ACT HEALTH ALLIED HEALTH
POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME
Information for Scholarship Applicants & Recipients
2016 Scholarship Round
SECTION 1 - INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
The Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (AHPSS)
Introduction
Allied health professions have evolved rapidly over recent decades in response to the
growing need for a health workforce with the capability to deliver specialised health
services in a range of settings.
ACT Health believes that appropriately trained allied health professionals are vital to the
delivery of safe and effective health care and is committed to a learning and development
policy that delivers a quality governance system for a consistent and coordinated approach
to managing learning and development activities within the organisation.
The Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (AHPSS) is an initiative that operates
within this quality governance system to ensure allied health professionals have the
opportunity to attain the required knowledge, skills and abilities needed to deliver high
quality health services that enhance patient client outcomes.
The objectives of the AHPSS are:

To facilitate access to continuing professional development for allied health
professionals wishing to undertake postgraduate study;

To support the attraction and retention of quality allied health practitioners and the
delivery of safe and effective health care;

To develop workforce capacity in those allied health disciplines identified as being in
shortage locally and/or nationally;

To contribute to the organisation’s overall commitment to a quality governance
system for learning and development;
The AHPSS Guidelines form the administrative basis of the Scheme including scheme
promotion, staff and course eligibility criteria, application processes, assessment procedures
and payment arrangements for successful recipients.
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PART 1: INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
There is one scholarship round offered each calendar year.

Funding is not available to undertake courses offered by overseas universities whether
through online study, on-campus study or through partnerships with Australian
universities.

Supporting documentation is not required at the time you apply for a scholarship.

Only one application per applicant can be considered for assessment.
Nurses and midwives and medical doctors are not eligible for the AHPSS.
Staff employed in a Health Professional Officer position but who do not have an eligible
allied health qualification are not eligible for the AHPSS.
1.1
Who can apply for an allied health postgraduate scholarship?
Eligible allied health professionals are as follows:
Must be from an eligible allied health profession; AND
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia; AND
Be a permanent employee of ACT Health or Calvary Health Care ACT (public) for at least 12
months OR a temporary employee who at the time of application can provide evidence of
having been continuously employed by ACT Health or Calvary Health Care ACT for at least 12
months; AND
A minimum one year full-time equivalent postgraduate clinical experience; AND
Where applicant is from a profession regulated by National Law the applicant must provide
evidence of current registration; OR
Where the applicant is from a self-regulated profession they must provide a certified copy
of their allied health qualification or demonstrate their eligibility for membership of the
relevant professional association;
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they have checked their eligibility and
to submit an eligible application- an applicant may be subsequently identified as ineligible at
any time during the application, assessment or offer phase.
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1.2 Eligible and ineligible courses
Eligible courses
Postgraduate courses offered by Australian on-shore universities at the following
qualification levels and delivered for the duration of at least one academic year:
 Graduate Certificate
 Graduate Diploma
 Masters (coursework only)
Courses conducted by an approved Registered Training Organisation and offered on behalf
of an Australian University for an eligible postgraduate qualification.
Courses may be related to clinical practice, education, management and leadership or
research related and should be relevant to the applicant’s discipline and/or workplace.
Applicants do not need to be in a management position in order to submit an application for
a management and leadership course.
Ineligible courses
Courses offered by overseas universities whether through online study, on-campus study or
through partnerships with Australian universities.
Courses with a vocational qualification-for example, Vocational Graduate Certificate.

