Scholarship keeps Keely smiling

Dozens of scholarships are available across the state to support study in a wide range of qualifications with each recipient receiving up to $5,000 to help cover the costs of course fees, text books and living expenses.

TAFE Queensland student Keely Horne secured a scholarship in 2019 and has since used the opportunity to move from her home town of Cairns to study a Bachelor of Dental Prosthetics (HED004) at Brisbane’s South Bank campus, perusing her dream career of creating beautiful smiles.

“For a lot of people, a trip to the dentist is terrifying, but when I visited my orthodontist to get braces, I was fascinated. The tools, equipment, processes and the result — I just knew working in the dental field was my calling,” said Keely.

After researching dental courses, Keely decided that TAFE Queensland’s Bachelor of Dental Prosthetics (HED004) was exactly what she wanted to study.

To help reduce the cost of moving and studying, Keely researched which scholarships were available and found that a TAFE Queensland scholarship was exactly what she needed to kick start her study journey.

“Moving away from home to follow my passion was both scary and expensive, but studying Dental Prosthetics is my calling. So when I found the TAFE Queensland scholarships, I jumped at the chance to apply, because getting one would help with my costs," said Keely. 

“And when I got that phone call saying I was a recipient, I was ecstatic. It was a mixture of relief and excitement because moving cities and starting my studies just got easier,” she said.

Keely has since put her scholarship money towards her course fees, dental tools used for practical training, and to complete a first aid course required for her degree. She’s now in her second year and is thrilled with how her professional skills are developing.

“Studying at TAFE Queensland has been amazing. My teachers are incredibly helpful and the smaller class sizes mean I get vital one-on-one time to practice my skills," said Keely. 

“I love studying in the lab and practising with the same equipment you’d find in any dental practice in Australia. The work we do with live patients is amazing too  — getting impressions, making moulds, constructing dentures and checking my patient’s bites helps me to put the course theory into practice."

“I’m really looking forward to graduating and helping to give patients their best possible smiles,” she said.

The TAFE Queensland Scholarship Program first launched in 2015 and has since awarded over $1.4million, helping more than 300 Queenslanders pursue their careers goals.

TAFE Queensland General Manager Brisbane, Dr Paul Wilson, said the scholarships provide an opportunity for Queenslanders to develop their skills and gain a qualification to secure jobs in some of the state’s largest and fastest growing industries.

“We know the power vocational education has to change people’s lives and help them achieve extraordinary things,” Dr Wilson said.

“Two types of scholarships are available. The first are merit scholarships aimed at supporting people who have demonstrated strong levels of achievement to advance their careers. The second are access and equity scholarships designed to help students who are battling social or financial hardship,” he said.

Scholarship recipients can choose to study a TAFE Queensland qualification from a certificate III through to advanced diploma across various industries such as business, creative industries, health, hospitality, information technology, trades and many more.

Applications for a TAFE Queensland scholarship to commence study in Semester 1, 2021 will open on 13 July and close on 27 August 2020. With an average of 600 applications received each year, anyone looking to start their career or make a career change is encouraged to apply now.