The Hill Trust Scholarship

Value

$5,000 per year for the duration of the degree

Eligibility

New students

Course(s)

Any undergraduate degree

Criteria

Applicants must:

• be Australian citizens or permanent residents
• receive an offer to study an undergraduate program at UWS or, in the case of current students, be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree at UWS
• demonstrate financial or other hardship, based on the UWS Opportunity and Equity criteria and also including students who are the first in their family to attend university

Dorothea Roma Hill

Dorothea Roma Hill was born in Lakemba c.1925, the daughter of English migrants, George Frederick and Ada (née Sugden) Hill who came to Australia in the aftermath of World War I.

Lacking either the finance or opportunity for university education, Roma trained for office work. She forged a living for herself as a secretary in what was then one of Australia's great companies, James Hardie Pty Ltd. Rising to the position of Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, John Reid, when he retired so did she.

While her last years were plagued by illness, her character still touched those around her, including (as those at her funeral in 2011 could attest) several of the nurses who cared for her at Elizabeth Lodge. Her family remember her as a gracious person, with never a bad word to say about anyone.

Roma set up a the Hill Trust Scholarship to help commencing students at the University of Western Sydney. Deprived herself by the circumstances of life, Roma's bequest will now continue - generation upon generation - to help an institution committed to giving all residents of the West the equitable chance at higher education she herself did not enjoy.

Application and Selection Process

Applicants must provide a statement in support of their application indicating how they believe the receipt of the scholarship will assist them with their studies and in their future career. This statement should give a sufficient explanation of the applicant’s background and current circumstances to enable the University to judge their eligibility, need and merit.

Successful applicants will be selected based on their written application, academic potential, their ability to meet the criteria and, where appropriate, performance in an interview before a selection panel.