Lift Off education scholarships available

Lift Off scholarship committee chair Mary-ann Linehan said now was “more important than ever” to support the region’s students.

“Students have persevered over the last two years in and out of remote learning to achieve their dream of attending tertiary study,” she said.

“Lift Off scholarships can be that extra assistance to relieve the pressure financially.”

The program was started in response to the increasing number of students unable to afford the transition from secondary education to post-secondary education.

Greater Shepparton Foundation chief executive Cheryl Hammer said only half of the Goulburn Valley’s young people finished secondary school, with only a quarter going on to tertiary education.

“Greater Shepparton Foundation and Lift Off work hard every year to raise funding to support our local students, but this year we would like to be able to help as many young people as we can,” she said.

With scholarships ranging from $2000 to $10,000 over the span of two to three years, the program is open to Goulburn Valley school-leavers aged 17 to 24 moving on to tertiary or post-graduate studies.

In seven years the program has raised more than $410,000 with help from local businesses and individuals, assisting 107 local students so far.

With support from La Trobe University, the program also offers three scholarships for the Shepparton La Trobe campus and a fourth to be used at any other La Trobe campus.

Shepparton’s Lyn Bailey has been a sponsor of the program for more than five years, considering herself “very privileged” to assist young people in fulfilling their dreams.

“It’s really good to think that you have a little part in assisting somebody further along,” she said.

For more information on the scholarship program, visit www.greatershepparton.foundation

Applications close at 5pm Wednesday, December 15, 2021.

To discuss donating to the program, contact Cheryl Hammer on 0410 561 934 or email at cheryl@greatershepparton.foundation