Open Universities Australia and Kids Under Cover help to transform the lives of young Australians through the power of education

The program, which offers a range of scholarship opportunities, is an exciting extension to Kids Under Cover’s existing education strategy, which focuses on the simple yet effective approach of combining secure accommodation and educational support in the prevention of youth homelessness.

OUA will work closely with the team at Kids Under Cover to identify scholarship recipients with a demonstrated passion for education and the potential to learn at university level, helping them to transform their lives through the power of education.

‘Early in the process of developing our new scholarship program, we decided that it was important to team up with organisations with the capabilities to play a large role in selecting the right candidates,’ says the head of OUA’s scholarship program, Ange Rice.

Kids Under Cover Scholarship Program Coordinator, Ben Quarrie, agrees with this approach, adding that additional support systems are essential for youth wanting to further their education, but who are often faced with many other hurdles along the way.

‘Embarking on study at university level is challenging for anyone, let alone for a young person who might also be struggling with issues at home and whose security is at risk. That’s why we’re so excited to be teaming up with OUA who can provide this education opportunity, whilst the team at Kids Under Cover focuses on selecting and supporting the scholarship recipients throughout their journey,’ says Mr Quarrie.

There are two main components to the scholarship program for young people affiliated with Kids Under Cover:

• Enable Program—for scholarship recipients who might not have had the educational opportunity to prepare them for entry to a university degree. Up to four individuals will be selected for this program.
• Pathway Program—for scholarship recipients who have demonstrated that they are ready to enter a degree. Two individuals will be selected for this program.

For further information on the scholarship program, you can contact Ben Quarrie on 03 9429 7444 or ben.quarrie@kuc.org.au.

For media enquiries please contact Kate Carthew on 0438 674 814 or kate.carthew@open.edu.au.

About Open Universities Australia

OUA is the national leader in online higher education, offering students the ability to choose from more than 1,600 subjects and hundreds of degree programs from leading Australian universities. OUA enables access to quality higher education for everyone, from anywhere, regardless of previous study experience, enriching the lives of people, their families and their communities. Visit open.edu.au.

About Kids Under Cover

Kids Under Cover is a not-for-profit organisation which was established in 1989. Kids Under Cover takes an early-intervention approach to preventing youth homelessness and is the only organisation in Australia offering the unique combination of housing and scholarships for young people at risk of homelessness. Kids Under Cover believes stable accommodation and education help young people stay connected to their family, to education and with their community. Visit www.kuc.org.au.