Navigating the demands of both academics and athletics can be challenging for student-athletes.
To ensure you excel in both areas, it’s crucial to leverage the support available at your university. Here is a comprehensive list of the types of support you can request:
Types of support
Academic support
- Assistance to reschedule exams via an exemption application process.
- Assistance to apply for extension to complete a degree.
- Assistance to apply for completion of a degree at 50% rate rather than full study load allowing you to complete your degree over a longer period of time.
- Flexible class attendance allowing you to adjust your attendance to a minimum number of classes.
- Tutoring assistance to catch up on classes missed due to competition attendance.
- Exam flexibility allowing you to sit exams under external environments.
- Alternative access to delivery of course work allowing you to switch between external, online or remote learning options.
- Specific rooms to study with full resources. This may include accessing facilities on other campuses of your university.
- Individual study schedules that are adjusted to fit around your training or competition schedule.
- Access to individual or small group tutoring.
- Virtual learning options allowing you to access recorded lectures or tutorials or attend online classes.
- Access to a specific mentor for the during of your degree to assist with academic challenges and opportunities.
- Permission to take time off university for representative duties via an easy application process.
- Flexibility in meeting university entry requirements.
- Assistance in enrolment processes and requirements.
- Option to complete studies via sister universities in other locations.
- Provision for recognised prior learning (RPL) or other external learning in relation to assessment outcomes.
- Allow student athletes the ability to pick their classes first prior to all other students. This helps the student to align their commitments for study, training and competition. Note this is only an option if the university course has more than one class/lecture/tutorial option.
Financial support
- Cash contributions to assist with travel to sport competitions or to purchase equipment.
- Access to university travel booking services to book and have costs reverted to a university travel account.
- Free or subsidised course or tuition fees for part or full duration of the course/degree.
- Financial support provided via a scholarship programme.
- Access to a mentor or grant writer to assist in applying for non university grants or funds that may assist with academic or sporting costs.
- University pays your costs to enter various competitions relating to their sporting pathway. Costs may be covered in full or only partial. University may have criteria relating to the level of competition for which entry fees will be paid only in international competitions.
- Insurance coverage for you during of your time as a student.
Health and wellbeing support
- Ability to access all relevant health and wellbeing services on campus via a full or partial subsidy.
- Provision of a life coach who may be internal or external to university staff. A life coach can assist a student in everyday life activities.
- Access to an athlete mentor (a previous university student-athlete) that has transitioned from university to the real world post athletic career. This person could provide valuable insight in preparing for life after university and/or competition.
- Free or subsidised access to accommodation on campus which may or may not include meals, utilities and/or other accommodation specific services.
- Access to free or subsidised food on campus via food providers on campus or food delivery services.
Sport and training support
Free or subsidised access to:
- Gym facilities on campuses.
- Physiotherapy services on campus or at appointed provider.
- Some or all sport facilities on campus.
- Some or all nutritional services on campus or at appointed provider.
- Strength and conditional services on campus or at appointed provider. This includes access to specialist strength and conditioning coaches.
- Medical services on campus or at appointed provider.
- Sports psychology services on campus or at appointed provider.
- Coaches and/or coaching services on campus or via appointed provider.
Personal development support
- Access to career counsellor services.
- Financial assistance towards professional development courses. These courses can be to improve and enhance soft skills such as time management or leadership.
- Access to relevant training programs to assist in career opportunities upon retirement from your elite athlete career.
- Assistance in being linked to employers for industry placements or work experience programmes.
- Access to industry mentoring programmes.
Other support
- Free provision of university branded uniforms or other merchandise as required.
- Introduction to sponsors that support the university who may in turn sponsor athletes in the Dual Career programmes.
- Free or subsidised access to legal advice or other university services on campus or via appointed provider.
- Official recognition of being a dual career or scholarship student-athlete. This may include:
- Official citation
- Official letter of reference
- Digital badge
- Listed as a dual career student on university website
- Support letters for employment
- The option for the student-athlete to be a part of student advisory groups/leadership programs/student committees or university boards.
