*** THE ACER SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATION WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, 10th MAY 2008***

Scholarships are awarded annually on the basis of demonstrated academic merit, regardless of a family’s capacity to pay the fees. 

(i)         Brisbane Grammar School offers scholarships only for demonstrated academic merit. It does not offer scholarships for sporting or cultural excellence.

(ii)         Any Year 7 student, whether enrolled or not, is entitled to apply for a Trustees’ scholarship for entry to Year 8 in the following year.

(iii)        A small number of Trustees’ full fee remission scholarships, and a larger number of Trustees’ half-fee remission scholarships are awarded annually.

(iv)        Trustees' scholarships are awarded in normal circumstances only for Years 8-10. However, a student who is awarded a Trustees’ scholarship may apply for continued assistance in the form of a means-tested bursary for Years 11-12.

(v)         Decisions for interview of applicants for Trustees' Scholarships are made initially on the basis of performance in the annual ACER Scholarship Examination (for details see below).

(vi)        In offering academic scholarships candidates will be required to attend an interview with the Headmaster at which the student’s current school record will be considered along with his capacity and willingness to participate actively and widely in the School’s extracurricular programme.

Bursaries are needs-based offers of enrolment, with completely or partially waived fees.
 

(i)         Entrance bursaries are regarded by the School as an important means of providing access to the School for talented boys who would benefit from a Grammar education. The School has traditionally provided such access and intends to continue to do so to maintain as broad as possible a social mix within its community. The School has an objective to increase its financial capacity to provide such access to deserving boys.

(ii)         Bursaries are offered annually to students, whether enrolled or not, who possess well-rounded talent and demonstrated ability. The student will be expected to lead by example in both his studies and extracurricular activities. He will be expected to show continued commitment to the School’s ambition to develop well-rounded and well-balanced young men, who will aspire to become valued contributors in, and possibly leaders of, future society.

(iii)        Applicants for annual bursaries are normally expected to sit the ACER Scholarship Examination to provide independent evidence of academic ability. However, bursaries may be offered to boys whose parents make application subsequent to the annual ACER Examination, if funds are still available and if some suitably independent evidence of academic capability can be provided.

(iv)        Bursaries providing full or partial remission of tuition fees are normally offered to boys entering the School at Year 8.

(v)         Bursaries providing full or partial remission of the boarding fee may be offered to boys entering Year 8 or Year 11, or even in special circumstances Year 10 (if a place is available).

(vi)        Normally the family of an applicant for a boarding bursary would reside outside the Brisbane area.

(vii)       Bursaries are made available for the full five years of schooling from Years 8-12, but are renewed annually, subject to continuing demonstrated financial need.

(viii)      Families wishing to be considered for a needs-based bursary for their son must be prepared to complete a bursary application form. This will include disclosure in strict confidence of the family’s financial situation, including a copy of the most recent income tax return. The School may also require that an independent accountant discuss the family’s financial situation with an appropriate person.

The decision to award either a scholarship or bursary is entirely at the discretion of the Headmaster. 

No correspondence will be entered into with regard to such decisions.

On-line Registration for the 2008 ACER Scholarship Examination is now closed.  Late applications will be accepted until Saturday 10 May 2008. Please contact the Registrar, Ms Catherine McMahon, for further information on + 61 7 3834 5200. 

Please note:    Failure to win a Scholarship will, in no way, prejudice the enrolment of a boy who has already been accepted for 2009 entry, but the successful candidates will be assured of a place in the School whether they have already been accepted or not.

If you wish your son to be considered for a Scholarship at more than one school, the test need only be taken once at any of the centres available, but the following procedure must be followed:
1.  Make separate application to each school at which you wish your boy to be an applicant.
2.  Complete a separate Candidate's Registration Form for each school.
3.  Pay to each school the Scholarship Examination fee they require.
4.  Make sure that the same examination centre is recorded on each Registration Form.

If this procedure is followed, the results of the one test will be supplied by ACER to all the schools nominated for their consideration.

Examination Centres:

The Candidate’s Information Bulletin has a comprehensive list of supervised examination centres for candidates taking the Co-operative Scholarship Tests on Saturday 10 May 2008.   Country candidates may attend the nearest Centre available.

Special Centres:

Please Note: Candidates requesting Special Examination Centres in Australia or Overseas will not be able to register online.  The School will provide the usual paper and pencil option.

1. Candidates residing overseas (which includes Papua New Guinea) may receive permission to do the examination under the following conditions:
a]     A completed Registration Form must be received by the closing date.
b]     The Controlling Committee must be satisfied that an acceptable standard of supervision will be met.
c]     The candidate should supply the name and address of a nominated supervisor.
d]     Supply an address where ACER can contact them at any time before the Examination.
e]     The fee payable by overseas candidates is A$200.00 in addition to the basic registration fee.

2. Groups of five or more candidates may request special consideration for the establishment of a Special Centre nearer their homes where distances to be travelled would cause hardship (candidates are expected to travel 200km).  The conditions applying are the same as set out above for overseas candidates except (e).  In very remote towns (eg  Weipa), a special centre may be set up with fewer than five candidates.

Please note:    A person qualified to administer the test is someone not related to the candidate, nor involved in teaching or coaching him and who is prepared to sign a Supervisor's Agreement.

Procedures for students sitting the Examination at Brisbane Grammar School

The Examination will begin at 9am sharp on Saturday 10 May 2008 and it would be appreciated if students could arrive at the Great Hall at Brisbane Grammar School at 8.15 a.m.  A sign in the driveway will indicate the location of this Hall.  Please note that there will be no provision for parking at the School and the parking situation in Gregory Terrace is usually extremely hectic on this day.  I would urge parents to be aware of this and make arrangements so that students arrive on time.  School Prefects will be available to provide directions. It will not be necessary for parents to remain after boys have entered the Hall.

There will be a break between papers and drinks will be provided for the students.  Boys should bring morning tea if required.

The Examination should conclude at approximately 12.10 pm. when students should be collected from the Great Hall or environs.

You are requested to read the bulletin carefully  and, in particular, to note that it is not necessary for boys to bring anything other than two ball point pens, two pencils and pencil eraser.  Candidates should not bring books, papers, rulers or mathematical instruments of any kind.

The names of the successful scholarship candidates will be announced in August, when parents will be informed of the results by letter.  We wish to advise that the School does not provide candidates’ actual scores or order of merit.  Parents will be given information about their son’s percentile ranking.

Please remember that the date of this Examination is Saturday 10 May 2008 as no further reminder will be sent.