Donor Information

Why the Trust Deserves Your Financial Help
AVCAT is helping the disadvantaged children of Australian veterans to a better future through tertiary education, an opportunity they might otherwise be unable to undertake or complete satisfactorily. These children are also often the innocent casualties of war.

Your generosity to these veterans' children can help heal past wounds and help ensure they have a productive future ahead.

You can invest in Australian children by donating directly to the AVCAT scholarship fund which is a pool of small, mostly anonymous, contributions.

Or by becoming the sponsor of an ongoing bursary or scholarship scheme which supports one or more students.

Consider AVCAT too when, as the veteran community ages, the assets of your ex-service organization are being disposed of, or through a personal bequest.

Our Record
AVCAT and its predecessor, the Vietnam Veterans Trust, have been providing needs and merit based scholarship assistance since 1991. AVCAT, by many measures, administers more national means and merit based scholarships for tertiary study than any other non government organization in Australia, in terms of the number offered and the amount paid.

Up to the end of 2005, over 3,500 have applied to the Trust and more than 550 have been assisted with their educational costs from schemes funded or administered by us. Over $3,000,000 was paid to selected applicants.

In 2006 we are assisting 100 students and recent broadening of the Long Tan Bursary guidelines means that in 2007 we will have more than 250 on our books within three years.

Selection
AVCAT selects the most deserving candidates of merit from those applicants eligible for each of the schemes it administers. "Deserving" is weighted 60% and "Merit" 40%. "Deserving" (or need) encompasses the applicant's financial, health and other personal circumstances, with "Merit" meaning motivation, academic performance and potential for the course of studies proposed. To ensure that vocational students are equitably treated, those applicants are assessed as a separate national group.

The academic standard set is ability to complete the course for which the person is to be selected, in the minimum time plus one year. Because of the economically disadvantaged group that AVCAT serves, from time to time academic selection chances are taken.

History shows however, that the proportion of those awarded grants who cease their courses prematurely, is under half that of undergraduates generally. At the same time, we take vicarious pride in the generally high standard of results achieved by those selected and official approving recognition elsewhere they receive for their achievements, on and off campus.

Referral
Sadly, each year many deserving applicants of merit cannot be helped because of funding limitations. For this reasons, each year we suggest if we can, organizations of similar purpose to AVCAT that might be able to assist those we cannot. See also Related Links.

If we see during our processing, that an applicant might be able to benefit for assistance from the Veterans' Children Education Scheme (VCES), we suggest they contact the Department. Similarly, we refer appropriate applicants to Legacy or other organizations of similar purpose. As a result each year we are able to help an additional number of children in need.

Recipient Profiles
Typically, each year's selections include children from dysfunctional families, often because of a veteran's war caused medical conditions, physical and mental, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Children from sole parent families are also frequent, as are children from families where either or both parents is out of work or on low incomes because of their skills and location. There are also homeless children and single parents.

Allegra Giagu of Canberra, performing at the Edinburgh Tattoo in Sydney in February 2005

Allegra Giagu, shown here, was a recent recipient of an AVCAT administered scholarship, the Regular Defence Force Welfare Association, NSW Commander James 'Curley' Fahey. She applied to do a degree in music (performance) at the NSW Conservatorium where she continued to develop as a singer of opera. She is continuing her studies in London.

Examples from recent selection word pictures follow, with the names and identifying details changed to preserve privacy:

Outcomes
It would be useful to canvass those who have received assistance from AVCAT in the past, to what value, after experience and reflection, they place on the assistance received. To date resources have prevented this. We do however encourage those who leave our schemes to keep in touch with us. Many do, offering often to help us in our work.

The AVCAT logo was an example of such an offer.

It was designed by former recipient, Kelly Anne Manning, now a successful professional artist.

It also relatively common for recipients to want to give something back to the veteran and general community, for example through working with disadvantaged youth or disabled veterans, or teaching or nursing in Vietnam.

Intrinsic Rewards
AVCAT's work is profoundly satisfying for all of us involved it, whether they be our small part-time employed Office Staff. Or the Honorary Directors who serve on our Board, or the members of selection Committee, or our other volunteers, none of whom receive remuneration.

If you want to donate, please contact us.

For financial overview, click here.