The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, today announced 18 Queensland students, all children of Vietnam veterans, would receive up to $9000 each in Australian Government funding to help them complete tertiary education. Mr Griffin said the Long Tan Bursary scheme helps the children of Vietnam veterans pursue tertiary education.

“The Long Tan Bursary scheme aims to help dedicated students achieve their long-term study goals by easing the financial cost of their tertiary study,” Mr Griffin said. “More than 250 sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans have benefited from the bursary scheme since it was introduced in 2000.”

Named after the Battle of Long Tan in which 18 Australians lost their lives, the Bursaries are available for tertiary students, including mature age students, who have achieved good academic results and have overcome personal challenges to successfully complete their secondary education.

“These students have proven their determination to pursue their studies and I congratulate them on their determination and perseverance to succeed in their chosen career paths,” Mr Griffin said. This year eighteen* students in Queensland have received bursaries.

Mr Griffin said Long Tan Bursaries totalling more than $500,000 would be presented to 56 Australian students in the coming weeks. The Bursary recognises that children of Vietnam veterans can face health and wellbeing challenges due to their parent’s service and attempts to relieve these students of some financial burden so they can concentrate on completing their studies successfully.

“The Australian Government is also seeking to lift the aspirations of students who would previously never have considered university. As well as other reforms to student income support, the 2009-10 Budget introduced two new scholarships. The scholarships provide students receiving financial assistance under the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme a start-up scholarship of $2254 a year and a relocation scholarship, worth $4000 in the first year and $1000 each year after, for those students who have to move away from home to study,” Mr Griffin said.