Textbooks, course fees, petrol and transport costs – it all adds up.

That’s why Cessnock local government area residents who are enrolled in university or TAFE in 2017 are encouraged to apply for the Mayoral Academic Scholarships.

University of Newcastle engineering student Kasey Williams received scholarships in 2015 and 2016 and said the scholarships have helped her significantly.

“I’ve been able to cut back on work and focus more on my studies, and on getting a job in engineering, rather than just to pay the bills,” she said.

She will work part-time at a consulting firm while completing her fourth-year studies in 2017.

Ms Williams is one of 190 students who have benefited from a total of $475,000 of grants that have been distributed since the scholarships were founded in 2002.

​Fourteen scholarships valued at $2500 each are available this year, in categories including mining technical engineering, mining, building and associated trades, hospitality and tourism, post-HSC (graduated in the past two years), undergraduate (current university student from 2017), TAFE, local government, aged care, child care, early childhood-primary education, secondary education, nursing and police service training.

Applications close March 6. For more information, visit http://www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au/council/mayor/scholarships or call the mayor’s office on 4993 4210.