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For many years, Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music scholarships have provided artists and students with financial support, encouragement and reward for their endeavours.

Now, with the support of the Victorian Government, $3 million dollars of funding support will be made available to commencing students over the next three years.

Between 2012 and 2015 there will be Creative Scholar opportunities made available to both Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music students, including:

• undergraduate scholarships for both outstanding and disadvantaged students, provided over three years;
• graduate scholarships for both outstanding and disadvantaged students, provided over two years;
• Professional Pathway one-year scholarships, to facilitate a joint collaboration between a not-for-profit arts organisation and graduating student to provide professional experience in their artistic sector;
• mentoring scholarships to provide for graduates and their mentors to undertake a collaborative project; and
• international experience, travel or work scholarships for graduates.

The Creative Scholarships for artists of outstanding promise provides scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are deemed the most outstanding or the most disadvantaged.

> Creative Scholarships for outstanding students will provide $8,000 per year for three years to first year students (or pro rata to the length of the course), pending satisfactory academic progress, and $12,000 for two years to graduate students (also pro rata).
> Creative Scholarships for disadvantaged students will provide $9,500 per year for three years to first year students (or pro rata to the length of the course), pending satisfactory academic progress, and $14,500 for two years to graduate students (also pro rata).

Scholarships will be provided to a student from each discipline and one Indigenous student for each of the scholarship categories, except there will be no Music Theatre graduate scholarship, as this is not a course offered at the Faculty. The disciplines are:

• Classical Music (MCM)
• Contemporary Music
• Music Theatre
• Visual Art
• Production
• Theatre
• Dance
• FTV
• Wilin – Indigenous Scholarship

2012 scholarships

> Outstanding scholarships (undergraduate)
Nominated after the audition period in 2011, to be paid through 2012-14 - $8,000 per annum

>Disadvantage scholarships (undergraduate)
Open for application in Orientation Week, 2012, to be paid through 2012-14 - $9,500 per annum

2013 scholarships

> Outstanding scholarships (undergraduate)
Nominated after the audition period in 2012, to be paid through 2013-15 - $8,000 per annum

> Disadvantage scholarships (undergraduate)
Open for application in Orientation Week, 2012, to be paid through 2013-15 - $9,500 per annum

> Outstanding scholarships (graduate)
Nominated after the audition period in 2012, to be paid through 2013-14 - $12,000 per annum

> Disadvantage scholarships (graduate)
Open for application in March, 2013, to be paid through 2013-14 - $14,500 per annum

 2014 scholarships

> Outstanding scholarships (graduate)
Nominated after the audition period in 2013, to be paid through 2014-15 - $12,000 per annum

> Disadvantage scholarships (graduate)
Open for application in March, 2014, to be paid through 2014-15 - $14,500 per annum

Undergraduate

1. Disciplines can, at the conclusion of the audition process in 2011 and 2012, elect to recommend their outstanding scholarship to an incoming first year undergraduate student.
   • Scholarships will be offered to students by the Dean, via the Scholarships Coordinator, and will be confirmed once the student has enrolled.
2. Should no appropriate student be identified from the incoming cohort:
   • disciplines will be asked to identify the most outstanding current undergraduate student, who will be offered the outstanding scholarship.
   • Scholarships will be offered to students by the Dean, via the Scholarships Coordinator, confirmed once the student has enrolled
3. The current student cohort will be asked to apply for the disadvantaged scholarship. The most disadvantaged student will be awarded the scholarship.
   • These scholarships will be open for application in the month beginning Orientation Week, semester one 2012/2013.
   • Scholarships will be offered to students by the Dean, via the Scholarships Coordinator, on the recommendation of the Heads of School and relevant academic staff.
4. If a student is awarded the outstanding scholarship, applies for a disadvantaged scholarship and is judged most disadvantaged, their scholarship will be changed to the disadvantaged scholarship, and a student of equal merit will be selected for the outstanding scholarship.
5. Students awarded the scholarships will not automatically be entitled to received funding across the maximum of three years. Students will be required:
   • To achieve satisfactory academic progress throughout the year.
   • To continue with full time enrolment, or receive funds on a pro-rata basis.
6. Students who do not maintain satisfactory academic progress will not be offered the remaining scholarship funds. These scholarships will be re-offered or nominated, as per clauses 1-3, though may be of a reduced duration, depending on the funds available (i.e. 1 or 2 years for undergraduate students).
7. The outstanding scholarships will be offered to Victorian students only, who have completed their VCE studies in a Victorian high school, or for mature-age students, had Victoria as their primary residence for the last 4 years.
8. The disadvantage scholarships will be open to all incoming students, whether international or interstate. Preference will be given to Victorian students who demonstrate financial need.
9. Were an interstate or international student identified as deserving of a scholarship, discipline conveners would need to liaise with the VCAM Scholarships Coordinator. Only 24 total scholarships are available to non-Victorian students.

Graduate

1. Scholarships will be offered as per Undergraduate scholarships, except will begin in 2013, to allow the new graduate course program and application process to settle in.
2. Graduate scholarships will be offered for a maximum of 2 years only, reflecting the normal duration of graduate courses.
3. Graduate students offered a 2-year scholarship who choose to exit the course after 1 year only will not be eligible to receive the remaining funds of their scholarship. The remaining funds will be reoffered, as per clause 4 above.

Students receiving these scholarships will be asked to provide regular progress reports about their studies and how the funding has assisted them. Students will also likely be asked to make available a biography that may be used for publicity purposes.