takamuna Rosie Smith Law Scholarship

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Scholarships, fees and costs

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Overview

Rosie Smith is a well-respected Aboriginal leader and holds a law degree from UTAS. She is one of the first Aboriginal people to be admitted as a Solicitor/Barrister in Tasmania. Rosie’s educational journey started at Adult Education classes at her local Neighbourhood House, before enrolling in Welfare Studies at TAFE. While working on public housing issues as a Family Support and Legal Aid Field Officer at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Rosie decided to enroll in a law/arts degree. During her final year of study in 1994, Rosie was awarded the State NAIDOC Aboriginal Scholar of the Year award and the National NAIDOC Aboriginal Scholar of the Year. Rosie played a key role in the establishment of the Koori Courts of Victoria, holding senior positions from 2003 to 2016. She completed a Master of Public Health in 2005, while working at the Koori Courts. Rosie returned to nipaluna in 2016 to a position in the Medical School at the University of Tasmania as the Aboriginal Health Careers Promotion Officer until her retirement in 2021. The scholarship is awarded to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander commencing their first year of a law or combined law degree. The scholarship provides financial support and internships and clinical placements at Tasmania Legal Aid over the four years of the law degree. This will build practice knowledge and understanding of the legal system and introduce them to the Tasmanian legal profession, helping to create employment pathways.

Eligibility

  • Funding for the Takamuna Rosie Smith Law Scholarship is provided by the Federal Government to assist Indigenous students with costs associated with university study.
  • For Government reporting purposes, the scholarship is considered by the Government to be an Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS).
  • The general eligibility for the scholarship is that recipients must:
    • be an Australian citizen;
    • be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent;
    • be from a low socio-economic background;
    • be studying a minimum of 12.5 credit points per semester at UTAS;
    • and not be in receipt of a Centrelink Start-up Loan or Centrelink Start-up Scholarship.
  • As part of the Takamuna Scholarships for Educational Costs x 1 student will be awarded the Takumuna Rosie Smith Law Scholarship.
  • The scholarship is awarded to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander commencing their first year of a law or combined law degree.
  • The recipient will be required to participate in supervised placements.

Students wishing to apply for this scholarship should apply for the University of Tasmania Indigenous Scholarships

On-going Eligibility

  • Achieve a minimum Pass result in all units studied each semester
  • ADMIN Ready for payment - reset each semester

Amount

Up to $5,000 ($625 per 12.5 credit points)

Duration

One year

Starting Date

31 August 2023

Closing Date

31 October 2023

Apply

Apply online prior to closing date. Applications cannot be submitted after closing date.
As applicants will be assessed on the quality of application, all questions should be answered in full. Please ensure care is taken with spelling and grammar.

Application status

Closed - successful applicants advised

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