Masters by Research

PhD courses

Postgraduate courses that lead to an entry level qualification-for example Masters of
Physiotherapy (Entry Level) are not eligible.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) –these are online courses aimed at large-scale
interactive participation and open access via the web.
1.3 Opening and Closing Dates
Applications for the AHPSS will open during November for study commencing in the
following year.
Applications will close in February of the year in which the study is due to commence.
Applicants must be committed to undertake or have already applied to enrol in an eligible
postgraduate course.
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Application forms will be located on the http://health.act.gov.au/professionals/alliedhealth/act-health-directorate-allied-health-scholarships page on the ACT Health Allied
Health Scholarships page of the ACT Health website.
Access to the application form will become available when applications are notified as being
open.
Guidelines to assist applicants complete the application form will be available at
http://health.act.gov.au/professionals/allied-health/act-health-directorate-allied-healthscholarships
1.4 Assessment and Selection Process
The Chief Allied Health Officer is the authorised delegate for confirming outcomes, for
finalising the number of scholarships offered and for determining the funding levels of each
scholarship. Removed reference to Assessment Panel
Continuing applicants-defined as recipients previously awarded a postgraduate scholarship
and who then apply again in the following year for the same course of study. Continuing
applicants will have their application assessed by the AHPSS Secretariat where the
application is for the same previously approved postgraduate course.
New applicants- defined as either first time applicants or previous recipients who are
seeking support for a new course of study. New applicants will have their application
assessed by the Secretariat in consultation with the Chief Allied Health Officer.
If required, further consultation may be sought from a relevant senior allied health
professional employed by either ACT Health or Calvary Health Care Bruce (public) and/or
from a practitioner with specialist expertise that reflects either the applicant’s professional
practice and/or their proposed course of study.
The assessment process will operate in accordance with the AHPSS Business Rules.
1.5 Scope and value of the Scholarship
In –scope
Approved postgraduate scholarships are intended as a contribution towards the cost of
actual tuition fees only and as identified by the university on the enrolment notice and/or
Commonwealth Assistance Notice.
The maximum period of study supported per application is 3 semesters per single academic
year.
Out-of-scope
Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF), late fees, course books and training materials,
costs associated with on-campus attendance, other incidental costs.
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1.6 Assessment and Selection Process
There is a 5 stage selection process as outlined below.
1: All applications are screened by the AHPSS Secretariat and assessed against the eligibility
criteria.
2: Applications from continuing recipients assessed as meeting the criteria are provisionally
recommended for a postgraduate scholarship and are identified to the Assessment Panel
both in total number of applications and total funding requested.
3: New applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be screened by the Secretariat and
further assessed in partnership with the Chief Allied Health Officer and in accordance with
the AHPSS Business Rules.
4: If the total funding required to support approved applicants is greater than the available
budget then the AHPSS Business Rules regarding prioritisation of funding will be applied;
this may involve application of a ranking system. Where demand exceeds supply it may be
the case that not all eligible applicants receive a scholarship.
5: Following assessment of all applications the Chief Allied Health Officer will assess the
Scheme’s capacity to support the recommended applicants. A level of funding per approved
applicant will be determined by available funding and/or any prioritisation or ranking
system that is applied.
All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by email.
1.7 Other Scholarships, Bursaries or Study Grants
Approved applicants who are in receipt of and/or who have applied for another funding
source for their nominated postgraduate course of study may be required to choose which
funding source they accept. Further advice can be obtained from the AHPSS Secretariat at
AlliedHealthScholarShips@act.gov.au
Other funding options
ACT Health’s commitment to learning and development is underpinned by a range of study
support schemes. The Chief Allied Health Office does not administer either of the Schemes
below and further information regarding these should be forwarded to the named agency.
Information on these schemes and their eligibility criteria can be obtained at the links on the
following page:
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Studies Assistance
-contact Shared Services for further information
Loan Scheme for Tertiary Study
-contact ACT Health Staff Development Unit for further information
1.8 Notification of outcome
All applicants whether successful or not will be advised of the outcome of their application
by email in mid-late March(approximately) of each calendar year.
1.9 Appeals
There is no appeal process for the AHPSS and applicants may not appeal the selection of
scholarship recipients nor the amount of funding awarded.
1.10 Copyright and Publication
Funding support from the ACT Health Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme must
be acknowledged in all reports, publications, conference papers and posters.
The AHPSS Secretariat must be advised in advance of the intention to disseminate a report,
publication, conference paper or poster in which funding support from the ACT Health Allied
Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme is acknowledged.
1.11 Clinical Placement Implications
If your course has a requirement for practicum or placement hours, either within or external
to your immediate work area, you must discuss the implications with the Student Clinical
Placement Unit as soon as possible.
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SECTION 2- INFORMATION FOR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
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SECTION 2
- INFORMATION FOR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS in 2016
2.0 Scholarship Deed of Agreement
An Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Deed of Agreement offer (the “Deed of
Agreement”) will be mailed to each approved recipient.
The Deed of Agreement is a legally binding document in which the terms and conditions of
the scholarship as they apply to both the recipient and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT
Health) are set out in writing.
2.1 Acceptance of Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Offer
To accept the offer, the recipient is required to agree with the Terms and Conditions set out
in the Deed of Agreement including acceptance of the scholarship, use and payment of
scholarship funds, termination of scholarship and copyright and publication requirements.
Before the Deed of Agreement can be finalised all parties are required to sign and date the
Agreement and obtain witness corroboration.
The signed Deed of Agreement should then be mailed in hard copy by the stipulated return
date to:
Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (AHPSS)
Attention: AHPSS Secretariat-Chief Allied Health Office
GPO Box 825
Canberra City ACT 2601
Once the Deed of Agreement is received and verified the Scholarship is confirmed as having
commenced. A copy of the completed Deed of Agreement will be emailed to each recipient.
Use of the Scholarship Payment
The Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship is intended as a contribution towards the cost of
undertaking postgraduate study and is paid in good faith to cover tuition fees (or proportion
thereof) as set out in the individual Deed of Agreement. Scholarship payments are paid
retrospectively once per semester and are intended to either reimburse the recipient for
fees already paid or to enable the recipient to make a contribution to their FEE-HELP or
HECS-HELP liability.
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2.3 Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Implications
The reimbursement of study expenses incurred by an employee gives rise to an expense
payment fringe benefit which is payable by the employer.
The value of the reimbursement or amount paid is referred to as the taxable value. The
taxable value may in some circumstances be reduced to zero, if the expense would have
been otherwise deductible to the employee (had they not been reimbursed), due to the
requirements of self-education expenses being satisfied-ref: Australian Taxation Office
Guide to Self-Education Expenses
For full details regarding the FBT implications of postgraduate scholarship reimbursements
please read the following two Fact Sheets published by Shared Services:
http://sharedservices/actgovt/FinanceDocs/14_FBT_Factsheet.pdf
http://sharedservices/actgovt/FinanceDocs/17_FBT_StudyAssistance_Payments.pdf
Please Note: All scholarship recipients will be required to complete and sign an Expense
Payment Benefit Declaration Form-this will be mailed to applicants in conjunction with the
Scholarship Deed of Agreement.
2.4 Changing the Approved Course of Study and/or Units of Study
Under the Deed of Agreement, a recipient accepts the scholarship for a specific course of
study as identified in their original application.
If a scholarship recipient wants to change their course of study (or change units within the
same course of study) they must seek permission from the Chief Allied Health Officer via the
AHPSS Secretariat.
In considering the recipient’s request the Chief Allied Health Officer will take the following
into account:

