Eligibility

Am I eligible to apply for the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program?

If you have completed or will be completing a four year sequence of APAC accredited psychology studies, you will be eligible to apply for the one year Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program to complete your Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology).

Where do I find a list of programs of study that are APAC accredited?

The department does not endorse individual programs of study. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure their studies are APAC-accredited.

Visit the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) website for a list of approved sequences of study. You will also find a list of approved sequences of study (including information on years of psychology study) on the Psychology Board of Australia website.

Am I eligible to apply if I am still studying?

Yes you can, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria and will complete your four year sequence of psychology studies prior to the end of the 2024 calendar.

How do I know if I have received the required academic mark required for entry into the Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology)?

Please discuss your concerns with Charles Sturt University or the University of Wollongong.

My psychology studies are more than ten years old, what should I do?

You should refer your enquiry to either Charles Sturt University, University of Wollongong or the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to identify if you are required to complete further psychology studies.

Should further studies be required you will not be eligible to apply for the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program.

Application process

How do I apply?

Applications must be submitted using the writable PDF form. During the application period, an 'Apply now' button will be available on the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program webpage. Outside the application period, you will be able to sign up to receive an email notifying you when applications open.

A writable pdf is a pdf document that includes certain fields that are editable without PDF-editor software. Any writable pdf that opens in modern pdf viewers (Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, Bluebeam) will be usable in the Forms tool.

Hand written, photocopied or scanned applications will not be accepted.

When should I submit my application?

We encourage applicants to commence and submit their application as early as possible during the application period.

Will late applications be accepted?

No, incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. All required supporting documents must be provided at the time your application is submitted. If required supporting documents are not included, your application may not progress through to the assessment stage.

How can I be sure my application has been submitted?

You will receive an application confirmation email within two weeks of submission to the email address you provided in your application. Please keep a copy of all emails for your records.

If you did not receive a confirmation email within two weeks of submitting your application and have checked your junk folder, please email the department's Student Wellbeing Recruitment team via swr@det.nsw.edu.au.

Who should I ask to support my application?

Your written referees should comment on your professional work, preferably at a supervisory level. You should advise your referees that if you are invited to interview that they may be called upon to provide a verbal reference. If you currently work in schools, your primary supervisor should be your princpal.

What does the selection process involve?

The selection process involves a review of your application including your supporting statement, your academic record to date, referee supporting statements and the School Staffing locations that you have nominated. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to attend an online interview.

Invitations to attend an interview will be sent via email from a third party provider and not a department email address. Please check your junk/spam folder if you have not received this.

The application process is a merit selection process. Meeting the eligibility criteria is the first step of the selection process.

How do I enter the Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology)?

The Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology), delivered by Charles Sturt University and University of Wollongong, is a specialised degree for successful recipients of NSW Department of Education Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program.

To apply for this course, you will need to:

1. submit your application for the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program and
2. apply for the Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology) through Charles Sturt University or University of Wollongong.

You will only be offered a place in the Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology) if you are successful in being offered a scholarship and meet the university’s entry requirements.

In addition to the department’s scholarship recruitment processes, applicants must meet the university’s Admission Requirements. These assessments of personal suitability to undertake professional practice as a psychologist, evaluated through interview and referee reports and review of APAC accredited psychology studies.

Will successful and unsuccessful applicants be notified of the outcome?

Yes. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants are notified of the outcome via email once the selection process is completed. If you change your contact details after the closing date, please email your updated contact details to the Student Wellbeing Recruitment Team via swr@det.nsw.edu.au.

When will I find out if I am successful?

Scholarships will be offered to successful applicants by the end of the 2024 school year, for entry into the program from the start of Term 1, 2025.

If my application has been unsuccessful, can I request feedback?

If you would like feedback on your application, contact the Student Wellbeing Recruitment Team via swr@det.nsw.edu.au. Provision of feedback may not be readily available immediately after the selection process due to deadlines following recruitment. The Student Wellbeing Recruitment Team will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.

