2023 Scholarship - Full terms and conditions

The Value Comparisons Australia (‘VCA’) Scholarship Program (Scholarship, Scholarship Program) is run by VCA and as a condition of entry, the Entrant (the Entrant) will be bound by the following terms and conditions.

Chance plays no part in determining the winner. Each entry will be individually judged, and the winner will be chosen based on merit.

The Promoter

The Promoter is Value Comparisons Australia Pty Ltd trading as Compare Broadband (the Promoter, We, Us, Our) (ABN 90 137 786 979). The Promoter assesses and awards the grant in its sole discretion.

The challenge

To apply for the VCA Scholarship Program, the Entrant will need to write an essay (maximum 1,000 words) answering the following question:

Explain how internet and broadband technology might change over the next 20 years, how it will impact our lives, and whether we will buy or change broadband plans differently in the future.

Eligible Entrants

Entry is open to citizens or permanent residents of Australia who are aged 18 years old or over at the time of entry, who are enrolled in full-time study in an accredited Australian education institution and be studying for a certificate, diploma, degree, or traineeship and have fulfilled the eligibility requirements and these terms and conditions in their entirety.

• University degrees:
• TAFE certificates/diplomas

Employees and immediate family members including the spouse, de facto, parent, guardian, child, or sibling (Immediate Family Members) of VCA are ineligible to enter.

How to enter

Eligible Entrants must submit their entry during the Entry Period (defined below under When to enter) by submitting their application by email to [email protected]

Entries must include:

• A proof of identification;
• A proof of enrollment, including course name, tertiary institution name and enrollment status
• The Entrant’s response to the challenge (maximum word count is 1,000 words);
• and
• The Entrant’s contact details (including residential address).

Any entries to this Scholarship Program must be the Entrant’s original work. If an entry is found to be plagiarised or AI generated, whether wholly or a substantial part, it will be disqualified from this Scholarship Program. This clause is active despite any communication of the result of the Scholarship Program.

When to enter

The entry period for 2023 closes October 31, 2023 at 23:59pm (Entry Period). All times noted in these Terms and Conditions are based on Melbourne AEST. Please note that the entry period for 2022 is now closed.

Judging

The winner of the Scholarship will be selected on the basis of the best written entry by a panel of judges. Judging will take place from November 15, 2023.

The Promoter may select additional entries to be used as replacements in the Event that the first Entrant chosen as a winner cannot satisfy these Terms and Conditions or accept the Scholarship.

The winner for the 2023 Scholarship will be notified by email and their name will be published on our website on February 17, 2024.

Number of entries permitted

Eligible Entrants can only enter once and in their own name. Business names won’t be accepted.

The Prize

The Scholarship’s total value is $2,500 (the Prize). This will be paid as a lump sum directly to the chosen financial institution of the eligible winner.

Unclaimed Prize

If the Promoter is unable to contact the winner within six weeks of the winner announcement to claim fulfilment of the Scholarship, that winner will forfeit the Scholarship in its entirety and it shall be awarded to the next runner up in the Scholarship Program. The Promoter won’t be liable for a winner who can’t be contacted.

General terms and conditions

The Entrant agrees and acknowledges that they have read these Terms and Conditions and that entry into the Scholarship Program is deemed to be acceptance of these Terms and Conditions in full.

If any person (other than the Entrant) is appearing in any photograph (if used for entering the Scholarship Program or any part of any entry) is 18 years old or over, the Entrant warrants that they’ve informed them of the nature and likely use of the photograph, and have their consent to do so, prior to submission. If any person appearing in the photograph is under the age of 18, the Entrant warrants that they’ve informed their parent or guardian of the nature and likely use of the photograph and have the parent or guardian’s consent to do so, prior to submission.

Each Entrant warrants they have copyright, and other intellectual property rights, for the comments or images submitted for the purposes of their entry and as part of their entry, and provides a licence to the Promoter to use the comments in future advertising campaigns and for remarketing purposes. This licence is non-revocable except with the express consent of the Promoter. Each Scholarship Entrant holds the Promoter harmless for any liabilities associated with the unauthorised use of any content or image that has been included in their entry.

