Victoria University and Western Chances are funding university degrees for three more students from Melbourne's west as part of the 2009 Western Chances VU Success Scholarship program.
Now in its second year, the four-year program offers three fee-free undergraduate places to high-achieving secondary school students from Melbourne's western region every year. The total value of the 12 scholarships is more than $300,000.
The three students for 2009 are: Bachelor of Psychology student Elizabeth Tzortzoglou of Keilor Downs, Bachelor of Business student Kanan Bourne of Altona North; and Bachelor of Engineering student Justin Attard of Sunshine. Each of the students is in the first year of their degree course.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Elizabeth Harman said the partnership between Victoria University and Western Chances has had a remarkable impact on the western region.
"Our two organisations are symbiotic in that we both like to support and invest in students in Melbourne's west," she said.
The scholarships assist students identified by Western Chances as having special talents or interests, a capacity for achievement, and a demonstrated need for financial assistance.
Elizabeth, a former student at Kealba Secondary College, and Justin, an alumnus of Sunshine College, accepted their scholarships from VU Chancellor, the Hon Justice Frank Vincent, and Lynne Wannan, Deputy Chair of Western Chances, at a ceremony at VU's Footscray Nicholson Campus this week.
The program complements VU's newly announced Achievement Scholarships, which will provide 120 scholarships a year - two to every secondary school in Melbourne's west starting in 2010 - as well as its 500 Equity Scholarships.
