Australian high performance athletes are encouraged to manage education and career pathways with their sporting ambitions as the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) today opens a new round of applications for the AIS Education Scholarship Program.
Now in its second year, the AIS Education Scholarship program has already supported 77 athletes in Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports with grants of up to $5,000 to support their education. Athletes are invited to apply now for another $100,000 in grants, with applications closing April 18.
AIS Director Matti Clements thanked the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation for their ongoing support of the program and their commitment to athlete education.
“The AIS wants athletes to be successful in sport and life and that’s a vision shared by John and Myriam Wylie, who have driven the outcomes for this program and have been long-term supporters of Australian sport,” Clements said.
“Athletes can be very focused on their sporting ambitions and consumed by game plans, but this is about supporting athletes to develop life plans beyond sport. Education and sport can be a winning mix, it can bring balance during an athlete’s sporting career and it can create purpose beyond the sporting arena.
“The AIS created the Elite Athlete Education Network (EAEN) so that athletes have more options to manage their sporting careers with education. The AIS Education scholarships are open to categorised athletes who are studying at any of the EAEN-aligned tertiary institutions around Australia. Our Elite Athlete Education Network now comprises more than 40 universities and 12 TAFEs around the country, giving athletes greater choice and flexibility with their education support.”
The first round of grants in 2021-22 saw almost $110,000 in grants allocated to 37 athletes from 19 sports and 21 tertiary institutions. Olympic sailor Tess Lloyd was one of the recipients, competing at the Tokyo Olympics last year while studying a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University.
“The AIS education scholarship is important to me because I believe life balance is key for success, wellbeing and happiness in all aspects of life,” Lloyd said. “My future career in primary school teaching is a focus as well as being a dedicated athlete. I love being able to juggle both and it’s amazing to have such great support from AIS to help achieve this.”
Other 2021 recipients share their stories and testimonials about the positive impact of the scholarships here.
Grants of up to $5,000 are available per athlete. Applications are available on the AIS website and open today, Monday 28 March, and close Monday 18 April. It is open to any categorised athlete who is intending to enrol, currently enrolled, or part way through a course/unit of study in period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 that is part of the EAEN.
By Chris Wilson/AIS
