New scholarships, worth up to $1.05 million, are on offer at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2017 to transform the lives of asylum seekers and refugees through higher education.

The scholarships for people on both temporary and permanent humanitarian visas are being offered through the Charles Sturt Foundation. They add to financial assistance already offered through the Foundation each year through scholarships, awards and prizes to support the aspirations and dreams of CSU students.

CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said, "These eight scholarships will offer life-changing opportunities, as well as enable refugees the chance to experience higher education in regional Australia.

"They are designed to provide assistance to students who are seeking a better, safer future for themselves and their families.

"The scholarships are a great example of the University living its ethos drawn from the Wiradjuri expression, Yindyamarra Winhanganha, 'the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in', and ensure that a person's ability to attend University is not determined by their financial situation nor background," Professor Vann said.

There are two scholarship categories:

-        CSU Foundation Refugee Scholarships for students on Refugee subclass and Humanitarian Visa subclasses. The five scholarships will be paid in instalments up to $20 000.

-        CSU Refugee and Asylum Seeker Scholarships for students on Bridging visa BVA, Bridging visa BVE, Temporary Protection visa subclass 785 and Safe Haven Enterprise Visa. These three scholarships provide a 100 per cent fee waiver for an undergraduate degree.

Manager of Alumni and Foundation Relations Ms Gael Evans-Barr said, "The scholarships for people on temporary visas are significant as the students would not have access to HECS and would be otherwise treated as international students.

"The other scholarships are for undergraduates who've been assessed and qualified as refugees and have access to HECS,  but still face the daunting task of settling into a new life and the associated costs."

Both new and continuing undergraduate students at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga, as well as through CSU online, are encouraged to apply for the new scholarships. For further information, contact Ms Evans-Barr on email gevans-barr@csu.edu.au.

Through the Charles Sturt Foundation, more than 270 scholarships and grants are awarded to CSU students annually to help make higher education more accessible and affordable.

The workplace giving program, CSUgive, also enables University staff to make regular tax deductible donations towards student scholarships.