Scholarship details
Study levels
Undergraduate
Student type
Future students
Study area
Data science, Games and interactive environments and Information technology
Eligibility criteria
Academic performance
Citizenship
Australian
Application dates
- Applications open
- 4 September 2023
- Applications close
- 15 January 2024
What you'll receive
You will receive:
- Up to $20,000 in fully flexible funding for your undergraduate studies to put toward your course, degree materials or living expenses. This funding comprises of $15,000 awarded directly to the scholar ($5,000 per year, over three years) plus an additional $5,000 to cover the cost of attending the Westpac Disruptive Leaders Program.
- Attendance at the Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney.
- A one-week residential experience in Singapore to meet renowned tech experts from around the world while developing important soft skills in communication, cultural competence and leadership.
- Lifelong membership of the W100 Scholars Network – a diverse and growing community of inspiring Aussies ready to collaborate, challenge and offer support. Plus, hard-to-access networking and professional development opportunities.
- Entry into the QUT College of Excellence.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship you must:
- be graduating Year 12 (or a gap year) in 2023
- be starting university for the first time in 2024
- be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident
- have achieved an ATAR of 90.0 or above (or International Baccalaureate equivalent). ATAR adjustment schemes are applicable in the assessment of these scholarships.
- have placed QUT as your first preference in your QTAC application
- be applying to start one of:
- Bachelor of Information Technology
- Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments
- Bachelor of Data Science
- a double degree including one of the above.
The Westpac Young Technologists scholarship aims to address gender balance and diversity by broadening the base of students pursuing a career in technology. Therefore, for reasons of equity, the assessment will take into consideration gender and diversity factors (such as coming from a low socio-economic designated school or having Indigenous Australian heritage).
Scholarship assessment will be based on:
- academic performance
- gender and diversity profile
- responses to application questions that demonstrate how you meet the scholarship criteria (see 'Who are we looking for?' below)
- interview if successfully shortlisted.
Who are we looking for?
- Talented and inquisitive high school graduates with a genuine desire to create positive change in Australia by exploring their interests and passions in technology.
- Good communicators, open to new ideas, networks and new learning opportunities.
- Those willing to be active members of the Westpac 100 Scholars Network.
- Ideally people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds.
- We’re not as interested in hearing about whether you’ve topped your class in all your subjects: we’re more interested in you as a person, what you’re passionate about, and why this opportunity is right for you.
How to apply
Applications for the 2024 Westpac Young Technologists Scholarship have now closed.
What happens next?
You need to:
- complete and submit the online scholarship application form by the close date
- complete a QTAC application in line with QTAC key dates and put QUT and an eligible QUT course as your first preference.
We will assess applications against eligibility criteria and response to application questions.
- Only applications that meet all eligibility criteria will be assessed.
- The highest ranked in this assessment will be shortlisted and offered an interview.
- Selection for this scholarship will ensure that applicants who identify as women represent at least 50% of those shortlisted for interview.
If shortlisted, you must be available to attend an interview with representatives from the Westpac Scholars Trust and QUT in early February 2024.
Offers will be made to the top ranked candidates following interview.
The scholarship application process is highly competitive with a limited number of scholarships available. Unfortunately, not all eligible applicants will be offered an interview or receive a scholarship.
A scholarship offer does not mean that you're automatically accepted into the course you've applied for. You still have to apply and be accepted through QTAC.
Conditions
To keep your scholarship, you must:
- be enrolled full-time in an eligible IT, Games or Data Science degree for the duration of your studies
- maintain a course grade point average (GPA) of 5.0 or higher each semester.
You can't:
- defer your scholarship offer
- hold any other scholarship except an Equity Scholarship. If you have any questions about holding other scholarships, contact scholarships@qut.edu.au.
Terms and conditions for Westpac Young Technologists Scholarship (PDF file; 181.5 KB)
About the scholarship
Financial support is just the beginning. Students take part in a Disruptive Leaders program and will become lifelong members of the Westpac 100 Scholars Network, an inclusive group of some of the brightest minds in Australia. The W100 network gives recipients access to a range of experiences including internships, inspiring mentors, leadership development and networking opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.
The five-day residential Disruptive Leaders Program in Singapore brings Young Technologists Scholars together to learn, collaborate and connect. Through a combination of industry site visits, panel discussions, networking events and team challenges, Scholars gain a better understanding of the tech landscape and how technology can be used to tackle the most pressing global challenges. They will also learn about what it means to be an inclusive leader and improve their pitching and presentation skills.
The Westpac Scholars Trust was launched in 2016 with a $100 million gift from Westpac Group to fund 100 scholarships every year, forever. Since then, the Trust has welcomed over 740+ Westpac Scholars and awarded $40+ million in scholarships in partnership with leading Australian universities and across five different scholarship programs.
Testimonials
Kanu's scholarship story
2017 Westpac Young Technologist Kanu Agarwal studied a double degree in mathematics and computer science at QUT. She now works as an Associate Data Scientist at Westpac and is driven to encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in STEM.