Any eligible Entrant who, in the opinion of the Promoter, tampers or interferes with the entry mechanism in any way, engages in any unlawful or improper conduct which jeopardises or is likely to jeopardise the fair or proper conduct of the Scholarship, or who does not properly comply with the entry process, will be ineligible to receive the Prize or enter further Scholarship Programs run by the Promoter.

If this Scholarship is interfered with in any way or isn’t capable of being conducted as reasonably anticipated due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter, the Promoter reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and to the fullest extent permitted by law to: (a) disqualify any Entrant or claimant; or (b) modify, suspend, terminate, or cancel the Scholarship Program, as appropriate.

The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these Terms and Conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the Scholarship Program. The Promoter’s legal rights to recover damages or other compensation from such an offender are reserved.

If for any reason this Scholarship Program isn’t capable of running as planned, including due to (but not limited to) infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Promoter, which corrupt or affect the administration security, fairness, or integrity or proper conduct of this Scholarship Program, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Scholarship Program.

Entrants’ personal information will be collected by the Promoter. Personal information will be stored in the Promoter’s database. The Promoter may use this information for future marketing purposes regarding its products, including contacting the Entrant electronically. The Promoter is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and its Privacy Policy (Privacy Policy) which is located here. The Promoter’s Privacy Policy contains information about how the Entrant may access, update, and seek correction of the personal information the Promoter holds about them and how the Entrant may complain about any potential breach by the Promoter of the Australian Privacy Principles or any other Australian privacy laws and how such complaints will be dealt with. The Promoter collects personal information about Entrants to enable them to participate in this Scholarship Program and may disclose the Entrant’s personal information to third parties, including its contractors and agents, prize suppliers, and service providers to assist in conducting this Scholarship Program. If the Entrant doesn’t provide their personal information as requested, they may be ineligible to enter or claim the Prize in the Scholarship Program. Personal information collected from Entrants won’t be disclosed to any entity located outside of Australia. By entering the Scholarship Program, the Entrant consents to Us using and disclosing their personal information in accordance with the Privacy Policy and as set out in these Terms and Conditions.

All Entrants must only submit their own original answers. Any such answers can’t be previously published in any forum worldwide. All entries become the property of the Promoter and can’t be returned. Entries that are found to have been derived from a third party will be considered invalid and, if awarded the Scholarship, the Scholarship value must be returned to the Promoter.

At any time, the Promoter reserves the right to validate and check the authenticity of entries and Entrants’ details (including an Entrant’s identity, age, place of residence and education enrollment). In the event that a winner can’t provide suitable proof, the winner will forfeit the Prize in whole and no substitute will be offered. Incomplete, indecipherable, incorrect, and illegible entries, as applicable, will at the Promoter’s discretion, be deemed invalid and not eligible to win. Entries containing offensive or defamatory comments, or which breach any law or infringe any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights, aren’t eligible to win. The Promoter reserves the right to rejudge in the event of an Entrant, claiming to be a winner, being unable to satisfy these Terms and Conditions.

The judges’ decision in relation to any aspect of the Scholarship Program is final and binding on each person who enters. Chance plays no part in determining any winner. No correspondence will be entered into. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost, or misdirected entries.

The Promoter reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions if this Scholarship can’t be run as originally planned. The Promoter may also cancel or suspend this Scholarship Program if an event beyond the control of the Promoter corrupts or affects the administration security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this program. The Promoter will disqualify any individual who has tampered with the entry process or any other aspect of this Scholarship Program.

The Promoter and its associated agencies and companies won’t be liable for any loss (including, without limitation, indirect, special, or consequential loss, or loss of profits), expense, damage, personal injury, or death which is suffered or sustained (whether or not arising from any person’s negligence or wilful misconduct) in connection with this Scholarship Program or accepting or using any Prize (or recommendation), except for any liability which can’t be excluded by law (in which case that liability is limited to the minimum allowable by law).

The Entrant will participate in and co-operate as required with all reasonable marketing and editorial activities relating to the Promotion, including (but not limited to) being recorded, photographed, filmed, or interviewed and acknowledges that the Promoter may use any such marketing and editorial material without further reference or compensation to them.

The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any tax implications and the Entrant must seek their own independent financial advice in regards to the tax implications relating to the Prize or acceptance of the Prize.

Failure by the Promoter to enforce any of its rights at any stage doesn’t constitute a waiver of these rights.