Sixteen hundred scholarships will be provided at universities during the summer break under a joint initiative funded by the Government and universities, Tertiary Education Minister Anne Tolley announced today.

"The scheme, proposed during the Job Summit, will provide university students with on-campus research-based scholarships during the summer months," says Mrs Tolley.

"Total funding for the scheme will be $8 million, split 50:50 between the Government and universities. Each full-time equivalent scholarship with be worth $5000, GST exclusive. These scholarships will broaden the range of scholarships usually offered by universities."

The scholarship funding will go directly to students.

"The summer scholarships will provide a productive alternative for students to traditional summer employment, which is likely to be more difficult to obtain in the current economic climate. The scholarships will give them a job and help them further their study," she says.

The scholarships will be limited to research or research-related activities. A detailed breakdown of scholarship numbers for each university will be released soon, after the institutions confirm the numbers they will support, says Mrs Tolley.

"I am also pleased to advise that Work and Income has committed to helping increase the number of job vacancies available to Student Job Search this summer."