The Tuckwell Scholarship changed Will Cassell's life.
While some of his friends were cutting down on groceries to get by, the income from the scholarship combined with part-time work has given him financial stability while studying at the Australian National University.
The program is one of the most generous undergraduate scholarships in Australia and promises to cultivate the next generation of leaders.
But in Mr Cassell's experience, it's also going to some of the most privileged students.
"It's well known that a lot of Tuckwell scholars put the money straight into trust funds or savings accounts that I'm sure they'll use later down the line to buy houses," he said.
"There's a lot of Tuckwell scholars who have enough money as it is from their families, and I think that's not what the money was designed for. It was designed to support people get through their university education to cover basic living expenses."
In analysing the schools where scholars came from since 2014, he discovered that 72 per cent of students came from schools in the most affluent quartile according to data on the My School website. This data does not track the wealth of individual scholars, only the schools they came from.
He also found that 52 per cent of students came from private schools and 72 per cent were from urban schools.
"I think it's a really great shame that a scholarship that aims to support the leaders of the future ... is predominantly supporting leaders from rich backgrounds," Mr Cassell said.
"I think leaders who come from one particular part of the community don't have that life experience and that knowledge of what it's like to do it tough.
"So I'm just worried that while the scholarship provides some great opportunities, it's also cementing some inequalities in Australia, and I think we can do better than that."
The scholarship offers $27,600 per year, increasing annually with CPI, to cover living and study costs for the length of their chosen degree at the Australian National University.
Scholars also get a $1500 relocation grant in their first year, annual travel allowances, an ANU sports centre membership and access to exclusive seminars and networking events.
It's pitched as a "life-changing opportunity for exceptional young people" who are expected to achieve an ATAR of 95 or above. The candidates need to demonstrate certain attributes such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, resilience and a commitment to helping others.
Mr Cassell has attempted to meet with the Tuckwell Scholarship board to ask them to set quotas for low-income students and to promote the scholarship in public and regional schools. He hasn't heard back yet. He's now launched an online petition.
Fellow Tuckwell scholar Chi Canty said the scholarship helped him move from Tasmania to Canberra and provided a supportive network when he arrived at ANU.
He heard about the Tuckwell scholarship at his private high school where he was studying on an academic scholarship.
"I would have never heard about Tuckwell Scholarship if I went to my local public school instead," Mr Canty said.
"Particularly in my first year when I was still getting myself up on my feet and dealing with a lot of bills and stuff, it was having that travel allowance at the end of the year, [that] really was the only thing that got me back home to see my family."
While acknowledging that the scholarship was merit-based, Mr Canty said it should be promoted in regional and public schools so that it was more representative of Australia.
"I'd love to see more of a trend of... brilliant people from all backgrounds and all areas of Australia because they're purely driven and have something to offer."
Fourth-year scholar Narryna Nicholas said some private schools guided students to apply for the ANU and the scholarship at school.
"I do think it's part of a systemic issue. People from private schools and wealthier backgrounds tend to know about these opportunities and so apply for them in the first place," she said.
An ANU spokesperson said the Tuckwell Scholarship was awarded through a rigorous selection process in line with its eligibility criteria and selection requirements.
"Each year, 25 outstanding school leavers are selected based on their academic excellence, character, leadership and commitment to contributing to Australia.
"ANU welcomes respectful and constructive discussions about its programs and values the diversity of views within its community."
The spokesperson pointed to the university's broad scholarship offering, including more than 90 equity and access scholarships, grants and bursaries designed to help cohorts that have traditionally faced barriers to accessing higher education.
Mr Cassell has had a mixed reaction from other students and academics.
"I've received like a lot of support from other Tuckwell scholars who have said, 'Oh, it's great that someone's finally saying this out loud'," he said.
"But I've also come across some Tuckwell scholars who are defensive of their own backgrounds and a bit critical about anyone talking about this out loud."
The scholarship was started with a $50 million donation in 2013 from Graham and Louise Tuckwell. They invested in the Wright and Bruce residential halls in 2016 which was expected to provide $200 million in revenue for the program over 30 years.
The couple received honorary doctorates from ANU in 2015 and were both appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022.
