Tess Ikonomou of Monash University has won the 2016 Student Journalist of the Year Award.

Her winning piece in The Age told the story of GP Samin Sayeed, academic Biswajit Bajik and their son Arkojeet, as the family fought deportation to Bangladesh. Their permanent residency application was denied on the grounds that their son's autism might potentially require government support in the future.

Ikonomou and Age reporter Fergus Hunter published a follow-up when Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke intervened to overturn the Administrative Appeals Tribunal finding.

'Monash University academic denied permanent residency because of autistic son', The Age, 30 July 2016

'Family with autistic boy granted residency after ministerial intervention', The Age, 19 August 2016

Other finalists

Claudia Alp (Swinburne)

Carol Saffer (Monash University)

Evan Young (RMIT)