7 May 2021

The Findex Community Fund (FCF) is pleased to announce it will again be partnering with Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) to provide six $3,000 scholarships to CEF students studying in areas related to business and finance.

The six 2021 FCF – CEF Scholarships are awarded to:

Mark Jay – Bachelor of Commerce, Communications & Media, University of Wollongong – CEF Coleambally/Darlington Pint

Joseph Hodges – Bachelor of Economics & Applied Finance, Macquarie University – CEF Grenfell

Millie George – Bachelor of Business, University of New England (UNE) – CEF Nyngan

Jonty Kingham – Bachelor of Applied Finance, Macquarie University – CEF Orange & District

Patricia Condino – Bachelor of Accounting, Western Sydney University – CEF Walgett

Thomas Tough – Bachelor of Software/Bachelor of Business, University of Canberra – CEF West Wyalong

CEF Chief Executive Officer, Juliet Petersen says she is excited that FCF have elected to continue their partnership with CEF. “The Findex Community Fund has been partnering with CEF for several years now, and over this time have provided direct support to rural and regional students and also much needed support to our local foundations, ensuring they can continue to do what they do best. FCF’s dedication to the education of rural and regional students is very clear, and we are excited to work with them on several other initiatives over the next twelve months.”

FCF Director, Danielle Maxwell, added, “We’re proud to partner with CEF to provide grants to young people to further their education, particularly for those that, without this support, may not have been financially able to. The vast regional footprint of Findex gives us first-hand understanding of the barriers regional communities can face. The Findex Community Fund is committed to creating equal access in the areas of health, education and entrepreneurship, helping to connect young people in regional communities with their potential.”

2019 FCF – CEF scholarship recipient Annie Derrick from Temora said of her scholarship “With the current drought I was very concerned about my finances. The support I received helped my parents out a lot and allowed me to purchase textbooks without the guilt of them being too costly.” Through the partnership, CEF and FCF were also able to connect Annie with an accountant working in a regional area for informal mentoring, an opportunity she found very valuable, and an offering the partnership will develop for other recipients.

FCF is also proud to be collaborating with CEF on an exciting financial literacy project aimed at improving the financial knowledge of our rural and regional youth, an area which research shows is lacking when compared to their metropolitan counterparts.

Visit our websiteto find out more on the FCF and how you can contribute.