Students secure a flying start with Kangan Institutes scholarships and grants

Several students have taken advantage of scholarships and grants at Kangan Institute to get their studies off the ground this year. Every year eligible individuals may apply for a range of scholarships and grants to help with the cost of their studies. Options include School Leavers, Access and Equity, Special Consideration and Learning4Life Pathway scholarships as well as the Brown Family Educational Grant. Aspiring designer Amy Galbraith received the 2013 School Leaver Scholarship and shared that the scholarship not only helps with the costs associated with the course; it has also made her more keen and excited about embarking on the Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Technology. "I was really excited to get the letter from Kangan Institute telling me I had been awarded a scholarship and very proud to have been chosen. It had only been a couple of days since I'd found out that I had been accepted in to the fashion design and technology diploma course and to then receive the scholarship really was icing on the cake," she said. "I chose this course because my enthusiasm for sewing and fashion has grown during my time at high school and I want to improve my knowledge and skills so that I can pursue a career doing something I love to do." The Brown Family Education Grant is another program which helps students with pursuing their desired studies. It assists eligible individuals studying VCAL or continuing into further studies at Kangan Institute after their VCAL course. Grant recipient Sera Demirkol is a VCAL graduate now undertaking the Certificate II in Business. Her goal is to gain employment as a receptionist and slowly build up to become a nurse. "I love Kangan Institute because it is very different from any other schools; you have your own freedom and you get to do anything you want. The reason why I chose to keep studying here is because there are lots of different kinds of subjects you can get into and most of the courses have pathways to universities," she said. "This grant will help me pay for school books which will help me achieve my goal for the future to be a receptionist. I would encourage others to apply for Kangan Institute because I believe whoever comes here will enjoy it, make lots of friends and have a better future." VCAL (Intermediate) (Trade Experience Program) student Corey Quirke is also a grant recipient - he chose to complete VCAL at Kangan Institute to take advantage of the program's wide range of study and future career options. "I wasn't doing too good at school and I had a few friends that came to TAFE and said it was really good, so I applied and I really like it now. In the course I'm doing I try different tradie jobs and after that I can follow up with one of them through a pre-apprenticeship. So that's good - I get different choices about some of the career options I have," said Corey. "I'm not sure if I'd be able to go here if not for the grant so it's really good that we got the chance to get it." Corey's mother Clodagh Quirke also expressed her gratitude to Kangan Institute staff for assisting the family through the grant application process. "I was absolutely thrilled and ecstatic that Corey was entitled to the grant - it made a big difference to us as a family of six," she said. "I'd especially like to thank Michelle Mead (VCAL coordinator) who helped us through the application for the grant; if it hadn't been for her we wouldn't have known we were eligible. Corey is very happy in the Institute and really liking his course." 2014 applications for the Brown Family Educational Grant, School Leavers Scholarship and Learning4Life Pathway Scholarship will open in late 2013. Applications are now open for Special Consideration scholarships - these are study area and department specific scholarships with applications accepted year-round.