Relevance of the new course and/or units of study to the original course of study;

Relevance of the new course and/or units of study to the recipient’s workplace;

Relevance of the new course of study and/or units of study to the AHPSS priority
guidelines, as set out in the AHPSS Business Rules.
Recipients should not change the approved course of study and/or units without the prior
approval of the Chief Allied Health Officer or their authorised delegate.
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2.5 Scholarship Payments
Scholarship payments are based on the approved per semester amount(s) identified in the
Deed of Agreement and are payable upon receipt of the documentation listed below.
Please note that the Scheme Secretariat will check all payment documentation to validate
the dollar value of the unit fee(s) and if they vary from that identified by the recipient in
their application the amount reimbursed may differ from the approved amount identified in
the Deed of Agreement, as the Scheme only reimburses a pre-defined percentage of the
actual (not the estimated) invoiced tuition fee.
Scholarship Reimbursement Documentation
1. An official transcript of results in respect of each semester for the Prescribed Period;
AND
2. A tax invoice requesting Tuition Fee payment and a receipt confirming payment of
Tuition Fees; OR
3. A copy of their Commonwealth Assistance Notice for the unit or units of the Course
of Study completed; AND
4. Proof of current employment with ACT Health-usually a current payslip.
The above documentation can be scanned, emailed, faxed or mailed to the AHPSS
Secretariat as follows:
Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (AHPSS)
Attention: AHPSS Secretariat
GPO Box 825
Canberra City ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6205 2494
Fax: (02) 6205 2037
Email: AlliedHealthScholarShips@act.gov.au
2.6 Termination of Scholarship
Termination of Scholarship by Recipient
The recipient may terminate their scholarship if circumstances require them to withdraw
from their approved course of study and/or if they leave their employment with ACT Health
or Calvary Health Care ACT.
In such circumstances the recipient should notify the AHPSS Secretariat in writing either by
email or by standard mail.
Termination of Scholarship by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT Health)
The Territory may terminate the scholarship agreement if the recipient fails to comply with
the terms and conditions set out in the Deed of Agreement. Circumstances that might
cause the Territory to consider this include failure of recipient to provide semester results in
required timeline or failure to notify the Territory that the recipient has ceased
employment. Any consideration of termination will always be notified in writing to the
recipient and utilised as a last resort.
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