The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, today announced six students studying in Western Australia, all children of Vietnam veterans, will receive up to $9000 each to help them complete their tertiary education. Mr Griffin said the Government recognised the challenges children face due to their parents’ Vietnam War service. “The Long Tan Bursary scheme aims to help hard working students from Vietnam veteran families to take up the challenge of tertiary education and achieve their long-term study goals,” he said.

“The bursary is awarded to students, including mature age students, who have achieved good academic results and who have overcome personal challenges to successfully complete their secondary education. These students have proven their ability and determination to pursue their careers and I am pleased the Australian Government has been able to support them in their studies.”

Long Tan Bursaries will be presented to 53 students across the country this year. This year, six* students in Western Australia have received bursaries including:

· Jarrod Carlson of Nollamara, Bachelor of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Western Australia;

·Katrina House of North Beach, Bachelor of Arts, University of Western Australia; and

·Antony Lockley of Midway Point Tasmania, Bachelor of Commerce, Curtin University of Technology.

Mr Griffin said 250 sons and daughters of Australia’s Vietnam veterans had benefited from the bursary scheme since it was introduced in 2000. The scheme was introduced in response to the findings of the Vietnam Veterans’ Health Study to provide financial support to children of Vietnam veterans with their tertiary education.

The bursary is named after the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966, in which Australian soldiers of D Company 6 RAR encountered and fought off an enemy force of up to 2500 troops in a rubber plantation north of the village of Long Tan. Eighteen Australians lost their lives in the battle.