Mayoral Scholarship Program
Cessnock City Council's Mayoral Scholarship Program is an initiative of Mayor, Councillor Jay Suvaal, that assists local residents financially to achieve their educational goals at TAFE or university.
The objective of the program is to help residents of the Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA) advance their education and reach their full potential, particularly in the industries offering gainful employment in the Cessnock LGA, such as hospitality, tourism, education, engineering, medical, mining, communications and manufacturing. While many factors influence career selection, it is our goal to have as many residents as possible achieve their higher education and career aspirations.
The program has been running since 2002 and, with the help of local sponsors, has awarded 235 scholarships to the value of $588,000.
We are also contacting past sponsors to jump onboard for 2023 and inviting new sponsors to join the Program to receive promotional benefits while supporting youth, residents and jobs in our area by becoming a 2023 Mayoral Scholarship Program sponsor. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive difference in our community.
Apply for a Mayoral Scholarship
If you reside in the Cessnock LGA and are currently undertaking study at university or TAFE, you may be eligible for a scholarship of $2,500 to assist you.
Recipients are selected on the basis of academic merit, community involvement and achievement, and their Mayoral Scholarship Program application. Applications are welcomed, from residents living within the LGA, of any age to achieve their educational goals at TAFE or University.
Applications for the Mayoral Scholarship Program open soon. Read the Terms and Conditions and make an application via the links below:
2022 Mayoral Scholarship Program Sponsorship
Thank you to the 2022 Mayoral Scholarship Program sponsors who have contributed $2,500 each to the program. Each $2,500 amount will be awarded to a successful candidate to help offset costs such as course fees, textbooks, laptops and more.
The 2022 scholarship recipients were:
- Joseph Barry, sponsored by Austar Coal Mine.
- Ethan Floyd, sponsored by Central Waste Station.
- Lucy Saywell, sponsored by Kurri Kurri Retired Mineworkers Association.
- Jesse Hamilton, sponsored by Galah Cyber.
- Georgia Bailey, sponsored by Hunter Resource Recovery.
- Ryan Stace, sponsored by Rover Coaches.
- Christine Grainger, sponsored by Cessnock Leagues Club.
- Gina Harrison, sponsored by East Cessnock Bowling Club.
- Ruby Madden, sponsored by Roche Group.
- Lucy Donn, sponsored by Dr Russell Kift NuSmiles Clinic.
- Jack Eades, sponsored by Lioncrest Education.
- Tayla Barusic, sponsored by Cessnock City Council.
If your business or organisation is interested in becoming a future Mayoral Scholarship sponsor, the below prospectus provides background information on the Program.
2023 Mayoral Scholarship Program Prospectus(PDF, 994KB)