GSF’s Australian Scholarship Program addresses the problem of educational inequity by offering a scholarship to families who are unable to continue to pay for their teenagers’ continued education at their current Good Samaritan College. The great divide between students from low-income and high-income families in Australia is widening. Disadvantaged children are falling behind their higher-income ...
Sisters of the Good Samaritan Foundation
Australian Scholarship Program for Students of Low-Income families
GOAL
$50,000
Australia > NSW > Metro and Regional
22/01/2025 > 22/01/2025
Field of Interest
- Education/training and employment
- Social inclusion and justice
Target Population
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
- Young people (6-25)
Sisters of the Good Samaritan Foundation
The Good Sams Foundation's purpose is to connect Good Samaritans to create a safe and sustainable future for women and children in need. In keeping with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan's ministries, the foundation's priority is to provide a safe haven, education and empowerment to people living in Australia, the Philippines, Kiribati and Timor Leste.
Our programs have reached over one thousand women, children and families through thirteen programs spanning four countries.
The women and children living in the communities we serve are facing challenging circumstances including food insecurity, domestic violence, financial hardship, and extreme weather conditions
We focus on women because they are key drivers of change in their communities and also on children because they are unable to remove themselves from harm's way.
Donations to the Foundation support women and children at risk, to access education, regular meals and shelter from financial stress, discrimination, abuse, domestic violence and climate emergencies.
Project Summary
GSF’s Australian Scholarship Program addresses the problem of educational inequity by offering a scholarship to families who are unable to continue to pay for their teenagers’ continued education at their current Good Samaritan College.
The great divide between students from low-income and high-income families in Australia is widening. Disadvantaged children are falling behind their higher-income peers in literacy and numeracy so that a gap equivalent to five years of schooling now exists. Year 12 completion rates are significantly lower (69.7%) for lower-income students than for higher-income students (82.9%). Source: Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2022). T). The Good Samaritan Foundation believes that educational scholarships alleviate the problem by offering secondary students school fee relief and also funding for those additional items that all add up – text books, major work costs, transport and excursion fees
The Foundation’s scholarships relieve the stress on low-income families and mitigates the risk of students disengaging from school at a critical stage of their education (Years 11 and 12). The Scholarship Program’s aim is to support financially disadvantaged students to complete the Higher School Certificate so that they have a pathway to tertiary education and career choices.
Good Samaritan colleges seek to develop students who will engage with today’s world as grounded, hope-filled young people who are equipped to lead wisely, to listen deeply and to treat their neighbour and environment with justice, love and compassion. The 10 colleges are located in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Students in years 11 and 12 are familiar and comfortable in their faith-based environment. Circumstances such as amily violence, sickness, disability, retrenchment and increased rent has left many families without money for education fees.
Good Samaritan College families facing financial crisis, fill in a scholarship application form. It is assessed by the College principal and forwarded to GSF as a request for scholarship funding. The applications are reviewed by an independent committee and a recommendation is made to GSF.
GSF’s Australian Scholarship Program addresses the problem of educational inequity by offering continuity of education and faith-based guidance regardless of a student’s economic circumstance.
Project Outcomes
For students:
- Improved mental health for young people facing family crisis and financial hardship and potentially loss of friendship groups and teacher support networks
- An intervention that guards against early school leaving. We are proud that 97% of students receiving scholarship funding from the Good Sams Foundation graduated from their Good Samaritan High School with a HSC qualification. Since the program started in 2015, only 1 student withdrew from the program and failed to complete their studies.
- Greater choice, post graduation, to choose to continue onto tertiary studies and embark on their chosen career path.
For parents:
- Reduced financial stress. We identify only those students who are experiencing financial hardship, so that all funds are given to students in need. The principals at the Good Samaritan Colleges have first hand knowledge of parents’ struggling with financial hardship. They identify scholarship students needing support from the front line – not via a third party partnership.
For the college community
- In a community populated by educated residents welfare and healthcare costs are reduced and shared knowledge increases. By enabling students to continue with their academic studies, these scholarships ensure students, regardless of their economic circumstances have the opportunity to become participants in a highly educated and skilled workforce that actively contributes to their community's economic growth.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $100,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Private ancillary fund (confirmed) | $40,000 |
| Community groups (confirmed) | $10,000 |
| Funding gap (unconfirmed) | $50,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| School Fees | $80,000 |
| Addition costs - books, major works | $20,000 |
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