Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program - Information for 2022-2023 scholarship recipients
Important information about your scholarship payments and the documents that you must provide.
Payment overview
As a scholarship holder, you will receive:
- an initial payment of $1,000. You will be required to fill out a SmartyGrants form to confirm your enrolment past your University’s census date
- milestone payments based on completion of units
- up to two additional payments of $2,500 each for scholars doing a practical unit as part of their degree
Your individual payment amounts will be determined from the information you provide to the department. These amounts are calculated from your award date – when the department approved the award of your scholarship. If you have completed any Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) or units prior to the award of your scholarship, they will not be considered part of your scholarship and will not be eligible for payment. Your award date can be found in your Deed of Agreement.
Receiving your initial payment
To receive your initial payment, the department will request you provide:
- your completed and signed Deed of Agreement
- a completed Electronic Funds Transfer Form (EFT form)
- proof of enrolment past the census date for the current semester through the SmartyGrants portal.
Once the department has received the above information, the number of units required to complete your degree will be calculated to determine your milestone payments.
If you submit the correct documents by the due date, please allow approximately 4 weeks from the due date to receive your payment. Information provided after the due date may result in a delayed payment.
Receiving your milestone payments
When milestone payments are due, the department will request proof that you have completed the required number of credits to reach a milestone payment.
Please submit all correct documents by the end of February, July and November each year. After submitting the correct documents, you can expect to receive your payment about one month from each of these dates. If you have not reached a milestone, you do not need to submit any documents for that month.
| Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS | MP | TS | MP | TS | MP |
TS = Transcripts to be submitted by the end of the month.
MP = Milestone payment received.
A scholar who submits the correct documents after February, July or November, will receive their payment in the following payment period.
To calculate your milestone payments:
- Check the total number of credit points required to complete your degree (including Recognised Prior Learning and Transfer of Credits).
- Divide this by 8.
- This number is how many credit points you are required to complete before each 12.5% payment milestone.
- Check subjects that were completed, through recognised prior learning or as part of the degree, before the start of the scholar's award, as these will not attract a payment.
| University | Degree | Total credit points | Credits per milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Sturt University | Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five Years) |
256 | Credits per milestone
|
| University of New England | Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching | 192 | Credits per milestone
|
| Swinburne University of Technology | Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Teaching) | 400 | Credits per mileston
|
| TAFE NSW | Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care | 320 | Credits per mileston
|
These examples are for information only. Refer to your individual degree information and calculation of total scholarship award.
Receiving your practical unit support payments
Up to two payments of $2,500 each (maximum total of $5,000) are available to support scholars complete a practical unit as part of their degree. Your University or TAFE may also refer to these as Professional Placements, Practical Sessions or Practical Experiences.
To receive a practical unit support payment, the department will request you provide:
- a payment request form through the SmartyGrants portal (the same form is used for milestone payments)
- proof of enrolment in a practical unit for the current study session
These payments are intended to support scholars through two practical units to be completed as part of their approved early childhood education bachelor degree.
Only two practical unit support payments up to $5,000 in total will be provided. If your degree includes more than two practical units, you can decide when the payment is best used.
If a scholar fails or withdraws from a practical unit after payment, they will not receive further practical unit payments for this unit. Milestone payments for degree progress may continue.
Practical unit support payments follow the same payment schedule as milestone payments. Scholars will be notified by email when payment requests are open for submission in February, July and November each year.
If you are not due for a practical unit support payment, there is no need to submit a request.
SmartyGrants
Uploading documents to SmartyGrants
You will need to upload the following documents in SmartyGrants to receive payments:
| Payment # | Description | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Payment ($1,000) |
Evidence of enrolment dated past the census date, for example an unofficial/online academic transcript showing enrolment in a unit past the census date for your university |
| 2 | 12.5% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 3 | 25% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 4 | 37.5% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 5 | 50% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 6 | 62.5% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 7 | 75% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 8 | 87.5% Milestone Payment | Unofficial/online academic transcript |
| 9 | 100% Milestone Payment | Official academic transcript |
| 10 | Practical Unit Support Payment 1 ($2,500) |
Evidence of enrolment in a professional experience unit dated past the census date |
| 11 | Practical Unit Support Payment 2 ($2,500) |
Evidence of enrolment in a professional experience unit dated past the census date |
You will need to provide your unofficial/online academic transcript through SmartyGrants to prove your enrolment and completion of credit points. You can access this online or in person from your university or education provider.
You can access the following unofficial transcripts through your university portals. For example:
University of New England (Unit Results)
The UNE website should support you to access this information.
