Menai's Savannah Archer always knew she wanted a university degree. But she didn't expect to get it for free.
The first-year student from the University of Wollongong is one of only 15 students chosen for a scholarship. It means her entire three-year course won't come out of her pocket.
Savannah, who graduated from Menai High School in 2023, is studying a Bachelor of Communications and Media, and is a recipient of this year's 2024 Vice-Chancellor Leadership Scholarship. Fellow Sutherland Shire resident Dylan Sharp, who is studying a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) also received a scholarship.
The scholarship was established three years ago to support young people with financial assistance, leadership training, academic support and community networking.
Savannah said knowing that she was starting her tertiary journey with no debt on the horizon, meant she could "relax financially".
She will get $30,000 a year. "My degree costs as much as a law degree, so this is a dream come true," she said. "It's such a relief to have so much less stress knowing I can study and not have to worry about paying for it. I have two older siblings who have both gone through uni and they still have their HECS, and they're telling me indexing is going up."
Mandatory repayments for Higher Education Loans Program (HELP) - HECS, are taken from each pay cheque, but the overall debt doesn't change until after a tax return has been lodged. Students copped an indexation rate of 7.1 per cent in 2023 - the highest in three decades. HECS repayments begin when a person begins earning at least $51,500 a year.
But Savannah is happy to breeze through. She actively searched for scholarship options, knowing she would have to pay "quite a bit" for her degree. On her application, which included an interview, she proudly mentioned her community work.
"I do a lot of work with my church as a volunteer leader in the youth group for Menai Salvation Army, helping run camps for underprivileged kids," she said. "With my school I also had the opportunity to go to the Australian Olympic Change-Maker National Summit in Canberra. It was a good credential to have."
Savannah hopes to become a graphic designer or work within the social media space.
