Largest personal philanthropic donation to a university lauded

Australia’s largest personal philanthropic donation — worth $200m — will expand the Australian National University’s (ANU) scholarship program.

Labor today welcomed the announcement of Australia’s largest personal philanthropic donation to a university, the expanded Tuckwell Scholarship Program.

“The donation will see a further $200m invested into the scholarship program over 30 years,” said shadow higher education, research, innovation and industry minister Senator Kim Carr.

“Labor understands the positive contribution…scholarships can have in breaking down barriers.”

This will expand access to the ANU’s internationally-recognised academic offerings.

“The story of Graham and Louise Tuckwell highlights what hard work, determination and a quality university education in Australia can produce,” Carr said.

“The Tuckwell Scholarship Program has proven results in providing broad-based support to school leavers who are seeking a university education across a variety of degrees and disciplines.”

Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann said the latest donation would have profound impacts well into the future.

“Labor understands the positive contribution higher education scholarships can have in breaking down barriers of inequality and boosting education in underrepresented groups,” Brodtmann said.

“Contribution the Tuckwells have made today will have a long standing and positive impact.”

That’s why at the election Labor sought to introduce:

• 25,000 teach STEM scholarships for highly skilled STEM graduates to go on to teach in our schools.
• A higher education access and growth strategy to improve outcomes for low-income students, students from rural and regional areas, Indigenous students, first generation migrants, students with disability and other disadvantaged students.

“The contribution the Tuckwells have made today will have a long standing and positive impact on Australian higher education and the ANU,” Brodtmann added.

This article originally appeared in the Labor Herald.