Profound impact on rural and regional students

For many rural and regional students, studying at ANU can be particularly challenging. The cost of moving to a new city can be prohibitive to either enrolling at ANU in the first place or keeping up with studies once here.

Mikayla McDonald, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science Psychology, says that her scholarship helped her with her long commute as she was able to invest in a reliable car. She thinks rural and regional students in particular benefit a great deal from scholarships.

"Money shouldn't be the reason that someone can't come to uni. You could change a person's whole life by funding a scholarship."

For Bridget Devery from Goulburn, receiving a scholarship didn't just make a financial difference; it created a sense of community and belonging.

"When I received a scholarship it felt like I was welcome here and I was wanted here. It gave me a lot of confidence in my first year. It's not just the financial help - which is a huge deal - it's that feeling of being accepted and being part of the community. That meant even more to me than any amount of money could."

Justelle Coyle, who moved to Canberra from Cairns, says that her scholarship meant that she could live on campus, which she says was a "priceless experience".

The incredible impact which receiving a scholarship had on Justelle's life has made her appreciate what a difference scholarship donors make to the lives of students.

"You could make the difference in someone else's life, especially someone from a regional place like I was, because even a small amount makes it a lot easier to move down and get settled in."