Community & Business
21 January, 2026
Gil CEF to assist a record 19 students
The Gilgandra CEF will support a record number of students this year.
Gilgandra and District Country Education Foundation (CEF) are looking forward to supporting a record number of students this year.
The group received 19 applications for support this year. 10 where new applicants, and nine were continuing students; all were successful in obtaining support.
A spokesperson for the local branch of CEF said "as an organisation we are administering support from our generous sponsors; the Bendigo Bank continued to be of great assistance for two students in honour of the late Don Kennaugh, and the Lions Club assist with a scholarship in the memory of Neville Toll OAM Award. Additionally, Armatree CWA and a Wheeler Scholarship help us to function".
For 23 years Gilgandra CEF has operated in this district to assist students with their tertiary education. With costs increasing for all households those with the greatest need are given priority. Students can be attending TAFE, university or a registered training organisation to qualify for support. The process involves an online application to the head office of Country Education Foundation (in Orange) then an interview process with a panel of representatives.
Students are required to undertake this interview in person for the first year and then the process is explained to them. They are to present receipts related to their course costs to the treasurer, and the student is then reimbursed into their bank account up to the value of the grant they have been awarded.
"We do have a twice-yearly check in mechanism to ensure academic requirements are met. Once a student has a local scholarship, they are then eligible for this CEF extra funding that is available from large corporation sponsors," said the spokesperson.
Gilgandra has had two major awards go to two different students; there is also the newly-introduced 'placement allowance' for eligible students.
Each year the applications are finalised in October with interviews conducted in November or early December.
Students are then advised after their ATARs are received or entry offers are made, the grants commence when students enrol into their course.
The setup costs are often high, so Country Education Foundation expect that most of the students will be able to finalise their grant support by the end of June in the first year. Once eligible they can then apply for continuing support as the group aims to have as many students as possible return to the country for employment following completion of their qualification.
The national Country Education Foundation has been operating since 1993. Originally a community group in Boorowa came together to raise funds for local students who could not afford post school education. Soon after, similar groups were formed in Yass, Cowra, and Harden. Today there are over 50 groups around Australia including branches right across the country.
"The CEF relies on community generosity to maintain their grant programmes. Local organisations like the garden club and the Royal Hotel (among others) have been of great assistance to Gilgandra's branch of CEF in the past.
"With such a large number of students this year to cater for, we plan on local fund raising this year to ensure the programme can be sustained.
"Our local group was founded with a donation from Margaret Zell, a former teacher at Gilgandra High School, and many staff have been involved since that time. Since 1993, over 9900 grants totalling over $23 million have been given out to students through the national office, over $3,000,000 has been given out in 2025 alone. Locally our CEF organisation has been able to provide $200,000 of support to local students. Future fundraising will see this support for local students continue."
