The Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program is part of Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT.
This initiative aims to expand Early Childhood Degree Scholarship recipients’ skills for the benefit of the children they educate and care for, and to contribute to the continuing implementation of the National Quality Framework in the ACT.
By providing incentives for individuals to undertake higher level professional development, this initiative aims to contribute to an increase in the number of ACT degree-qualified educators and their professional profile.
Degree qualified educators are invaluable to the level of quality and care provided in ACT’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, and deliver high-quality teaching and learning to young children.
Educators with an early childhood degree also benefit from improved employment outcomes and career paths.
The ACT Government has awarded over 100 Early Childhood Degree Scholarships to educators working in the ACT’s ECEC sector since the commencement of this Program.
2024 Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program
The 2024 Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program offers up to 16 Early Childhood Degree Scholarships to educators currently working at non-government and non-school approved ECEC services in the ACT.
The 2024 Program offers:
- funding of up to $25,000 per scholarship, for full-time or part-time study.
- encouragement to employers to contribute to the funding, enabling higher numbers of scholarships to be offered.
- funding to employers to backfill staff while they are on paid study leave for practicum placement.
Successful participants, their employer and ACT Government are required to sign an Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program Deed.
Reimbursement for the eligible expenses will be processed once proof of expenditure is provided.
Second phase
The second phase of the 2024 Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program has now commenced. This phase will provide up to eight Early Childhood Degree Scholarships for eligible applicants.
How to apply
Educators and their employers should read and understand the requirements of the 2024 Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program.
2024 Program documents include:
- Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program Application Guidelines September 2024
(758kb) - Early Childhood Degree Scholarship Program Application Form September 2024 (764kb)
Applications close 30 September 2024. Late applications will not be accepted. Your application can only be submitted by email to: ceca@act.gov.au.
If you have any questions, please contact Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA) on email at ceca@act.gov.au.