19 May 2008

Victoria University and Western Chances have teamed up in a new initiative that will help young people in Melbourne's western region realise their potential.

The Western Chances VU Success Scholarship program will offer three fee-free undergraduate places to high-achieving secondary school students from Melbourne's western region every year for the next four years. The total value of the 12 scholarships is more than $300,000.

VU's Vice Chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Harman and the Chair of Western Chances, Ms Terry Bracks, presented scholarships to the three students chosen for the 2008 program today at Victoria University.

Professor Harman said: "I am delighted that we were able to forge this partnership with Western Chances, which has had a remarkable impact on the western region."

"Each of the students selected for this program have special talents and skills and no doubt they will contribute immeasurably to our University."

The scholarships assist students identified by Western Chances as having special talents or interests, a capacity for achievement, and a demonstrated need for financial assistance.

Alex Bogart-King, 18, who has just started the first year of a double degree in civil engineering and business at VU, is one of the 2008 recipients.

A graduate of Werribee Secondary College, Alex said he was "over the moon" when he was told that the tuition fees for his degree at Victoria University would be covered by the scholarship.

"I probably would be in an apprenticeship somewhere if I hadn't received this," he said. "I had thought about university and knew I wanted a degree, but financially, it wasn't that realistic."

Alex plans to join the Air Force as an airfield engineer and build aviation infrastructure around the world once he graduates.

All students who receive a Western Chances VU Success Scholarship are already recipients of Western Chances Scholarships from western region secondary schools.

Each Western Chances VU Success Scholarship pays course fees for the normal duration of a single degree course. The scholarships will be paid for up to four years and depending on the course being studied, range from $3261 to $6799 a year, and will be indexed annually.

Western Chances has provided nearly 1000 scholarships to students from Melbourne's western region since it was established in 2003.

Photos of 2 scholarships recipients Alex Bogart-King and Jack Whelan are available on request.

Further information: on Western Chances VU Success Scholarships,
VU Scholarships Office Ph: (03) 9919 5568; Email: scholarships@vu.edu.au


Media Contacts:

Victoria University
Ann Marie Angebrandt, Media Officer, Marketing & Communications Department
Ph: (03) 9919 5487; mobile: 0403 556 001

Western Chances
Kimberly Palmer Ph: (03) 8345 1850; mobile: 0403 937 347
Web site: www.westernchances.org.au