Wind power to drive first year scholarships at University of Southern Queensland

• A long-term investment in renewable energy in southern Queensland is set to provide ongoing scholarship support to first year University of Southern Queensland students.
• A partnership arrangement between the University of Southern Queensland and global renewable energy leader ACCIONA has resulted in the creation of the MacIntyre Wind Farm Scholarship.

The inaugural scholarship is now open to students hailing from towns in three local government areas – the Southern Downs Regional Council, Goondiwindi Regional Council and Toowoomba Regional Council.

The three regions cover the footprint of the wind farm project, located around 50 kilometres south-west of Warwick and 10 kilometres south of Karara.

The scholarship is made possible through an investment of $100,000 by ACCIONA over the next three years to a USQ endowment fund, matched by a $200,000 donation from USQ.

The inaugural scholarship offered in 2021 will be worth $2,000.

ACCIONA Managing Director Brett Wickham said an important feature of the endowment scholarship arrangement is that as interest grows in the investment fund, more finances will be made available to support an increased number of recipients over the coming years.

“The enduring nature of the scholarship arrangement was an appealing opportunity for the company as we acknowledge that investing in the Darling Downs community isn’t just about infrastructure,” Mr Wickham said.

“We see ourselves being a part of the region for a minimum of 25 to 30 years, so partnering with USQ is the ideal platform for ACCIONA to provide ongoing support to local students,” he said.

USQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Geraldine Mackenzie said this valuable partnership signals an innovative new way of providing scholarships to ensure opportunities for Darling Downs students into perpetuity.

“This is different to many other scholarship arrangements we have had in the past as the endowed nature of the scholarship enables ACCIONA and USQ to leave a lifelong legacy of support for future students,” Professor Mackenzie said.

“The generous support that ACCIONA is providing, matched with the substantial contribution from the university, will provide first year students with a real boost for years to come.

“This is an initiative that will go well beyond the construction life of the wind farm and I commend ACCIONA for joining USQ in establishing what is a visionary scholarship model.”

Applications for the MacIntyre Wind Farm Scholarship are now open. For more information, click here.

For more information, contact:
Jamin Smith
jamin.smith@newgatecomms.com.au
0451 755 355