Charles Sturt University (Online Record of Results)
To get access, click here and scroll down to view your online transcript and click the box 'View your online transcript'.
Please note: For a payment to be generated, you must meet the 12.5% payment milestone and have successfully passed each subject.
The department only requires an official transcript upon the completion of your degree. For a breakdown of milestone payments, please refer to the Funding Notice provided by the department after your initial payment.
Census date
The census date is the last day students may withdraw from subjects and courses without paying tuition fees. Census dates vary depending on where you are studying, so ensure you check your university or education provider’s website for the correct date.
Examples are provided below:
| University | University website |
|---|---|
| Charles Sturt University | Important Dates |
| University of New England | Principal Dates |
| Southern Cross University | Key Dates |
| University of Wollongong | Key Dates |
| TAFE NSW | Academic Calendar |
The three examples listed below may help you better understand the structure of the scholarship.
1. Michelle has not started a degree, has no Recognised Prior Learning
Michelle is a scholar who has not started her degree, has no Recognised Prior Learning (RPL), and will be studying two practical units. Michelle will receive;
- an initial payment of $1,000, upon proof of enrolment past the census date
- eight lots of 12.5% milestone payment adding up to $19,000
- two lots of practical unit payments adding up to $5,000.
| Payment # | Description | Amount/percentage received ($/%) | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Payment | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Milestone Payment | 12.5% | $2,375 |
| 3 | Milestone Payment | 25% | $2,375 |
| 4 | Milestone Payment | 37.5% | $2,375 |
| 5 | Milestone Payment | 50% | $2,375 |
| 6 | Milestone Payment | 62.5% | $2,375 |
| 7 | Milestone Payment | 75% | $2,375 |
| 8 | Milestone Payment | 87.5% | $2,375 |
| 9 | Milestone Payment | 100% | $2,375 |
| 10 | Practical Unit Support Payment 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| 11 | Practical Unit Support Payment 2 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Total | $25,000 |
2. Kamal has not started a degree but has some Recognised Prior Learning
Kamal is a scholar who has completed 30% of his degree through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) before the semester starting after the award of his scholarship. Kamal will receive:
an initial payment of $1,000, upon proof of enrolment into subjects past the census date
7.5% of payment 4 (37.5% minus 30% = 7.5% remaining in milestone 4) - the scholar is not eligible for milestone payments 2 and 3
the remaining five lots of 12.5% milestone payments
- two lots of practical unit payments adding up to $5,000.
| Payment # | Description | Amount/percentage received ($/%) | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Payment | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Milestone Payment | 12.5% | $0 |
| 3 | Milestone Payment | 25% | $0 |
| 4 | Milestone Payment | 37.5% | $1,425 |
| 5 | Milestone Payment | 50% | $2,375 |
| 6 | Milestone Payment | 62.5% | $2,375 |
| 7 | Milestone Payment | 75% | $2,375 |
| 8 | Milestone Payment | 87.5% | $2,375 |
| 9 | Milestone Payment | 100% | $2,375 |
| 10 | Practical Unit Support Payment 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| 11 | Practical Unit Support Payment 2 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Total | $19,300 |
3. Maya has started a degree, completed some units, and also has some Recognised Prior Learning
Maya is a scholar who has completed 45% of her degree before the scholarship award date. This includes 25% through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and 20% through subjects completed prior to the award date. Maya will receive:
- an initial payment of $1,000, upon proof of enrolment into subjects past the census date
- 5% of payment 5 (50% minus 45% = 5% remaining in milestone 5) – she is not eligible for milestone payments 2, 3 and 4
- the remaining 4 lots of 12.5% milestone payments
- two lots of practical unit payments adding up to $5,000.
| Payment # | Description | Amount/percentage received ($/%) | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Payment | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Milestone Payment | 12.5% | $0 |
| 3 | Milestone Payment | 25% | $0 |
| 4 | Milestone Payment | 37.5% | $0 |
| 5 | Milestone Payment | 50% | $950 |
| 6 | Milestone Payment | 62.5% | $2,375 |
| 7 | Milestone Payment | 75% | $2,375 |
| 8 | Milestone Payment | 87.5% | $2,375 |
| 9 | Milestone Payment | 100% | $2,375 |
| 10 | Practical Unit Support Payment 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| 11 | Practical Unit Support Payment 2 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Total | $16,450 |
Contact us
Please get in touch if you have any questions:
Email: ecec.scholarships@det.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 1800 619 113.