USQ Student Guild Danny Clifford Bursary

The USQ Student Guild Danny Clifford Bursary was created to recognise the efforts and contributions made to the UNISQ Student Guild community by Danny Clifford. We have been providing Bursaries to UNISQ Student since 2016.

Danny joined the USQ Student Guild Board in 2009 and served as its Chair until he retired in 2015. During his tenure, Danny provided strong stewardship and maintained a positive, inclusive process, which enabled the USQ Student Guild to rejuvenate through a period of financial difficulty. Despite leaving the Board in 2015, he has continued to be a close friend of the USQ Student Guild and offers us support and advice.

The USQ Student Guild will award a select number of bursaries each year to current UNISQ students. Each bursary will have a maximum value of $1000.

The bursary can assist with funding for, but is not restricted to:

• Setting up a study space (e.g. desk, chair etc.)
• Books and materials
• Internet set up and associated equipment
• Traveling to study on campus or residential schools
• Family support (e.g. babysitting, day care etc.)
• Purchasing programs required for your studies
• Assist with the costs of Residential School accommodation or travel
• Assist with the cost of Practical Placements accommodation or travel

To be eligible, students must:

• Be continuing their studies at UNISQ in 2023;
• Be enrolled in a minimum of one UNISQ subjects in their previous study period;
• Provide or be willing to provide a copy of their unofficial academic transcript;
• Provide a copy of their current Resume;
• Advise of other scholarships or bursaries that the student may have received;
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions as stipulated.

Eligible applicants must also demonstrate:

• How this bursary would assist in their academic and personal lives;
• How they are involved within their community or sufficiently explain the reasons behind their lack of involvement;
• Their commitment towards academic achievement and success; and
• Their participation in extra-curricular activities.

Please see below for sample answers to the Bursary Application questions:

Tell us why you have Applied for this bursary

I’m applying for this bursary to assist me to finish my nursing degree as I am struggling with the cost of completing my practical components. I have always been very careful with budgeting and planning for the costs of my studies and placements however I have had several family matters that have resulted in me not being in the best position this year. Because of these matters, I no longer have the paid leave to be able to cover my placements from my regular employment nor do I have the saved funds to be able to support myself during this time. While I am working towards having some paid leave and savings for this period I will not have enough for this time.

The placement that I need to complete in Semester 2 2021 is for a period of 3 weeks and I have calculated that I will struggle to cover the general costs of my studies, plus costs associated with my placement while ensuring I meet the costs associated with the care of my family.

Provide specific examples of what you would use the funds for.

Should I be successful I will be using the funds as follows:

$500 towards semester 2 textbooks

$200 towards travel costs for the placement

$200 towards uniform costs, including purchasing new shoes

I would use the remaining $100 towards incidental expenses which always rise during placements.

What challenges have you faced while you have been studying and how have they impacted your studies.

I have found the biggest challenge for my studies was that I found it difficult to return to a study mindset. I had not undertaken any formal study in about 5 years since I completed my certificate 3 in administration. Studying requires a different mindset and I struggled for several months when I first started to understand the concepts particularly referencing and citation. I have sought assistance from the library to understand how to do this better and I am now finding it easy to be able to move from study to work to family life.

Tell us what motivated you to enrol in the degree you are currently studying.

I was motivated to study my degree as I have always had a passion to help people. In my current employment at a Family Health Clinic, I have seen the benefits of having great nurses involved in the care of the patients. I have seen how rewarding this type of profession is and I can see great opportunities for me to progress into different roles within being a nurse. Once I have completed my studies, I hope to be able to do further studies in children’s health.

Provide a brief list of your extra-curricular and volunteering activities.

I volunteer at my local soup kitchen on a fortnightly basis as well as with my children’s P& C committee. I also assist at the local RSPCA with my children once a month and I am the treasurer of my Husband Football club.

Tell us what each activity involves or why you are unable to engage in further activities.

At the Soup Kitchen, I assist with organising meals for the local community. I help with cooking and plating the meals. I also assist with cleaning the centre at the end of the shift each time I am there.

I am a member of the children’s P& C Committee, I help with fundraising. This year I have been responsible for collecting donations for our Mother’s Day Raffle and I am assisting with a pie drive to raise funds for the refurbishment of our undercover area.

Each month my daughter and I spend a day at the local RSCPA assisting with cleaning shelters and helping organise. We assist with cleaning blankets and sheets as well as playing with the animals there when required.

I am the treasurer of my Husband Football club; I am responsible for assisting with the accounts for the club as well as facilitating the fundraising and the canteen for the club.

How do you balance your study, personal life and extra-curricular activities?

In the first instance, I have found it difficult to balance all the competing demands, but I have found that if I study 2 subject a semester that I can easily balance my work requirements, family and study. Work has also assisted by giving me 1 day a fortnight to study with undertaking additional hours each day. I believe that it is really important to continue my extracurricular activities as I want to be involved in the community and so while I have reduced what I am doing while I am studying I have been able to remain involved. I believe it is important for me to show my daughter how that she can do many things and how to balance them.

