Submitting scholarship payment requests - scholars 2020 onward
This page offers detailed guidance for early childhood education and care scholarship recipients awarded from 2020 onward on preparing and submitting payment requests. It covers key dates, eligibility criteria, required supporting documentation, and how to request payments.
Payment types
Scholars can receive 2 to 3 payment types throughout their scholarship, depending on their cohort.
Initial payments are made once, after scholars provide supporting documentation of:
- enrolment in an eligible course
- enrolment in units occurring after their award date, and that the census date for those units has passed
- their full academic history for their course, including recognised prior learning and all units completed to date .
Milestone payments are calculated individually for each scholar and are made after scholars provide supporting documentation of credit points completed adding up to the required number for their milestone payment.
Practical unit support payments are available to scholars in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Early Childhood Teaching Scholarships programs. These payments are made after scholars provide supporting documentation of enrolment in practical units occurring after their award date.
Payment schedule
Scholars can submit a payment request 3 times a year — in February, July and November. You will be notified by email each time a payment request round opens.
Payments are made to eligible scholars after all submitted payment requests have been assessed. The timeframes for payments depend on the number of payment requests submitted.
Due to the high volume of payment requests, extensions or late submissions are not permitted. Scholars must submit their payment request and supporting documents through SmartyGrants – no documentation is accepted by email.
Key dates
| Month(s) | Updates |
|---|---|
| February | February Payment Request Round |
| March-June | Payment requests are assessed |
| June-July | Payment request outcomes are sent, eligible payments are made |
| July | July Payment Request Round |
| August-October | Payment requests are assessed |
| October-November | Payment request outcomes are sent, eligible payments are made |
| November | November Payment Request Round |
| December-January | Payment requests are assessed |
| January-February | Payment request outcomes are sent, eligible payments are made |
Before you submit a payment request
Scholars are notified by email when payment request periods open. Other important information including payment timeframes, changes to your scholarship and notifications of payment are also sent by email.
Please keep the Scholarships Team informed of any changes to your details, including contact details like your email address, and personal details, such as name changes.
Adding the Scholarships Team email address ecec.scholarships@det.nsw.edu.au to your contacts ensures important information is not sent to your spam or junk folder.
When contacting the Scholarships Team for support, please include:
- your full name
- your Scholarship ID (12 or 13 digits, similar to 2045SCHOL00123)
- the full details of your query .
Steps to submitting a payment request
1. Check your payment eligibility
Before submitting a payment request, confirm whether you are eligible for a payment.
Initial payments
If you have not received your initial payment, you may be eligible to receive this if you are enrolled past census date in an approved course.
If you have not received your initial payment, you will also not have a funding notice. Your funding notice is generated once you provide full academic history and proof of enrolment past census date and is sent at the same time as your initial payment.
Practical unit support payments
Eligible scholars in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cohorts can apply for practical unit support payments at the same time as their initial payment, or when applying for milestone payments. Scholars can request up to 2 practical unit support payments and must provide proof they are enrolled in the relevant units after their award date.
Milestone Payments
To confirm you’re eligible for a milestone payment, refer to your funding notice and current academic transcript. Funding notices are emailed to scholars, and outlines your total scholarship award, credits needed for each payment milestone, and the payment due at each milestone.
Checking your Funding Notice
Each scholar receives a Funding Notice detailing their total scholarship award and milestone payment amounts. Funding Notices are calculated based on individual scholar circumstances, including their scholarship cohort, course or provider, number of units completed before their award date and any recognised prior learning.
Funding Notices are sent to scholars when their initial payment is made. They are updated when scholar circumstances change, such as a change of course, provider or recognised prior learning.
It is important to check your Funding Notice when requesting milestone payments to ensure you are eligible for payment.
How to read your payment eligibility
Education provider: Example University
Total credit points to complete degree: 500
Recognised Prior Learning (if applicable): 100
Completion of unity prior to award date (if applicable): 0
The department has calculated your total scholarship as detailed below:
| Payment # | Description | Credit points per milestone payment | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Payment | Proof of enrolment past census date | $1,000.00 |
| 2 | 12.5% Milestone payment | 62.5 | $0.00 |
| 3 | 25% Milestone payment | 125 | $0.00 |
| 4 | 37.5% Milestone payment | 187.5 | $0.00 |
| 5 | 50% Milestone payment | 250 | $0.00 |
| 6 | 62.5% Milestone payment | 312.5 | $4,750.00 |
| 7 | 75% Milestone payment | 375 | $4,750.00 |
| 8 | 87.5% Milestone payment | 437.5 | $4,750.00 |
| 9 | 100% Milestone payment | 500 | $4,750.00 |
| Total | N/A | N/A | $ 20,000.00 |
These details are taken from transcripts supplied during onboarding, or when scholars request their Initial Payment.
If these are incorrect, please email ecec.scholarships@det.nsw.edu.au for support.
Milestone payments are made when scholars complete units of study during their course. Your total award amount is divided into milestone payments based on remaining units of study to complete.
Each scholar’s calculation is unique to their circumstances. It is important to confirm the terms of your scholarship award in your deed of agreement when checking your funding notice.
Checking your academic transcript
To be eligible, your transcript must show that you have accumulated the required credit points to match the milestone or practical payment you wish to receive, as stated in your funding notice.
An unofficial transcript is adequate for milestone and practical unit support payments, with the exception of 100% milestone payments. For 100% milestone payments, a full official academic transcript is required.
2. Gather your supporting documents
Initial payment
For your initial payment, you must provide all of the below:
- Proof that you are enrolled in an eligible course
- Proof that you are enrolled past the census date of units beginning after your award date
- A full academic transcript including any recognised prior learning and credits completed
Milestone payments
For milestone payments, you must provide a valid academic transcript showing all units completed as part of your course.
Practical unit support payments
For practical unit support payments, you must provide a valid academic transcript showing enrolment in the practical units you nominate occurring after your award date.
Academic transcript requirements
For all payments, the academic transcript must show all the following to be eligible:
- Your full name
- University or TAFE name and official letterhead
- Document date
- Degree name or code
- All subject codes
- All subject session dates (e.g. Semester 1, 2024)
- All subject credit points
- All subject results
- Any recognised prior learning/advanced standing
- Completion or enrolment status
Most of this information can be found in an unofficial academic transcript you can download from your university or TAFE student portal. You are not expected to pay for a transcript unless you are requesting a 100% milestone payment, in which case you must provide an official academic transcript.
You can submit multiple documents if you can’t find all the required information in one document. A payment request will not be eligible if any required information is missing.
The payment request supporting documents guide (PDF 101.4 KB) gives an example of what your transcript might look like and where to look for the required details.
3. Submit the payment request
The payment request process for scholars awarded from 2020 onward is different from the payment request process for scholars awarded prior to 2020 so please ensure you follow the correct process relevant to you.
For information on how to submit a payment request if you were awarded a scholarship prior to 2020 visit Scholarship payment requests – awarded prior to 2020.
Submit a payment request for scholars awarded from 2020 onward
Scholars awarded from 2020 onward submit payment requests using SmartyGrants.
Scholars are notified by email when payment request periods open. The email contains a link to the correct SmartyGrants log-in portal for each cohort and guidelines on how to submit an eligible request.
SmartyGrants form submission tips
- Your session in Smarty Grants expires every 10-15 minutes. It is important to save your progress as you go.
- You can save your progress at any time and resume your submission later.
- Please name your files using your full name and scholarship ID. For example, ‘Transcript – ECEC Scholarships – 2023SCHOL01628’.
- Supported files are PDF, JPG AND PNG files under 25MB.
- Scholars can combine multiple files to a PDF if needed and upload as one document.
- File uploads may take time. Navigating away from the form during an upload may cancel the upload.
- Once you press SUBMIT, your payment request form closes and cannot be edited or updated. Please ensure your request, including attachments, is complete and accurate before submitting.
For step-by-step instructions, please use the How to submit a payment request using SmartyGrants guide (PDF 2.3 MB).
Watch the Supporting Early Childhood Teaching Scholars to make payment requests webinar for more information about the payment request process.
4. What to expect after you submit a payment request
When to expect payment
Once a payment request round closes, all requests are reviewed. The time it takes to process payments depends on how many requests are submitted.
When the payment request round opens, scholars will receive an email with an estimated payment timeframe. Please check that email for the expected timeframe before contacting the Scholarships Team.
Because of the large number of requests, it may take up to five months to process payments.
Payment request outcomes
After all payment requests are reviewed, scholars will receive an email with the outcome. If a request is ineligible, scholars can submit a new request in the next payment round.
The Scholarships Team strongly encourages scholars needing assistance with their payment requests to contact the team before the request period closes. If an error is made, scholars will need to wait until the next payment round to resubmit.
Late submissions
Late submissions won't be accepted. Scholars must submit their payment requests during the specified payment request period. The Scholarships team will notify scholars by email when the payment request round opens, including the deadline for submitting requests.
