Background Information
The Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship is arguably the most prestigious sporting scholarship offered at an Australian university.
The Scholarship has been made possible due to the generosity of the Jopling family in honour of Mr John Jopling and his passion for education and rowing. Mr Jopling was passionate about the importance of a quality education and the life-changing impact that such an education can have on an individual. His other great passion was the sport of rowing and its connection to the pursuit of a health and rewarding life.
The Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship aims to attract the best and brightest Australian students to study at the University of Melbourne and row at Australia’s oldest rowing club, the Melbourne University Boat Club.
One scholarship will initially be awarded for up to three years with an annual financial allocation of up to $25,000 and accompanying in-kind support from MU Sport valued at up to $5,000.
The Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship Selection Committee is looking for young women and men who can demonstrate:
• Potential to achieve academic excellence
• Potential to achieve sporting excellence in the sport of rowing
• Personal qualities that espouse active citizenship and a commitment to be a leader in the community
1. Closing Date
Applications for the 2020 Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship must be submitted online by 23.59 AEST, Sunday November 24th, 2019.
2. Eligibility
a) Nationality/citizenship: You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
b) Academic enrolment: You must be enrolled, or to be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Melbourne. (applications can be submitted from individuals currently studying or in the process of applying to study at the University for 2020)
c) Sporting excellence: You must be currently recognised/identified through an Australian high-performance talent pathway for your potential excellence in the sport of rowing
d) Rowing membership: You must commit to be an active member of the Melbourne University Boat Club and be available for selection to row for the University for the duration of the scholarship
3. Application Procedure
a) Online applications open Monday October 28th, 2019. Applications can only be submitted online.
b) Applications should be submitted online, including all supporting documentation, by 23:59 AEST, Sunday November 24th, 2019.
c) The following documents must be submitted with your online application:
i. An official transcript from your University or Secondary School showing your grades achieved (to date)
ii. Personal statement of a maximum 1000 words. The statement is an opportunity to tell the Selection Committee about yourself and what excites you. Your statement should:
• Speak to your general interests and activities. What are you passionate about? What/who inspires you?
• Discuss how you have contributed, or intend to contribute to your community
• Talk about your intended or current studies at Melbourne, and how these studies will assist in your career aspirations
• Explain why you row and
• How would this Scholarship would impact on your life?
iii. Your personal statement must be entirely your own work with no external assistance provided in its creation or editing
d) Please do not upload documents, certificates or links other than those specifically required
e) A short-list of finalists will be interviewed as part of the selection process with interviews expect to be conducted on the week of December 9th, 2019.
4. Selection Procedure
a) Selection for the Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship is made without regard for gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, social background or other irrelevant distinction. Some of this information may be collected as part of the application process for statistical purposes, however responses will not be identifiable to any individual applicant
b) Applicants are applying for the Scholarship to study and row at the University of Melbourne beginning in 2020. The Scholarship cannot be deferred
c) Short-listed finalists will be asked a series of questions at an interview with the Selection Committee
d) The Scholarship is contingent on successful enrolment to study at the University of Melbourne
e) The Selection Committee reserves the right to not award the Scholarship where they believe a suitably qualified applicant has not been identified
f) Applicants will be notified of their application status throughout the stages of the selection process
g) The award will be offered on the recommendation of the Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship Selection Committee to the candidate deemed to have most capably demonstrated the potential to achieve academic excellence, and sporting excellence in the sport of rowing and the aspiration to be a leader in the community through the application and interview process
h) Where the membership of the Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship Selection Committee does not exceed a 50% recommendation for a preferred candidate the Director of Melbourne University Sport will then make the award
5. Key Dates
• Monday October 28th, 2019 Scholarship applications open
• Sunday November 24th, 2019 Scholarship applications close
• Week beginning Monday December 9th interviews for short-listed finalists conducted
• February 2020 Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship winner announced
6. Useful Links