Applications Open: 9 am on Tuesday 1 August 2023

Applications Close: 5 pm on Friday 18 August 2023

Holly Rentz  (2020 Recipient)

Thanks to the Danny Clifford Bursary I was able to return to my Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. My husband and I have three young children, one with special needs. As her needs can not be met by daycare, this ultimately affected my not being able return to the workforce and our financial position. As a stay at home mother of six years, my return to study is demonstrative of my commitment to ECE, and I am dedicated to building a career on supporting and advocating for young children with disabilities. I am truly appreciative of the Danny Clifford Bursary, allowing the purchase of a newer, more reliable laptop, as well as much needed textbooks.

Jessica Lusk (2020 Recipient)

I am Jessica Lusk and I am one of the recipients of the Danny Clifford Bursary for 2020. I am currently in my final semester of external studies with a Bachelor of Communications and Media with a major in Journalism. My degree stands to hold a wealth of opportunities for myself in the future and, as I enjoy writing, will be very fulfilling. I have completed all of my studies externally whilst continuing to work full time in between other duties on a small cattle operation and feedlot at my home. The bursary assisted greatly with many of my everyday costs, study-related and otherwise, including fuel (usually using almost one full tank a week, travelling to and from town for work), phone and internet bills, textbooks, and other costs related to allowing me to comfortably study. The bursary allowed me to have the savings put aside when these costs arose, taking a lot of pressure off of my shoulders to allow me to study without worrying about them. I am very grateful to have been awarded the bursary and the assistance it provided has been extremely wonderful.

Daniel Sale (2020 Recipient)

My name is Daniel Sale and I am one of the 2020 Danny Clifford Bursary recipient winners. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing at USQ externally. I am studying my nursing part-time because I am currently an Enrolled Nurse working in Operating Theatres and found it difficult to manage the full-time study load with full-time shift work. The Danny Clifford Bursary allowed me to enrol in subjects that require clinical skill days and bank my annual leave hours at work for the over 700 hours of practical placement required. By doing this I will have enough annual leave to allow me to attend practical placement whilst maintaining an income for my family. I have now completed 12 subjects, 2 of which required face to face sessions I wouldn’t have been able to attend without this bursary. This has been invaluable for me as my family relies on my income. I am so grateful to the USQ Student Guild for their support and generosity especially during the height of the COVID pandemic.

The Terms and Conditions for the USQ Student Guild Bursaries are as follows:

1. The USQ Student Guild reserves their right to alter the conditions of the bursary based on exceptional circumstances.
2. The USQ Student Guild reserves the right not to award the bursary in any given year and reserves the right to alter the number of recipients in any given year at their sole and unfettered discretion.
3. In the submission of an application for the USQ Student Guild Bursaries, you agree that you have read and accepted all the conditions contained within and that you have authority to submit such application.
4. Upon acceptance of a USQ Student Guild Bursary, you hereby give the USQ Student Guild permission to use your details including name, program enrolment, photograph, video, and Bursary awarded on any media platform including both social media and print for promotional and archival purposes. Such platforms include the Student Guild’s website, social media channels, annual reports, print and electronic media. You also provide your expressed permission for the USQ Student Guild to provide these details to partner organisations or the media. If you do not wish for your details to be passed on to media or used for promotional purposes, you must notify the USQ Student Guild in writing.
5. Upon acceptance of a Bursary, you agree to provide a testimony as to the assistance said bursary provided you within 14 days of the request of the USQ Student Guild.
6. The USQ Student Guild agrees that the use of photographs, testimonies or videos shall only be used for official Student Guild Business. The recipients of the bursaries waive the right to inspect or approve any finished product which may be used in connection with the official business of the USQ Student Guild.
7. You agree and acknowledge that it is your responsibility to provide all necessary information and documentation to support your application and understand that if your application does not have the required information and documentation that it may not be considered for the bursary.
8. You understand that it is not the responsibility of the USQ Student Guild to make further enquiries or seek additional information from you with respect to this application.
9. You agree that the USQ Student Guild Advocacy Office may after reviewing your application contact you to discuss with you further support or opportunities for you to obtain support with respect to your studies. Further you agree and acknowledge that this will result in the USQ Student Guild Advocacy Office obtaining your personal contact details and by submitting your application you agree to the sharing of such information.
10. You confirm that you meet the required eligibility as listed on the USQ Student Guild Website.
11. You agree that the information provided will be shared with staff involved in the selection process.
12. You understand that the provision of false or misleading information is an offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Commonwealth).
13. You understand and agree that the USQ Student Guild is bound by the Information Privacy Principals contained in the Information Privacy Act 2009 and the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). However, information provided by you through this application process may be used to provide you with information and incentives from time to time. Your information may also be used to conduct research to identify and analyse ongoing needs of USQ Students.
14. You confirm that your application is true and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief.