12 May 2008

Joint media alert from Victoria University and Western Chances

Victoria University joins Western Chances to offer undergraduate scholarships

Victoria University and Western Chances will announce a new initiative at the University's Footscray Park Campus, on Monday 19 May, 2008 that will assist new university students in Melbourne's western region realise their potential.

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

VU's Vice Chancellor Professor Elizabeth Harman and the Chair of Western Chances, Mrs Terry Bracks, will present scholarships to the three students chosen for the 2008 Western Chances VU Success Scholarships program.

Media are welcome to attend

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

The students are already recipients of Western Chances Scholarships from western region secondary schools, and have been selected into either three or four year degrees at Victoria University.

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 financially assisted nearly 1000 students from Melbourne's western region since it was established in 2003.

Where: Cityscape Restaurant, Level 5, Bldg K, Victoria University, Footscray Park Campus Cnr, Ballarat and Geelong Rds, Footscray
When: Monday 19 May 2008
Time: 11.00 am - 12.30pm


Further information about scholarships and RSVP by 14 May:
Scholarships Office Ph: (03) 9919 5568; or Email: scholarships@vu.edu.au

Further information about Western Chances:
Helen Worladge, Executive Director, Western Chances Ph: (03) 8345 1850
or: www.westernchances.org.au/Scholarships

Media Contact: Andy Gash, Snr. Media Officer,
Marketing & Communications Department, Victoria University
Ph: (03) 9919 4950; mobile: 0411 255 900