Program details

What are the commitments of a scholarship recipient?

Successful applicants are required to sign a Scholarship Agreement with the department, committing them to:

• successfully complete the required studies and training
• accept appointment as a permanent full-time school psychologist to a NSW public school in one of the locations aligned with their Scholarship Agreement, upon completion of the required studies and training
• remain in the permanent full-time school psychologist position they are appointed to on completion of the required studies and training for a minimum period of 3 years
• agree to attain and maintain General Registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.

What financial support do successful applicants receive?

The NSW Department of Education pays all tuition and supervision fees related to the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program . Recipients also receive a $1,500 textbook allowance on commencement of the program, a $4,000 placement allowance on commencement of their professional placement and an appointment allowance between $3,000 and $10,000 (depending on high priority or priority apointment location) on entry on duty to their appointed school in Term 1, 2025.

What will I be paid as a School Psychologist?

School Psychologists are paid a completive salary. A School Psychologist with Provisional Registration will commence on $95,317. Salary progresses to $151,742 for a School Psychologist with Advanced Certification. Salaries for promotional positions are $164,044 for Senior Psychologists Education and $168,547 for Leaders Psychology Practice.

Further advice regarding salaries is available at Industrial Relations Commission - Search NSW Awards.

Are there any tax implications I need to be aware of should I be successful in obtaining a sponsorship?

There may be a Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) implication for NSW Department of Education Scholarship recipients. .

Where NSW Department of Education incurs FBT for benefits provided to its scholarship recipients, the Commonwealth requires certain benefits to be disclosed on the individual employee’s payment summary (formerly group certificate). This is known as a Reportable Fringe Benefit Amount (RFBA).

You will not have an income tax or FBT liability when you have an RFBA on your payment summary. However, the amount is used to access eligibility for other Commonwealth benefits and obligations, for example the Medicare levy.

You are advised to contact an accountant regarding the FBT implications. For further information, a fact sheet, which will provide details on likely impacts and thresholds, is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website.

When are scholarship recipients appointed to their permanent position?

School psychologists work across all school settings from pre-school to high school. Regardless of your experience, you can expect to support children across all settings.

On successful completion of the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program and the completion of the required fifth year of studies, scholarship recipients will be awarded a Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology), and be appointed to a full-time permanent school psychologist position in a NSW public school in one of the nominated locations in line with their Scholarship Agreement.

Appointments for School psychologist positions will commence from Term 3 in your final year of study and you may be advised just prior to the commencement of Term 1 of the year of appointment.

How do I know which schools are included in the areas I have selected on my scholarship application?

NSW public schools are grouped into geographic locations called ‘Principal Networks’. Each principal network has multiple ‘areas’ for the purpose of staffing schools. Applicants are encouraged to download and view the organisation of public schools by staffing area resource.

As a scholarship holder, you are considered an employment applicant and therefore when selecting Staffing Areas as part of your scholarship application, schools to which you are considered for appointment will align with the ‘areas’ for the purposes of staffing schools.

What are the geographic areas of workforce need?

The high priority staffing areas of workforce need are:

• Armidale
• Bathurst
• Bourke
• Queanbeyan
• Deniliquin
• Moree
• Orange
• Wagga Wagga

The priority staffing areas of workforce need are:

• Albury
• Broken Hill
• Dubbo
• Griffith
• Tamworth
• Granville
• Blacktown
• Liverpool
• Mount Druitt
• Penrith
• Maitland
• Muswellbrook

To view the schools located in each geographic area of workforce need please view the Staffing Areas spreadsheet (354 KB).

Do scholarship recipients who are appointed to rural or remote areas receive the same benefits and/or incentives that are available to the other school psychologists in that location?

Yes. On completion of the Psychology Graduate Scholarship Program and appointment to a permanent position, scholarship recipients may be eligible for a wide range of benefits and incentives. The benefits vary from school to school. Use the benefits calculator to find out about the benefits and incentives that are available to school based employees at individual schools.