Additional support
For help with SmartyGrants:
- SmartyGrants Help Guide for Applicants
- SmartyGrants Applicant FAQs
- For more information directly related to SmartyGrants call +61 3 9320 6888 or email service@smartygrants.com.au
For payment request process assistance
Visit our scholarships page and select your scholarship program and cohort from the list on the left-hand side
For further assistance with payment requests email the scholarships team on ecec.scholarships@education.nsw.edu.au or for the 2018-2020 Aboriginal Scholarships Program scholars AboriginalECEWorkforce@det.nsw.edu.au.
Resources
- Watch the Supporting Early Childhood Teaching Scholars to make payment requests webinar for more information about the payment request process.
- payment request supporting documents guide (PDF 101.4 KB)
- How to submit a payment request using SmartyGrants guide (PDF 2.3 MB)
Glossary
Academic Session: refers to a division of the year during which the relevant Higher Education Provider conducts classes. Higher Education Providers variously refer to these divisions as semesters, trimesters or terms.
ACECQA: means the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. ACECQA is responsible for ensuring the quality and standards of early childhood education and care.
Census Date: is the date the Scholarship Holder’s enrolment is finalised by the Higher Education Provider, and they become academically and financially accountable for the unit of study.
DocuSign: is an online platform where you can securely upload, sign and return documents digitally.
ECEC: means Early Childhood Education and Care.
ECT: means Early Childhood Teaching, or Early Childhood Teacher depending on context.
Eligibility Criteria: means the required criteria that a scholar must adhere to, upon applying for a scholar and throughout the duration of being a scholarship holder, as set out in the Program Guidelines.
Funding Notice: is written notice issued by email specifying the amount and details of financial assistance to be provided to the Scholarship Holder under the scholarship program. Each Funding Notice is calculated and customised to the individual scholar’s study circumstances.
Higher Education Provider: means the Higher Education Provider with whom the Scholarship Holder is completing the approved ECT qualification. This could be a university or other vocational education and training provider, such as TAFE.
Initial Payment: is the first payment instalment made to a scholar upon proof of enrolment in an ACECQA-recognised early childhood teaching qualification past the Census Date for the Scholarship Holder’s current academic study period. A full, unofficial transcript is also required to show completed units and any recognition of prior learning.
Milestone Payment: is a payment instalment of the Scholarship Award and is paid based on completion of units of study. Scholars must meet credit point requirements and provide proof of completion, such as a university transcript, to qualify for a milestone payment.
Official Documentation, Official Evidence, Official Results: refers to documents, evidence and results issued by the Higher Education Provider on their letterhead.
Official Transcript: is a transcript or document issued by your Higher Education Provider on their letterhead that details your academic history, including courses, grades and degrees obtained.
Practical Unit Support Payment: provides financial support to scholars for their practical units, when the financial burden of study may be higher. Practical units are integral hands-on learning opportunities that take place in services, and may also be known as professional placements, practical sessions, or practical experiences.
Program Guidelines: means the scholarship Program Guidelines referred to in documentation, such as the 2023-24 Early Childhood Teaching Scholarships Program - Early Childhood Teaching Scholarships Program Please note each scholarship program will have its own set of guidelines and scholars are required to familiarise themselves with this.
Qualification: means the qualification to be completed by the Scholarship Holder as specified in their Deed, or as otherwise recorded. The qualification must be an ECT qualification (e.g. Bachelor, Master, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma) recognised by ACECQA on the approved qualifications list - Check your qualification is NQF approved.
These qualifications are available through universities or other vocational education and training providers, such as TAFE.
Scholarship: is financial assistance provided to eligible scholars to support their education and to reduce the financial burden of study. It is not a direct reimbursement of tuition fees. Eligible scholars are those who intend to be or who are employed in eligible NSW early childhood education and care services, including centre-based preschool, mobile preschool, long day care or family day care.
Scholarship Award: is the total amount of funding the scholar has been awarded based on their academic circumstances. This is calculated individually for each scholar in most programs.
Scholarship Holder: refers to the person awarded the Scholarship; also referred to as a scholar.
Scholarship ID: is personal to you and is used in tracking applications, payments, and compliance. It is usually 13 digits long and looks like 2023SCHOLXXXX. This ID is generated when you apply for your scholarship through SmartyGrants and can be found on your scholarship outcome email. It is important to reference this ID for all communications related to the scholarship.
SmartyGrants: is an online platform for submitting scholarship applications and tracking progress. It allows scholars to submit applications and upload documents. Compliance with SmartyGrants procedures is essential for meeting application requirements.
Total Qualification Requirements: means the total number of course subjects/credit points that need to be completed to attain the qualification.
Unofficial Transcript: is a student's academic record that is accessed online by the student. It may not have the official seal or signature of the institution. It is often accessible online through the student portal of their university or education provider at typically no cost to the student.