JCU Year 12 Rising Star Scholarship

The JCU Year 12 Rising Star Scholarship will be open to competition among candidates who:

• Are domestic students, i.e. Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa; and
• Have selected or will select an eligible JCU course as their first preference through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC); and
• Have received consistently high levels of academic achievement throughout their high school studies and expected to achieve an ATAR of less than 97. Students with an ATAR of 95+ are eligible for the JCU Vice Chancellor’s and Dean’s Scholarships; and
• Will be enrolled full-time (minimum of 18 credit points per year)
• Are not a recipient of any other JCU-funded scholarship.

An eligible JCU course is all undergraduate Bachelor and joint degrees offered by JCU at the Townsville and Cairns and Mackay campuses, excluding the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

The value of the scholarship is $10,000 to be paid over the duration of your degree. See examples below:

3 Year Degree

4 Year Degree

If studying in Semesters

You'll receive four equal instalments after census date (the date your course enrolment is considered final) of Study Period 1, Study period 2, Results Release 1 and Results Release 2. Please allow up to four weeks after census and results release for payments.

If studying in Trimesters

You'll receive six equal instalments (rounded to the nearest dollar) after census date (the date your course enrolment is considered final) for Trimester 1, Trimester 2, Trimester 3 and results release Trimester 1, Trimester 2, Trimester 3. Please allow up to four weeks after census and results release for payments.

There is no separate application required for this scholarship.

All JCU partner schools are to nominate one recipient to receive the scholarship, via the online nomination form. This will be formally announced at the end of year School’s Presentation Ceremony or similar event.

Introduction

The purpose of the JCU Year 12 Rising Star Scholarship is to support students who have demonstrated consistently high levels of academic achievement and personal attributes that uphold and champion their school’s ethos. This scholarship helps the regions best and brightest to learn, train and advance the economic and social fabric of North Queensland communities.

This bursary is subject to the provisions of James Cook University’s Coursework Scholarships, Bursaries and Grants Policy.

Value and payment of the Scholarship

The value of the scholarship is $10,000 to be paid over the duration of your degree. See examples below:

3 Year Degree

4 Year Degree

If studying in Semesters

You'll receive four equal instalments after census date (the date your course enrolment is considered final) of Study Period 1, Study period 2, Results Release 1 and Results Release 2. Please allow up to four weeks after census and results release for payments.

If studying in Trimesters

You'll receive six equal instalments (rounded to the nearest dollar) after census date (the date your course enrolment is considered final) for Trimester 1, Trimester 2, Trimester 3 and results release Trimester 1, Trimester 2, Trimester 3. Please allow up to four weeks after census and results release for payments.

Enrolment Requirements

• Starting January 2027, all scholarship recipients will be required to enrol in the full academic year as part of the scholarship’s eligibility criteria.
• This means maintaining continuous enrolment for both semesters (or all trimesters, where applicable) of the academic year.
• This change ensures accurate scholarship payments. If JCU cannot confirm your study load (e.g., “Full-time” or “Part-time”) for the year, your scholarship payments may be affected.
• Enrolment and study load determine your ongoing eligibility for scholarship payments as outlined in the “Scholarship Rules” and value of your payments.

Up to 45 Scholarships will be awarded each year, discontinuation of this scholarship will be advised from Future Students.

Eligibility Criteria

The JCU Year 12 Rising Star Scholarship will be open to competition among candidates who:

1. Are domestic students, i.e. Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa; and
2. Have selected or will select an eligible JCU course as their first preference through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC); and
3. Have received consistently high levels of academic achievement throughout their high school studies and expected to achieve an ATAR of less than 97. Students with an ATAR of 95+ are eligible for the JCU Vice Chancellor’s and Dean’s Scholarships; and
4. Will be enrolled full-time (minimum of 18 credit points per year)

An eligible JCU course is all undergraduate Bachelor and joint degrees offered by JCU at the Townsville and Cairns and Mackay campuses, excluding the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

Selection Criteria

1. The JCU partner schools are to determine the recipient from their school based on the eligibility criteria outlined above.

Application Requirements

1. All JCU partner schools are to nominate one recipient to receive the scholarship, via the online nomination form. This will be formally announced at the end of year School’s Presentation Ceremony or similar event.

Ongoing eligibility

1. The recipient must maintain a full time enrolment.
2. The recipient must maintain a course GPA of 5 or above.

If the holder of the award does not meet the continuing eligibility as specified, the student can submit a statement of reasons to be considered by the Manager of Future Students and the Manager of Student Finance and Examinations.

Conditions of the Scholarship

1. The recipient may defer their study for one year before commencing.
2. If the recipients does not accept their offer to study at James Cook University they will no longer be eligible for the award.
3. If the recipient does not enrol full-time in subjects in Teaching Period 1 they will no longer be eligible for the award.
4. If the holder of the award does not maintain a fulltime load of the award will be terminated.
5. If the holder of the award does not meet the other continuing eligibility as specified above, the student can submit a statement of reasons to be considered by the Manager of Student Finance and Scholarships.

A student may lodge a request for review of decision in accordance with the provisions of the Student Review and Appeals Policy and Procedures. https://www.jcu.edu.au/policy/student-services/student-appeals-policy

Administration of the Scholarship 

1. The scholarship shall be administered by the Scholarships Office, on behalf of the Owning Organisation Unit.
2. The funds of the scholarship shall be held in an account in the name of the University and shall be administered by Scholarships Office.
3. Where an award provides some benefit to the recipient from a body external to the University, or an obligation upon a body external to the University, the University, its servants and agents, shall not be liable for that benefit or obligation.