Sport

Study grant offer for athletes

ATHLETES are being encouraged to balance education and career pathways with their sporting ambitions with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) launching a $200,000 education scholarship program.
Partnering with the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, the AIS Education Scholarships program began as a $100,000 pilot last year supporting 40 athletes.

Mr Wylie said the way Australian athletes pursued their sporting goals was truly admirable but added it should not have to be a choice between high performance sport and education.
“We want athletes to know that Australians support them on their sporting journeys and we celebrate their success, but we equally value the transferrable attributes and skills they can bring to life beyond sport,” he said.
“On average it takes a high performance athlete twice as long to complete a university degree because they are often juggling full-time training to represent their country.
“Education can be a challenge, but it can also bring balance and a plan. Our ultimate success story would be to see more athletes finishing their sporting careers with framed medals sitting alongside their framed university degree or trade certificate.”
AIS CEO Peter Conde says they have prioritised building the Elite Athlete Education Network (EAEN) so that athletes had more options to balance sport with education.
“Our EAEN now comprises more than 40 universities and 11 TAFEs, giving athletes greater choice with their education support,” he said.
Grants of up to $5,000 are available. Applications for round one of the program are available on the AIS website and close on Friday, October 15.