-first partnership between the bank and the university continue to blossom.
“Bendigo Bank and the university share a strong commitment to supporting Australians from rural and regional areas,” Ashley said.
“That’s why we’ve chosen to focus on assisting students who have to relocate in order to pursue their dream of a university education.
“It’s important to us that we help students from orientation day right up to graduation day, so the scholarships provide $5,000 cash payments each year for up to four years.”
For many students, scholarships are the key to making a university education accessible.
In 2017:
984 scholarships were available to Deakin students (422 funded by the university, 451 by government, and 111 by donors)
5,363 students applied for a scholarship which means that 82 per cent of those who needed support missed out
65 per cent of students applying for a Deakin-funded scholarship indicated that they were experiencing financial hardship
This shortfall has a direct impact on the number of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and regional and rural areas who choose to attend Deakin.
For more information about how you can support Deakin students through Access and Equity Scholarships, please visit the Giving page on the Deakin website.
About Deakin University Community Bank®
The launch of Deakin University Community Bank® in August 2016 was the culmination of an extraordinary – and Australian-first – partnership between Bendigo Bank and the university. The partnership enables staff, students and alumni to support a range of Deakin projects by simply choosing to do their everyday banking through the Deakin University Community Bank®.
In just two years, Deakin University Community Bank® has grown substantially with over 1,000 customers comprising staff, students and alumni. In addition to the scholarship program, this year the initiative is expecting to make available another $100,000 for funding. Groups that have already benefited include Deakin TV, Deakin Debating Society, Deakin Cheerleading Squad, and the Deakin Engineering Society (pictured above).
