A Guide
to Funding Resources
for
Indigenous Students
in
Compiled by the Australian
Federation of University
Women-Vic
with financial assistance from
Action for Aboriginal
Rights
2006
Part I: Introduction and
General Reference Sources
This
support guide has been prepared by the Australian Federation of
University
Women-Victoria with financial assistance from Action for Aboriginal
Rights and
the Eggleston Trust. It is based on one prepared in 2004 by the
Australian Federation
of University Women (AFUW–SA Inc), with the support of Tauondi Inc.,
and at the
request of the Aboriginal Advancement Leagues of SA Inc. AFUW-Vic
acknowledges
with gratitude their work and that of David Slowo who assisted with
obtaining
Victorian information.
Most
of the material relates to university education, but there is some
coverage of
funding for secondary and TAFE students. The information covers
scholarships,
bursaries, and grants awards that are
While
we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible, anyone interested in
using
the guide will need to follow up its information by searching a range
of
sources including websites, the Internet, newspapers, word of mouth and
especially the bulletins regularly updated by university Scholarship
offices.
The Scholarships Offices of the universities and the students’ advice
offices
of each university should be the first places to go. Indigenous
students’
organizations or support units in the universities will also be able to
help. There are, however, resources
available outside the universities. It is important for Aboriginal and
Torres
Straits Islander people looking for scholarships, fellowships or
bursaries to
search every avenue possible. The following websites are general ones
that may
contain information about funding sources if searched using words such
as
awards, bursaries, fellowships, grants. The same terms can be used to
search
websites of service organizations such as the Returned Servicemen’s
League,
Rotary, Lions Clubs, Rotary. You may want to refine your search by
adding
Indigenous or Aboriginal. But remember that Indigenous students should
consider
their eligibility for all scholarships, not just those specifically
identified
as being for them.
Ø
INFOKOORI -
an index of Australian Indigenous information is at http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/infokoori/
Ø Koori Mail is a national fortnightly newspaper published in Lismore, NSW, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It advertises funding opportunities. It can be accessed in hard copy in many libraries and its website is http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
Ø
GrantSearch Register of
www.grantsearch.com.au
is accessible by subscription ($32.95 for an organization).
Ø
The
Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has general
information on
scholarships on the following sites.
www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/policy_issues_reviews/key_issues/scholarship/default.htm
http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/FeesLoansAndScholarships/Postgraduate/Scholarships/Default.htm
The
latter
includes information on Australian Postgraduate Awards. These
highly
competitive awards are offered at all universities and are not listed
separately.
Information on specific indigenous education student assistance & awards can be found on their website www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/programmes_funding/programme_categories/student_assistance_awards/
(See also individual entries in Part III)
Ø
Going to
Uni -
Information for students in about higher education in
The Going to Uni website is a new
government
information source for prospective and continuing higher education
students.
Find out about the new higher education loan programmes and
more. http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/
Ø
A database of
undergraduate scholarships is at the government career
website, My Future, www.myfuture.edu.au.
This includes information about TAFE. It can be searched using various criteria but links are given to administering institutions’ home pages rather than precise locations for detailed information.
Ø Another Federal government site that includes an extensive list of awards and prizes for young people is the The Source - online youth portal
http://www.youth.gov.au/find/money/money_for_study.asp
Ø
The
Victorian Department of Education and Training lists its Training
Awards on http://www.otte.vic.gov.au/awards/ (See also entries in Part III).
Ø Shires, districts or local councils sometimes offer scholarships. Enquire at your local government offices and watch community newspapers.
Ø www.isep.org is a large database that contains information on graduate and postgraduate study in most countries in the world.
Ø
Every
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wilto_yerlo/future/services/scholarships.html
There is no way for a booklet of this kind to stay absolutely up-to-date. Some scholarships and grants are not offered in every year; some are occasional; some continue, others are discontinued. Deadlines and conditions may change. Nonetheless this guide should provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with a resource that will continue over time to help them search for funding to assist their studies in whatever kind of education they are looking for.
Please share this booklet with friends.
Part II: Support for Secondary
Students
Unfortunately there is not a
great deal of
information available on sources of financial support for Indigenous
students
at secondary school level. Students
should seek advice from their school counsellors as to whether there
are forms
of assistance available to them.
Some general support sources include:
Abstudy
The ABSTUDY scheme provides allowances to students in recognition of their educational and social disadvantage. The main objectives of the ABSTUDY Scheme are to:
Abstudy is now administered through Centrelink and details of the scheme for both secondary and tertiary students can be obtained at any Centrelink office or by visiting the following website for the Policy Manual.
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/publications_resources/abstudy/contents.htm
Recent updates made in 2005 to the ABSTUDY Policy Manual can be viewed at
Should there be any difficulties in accessing the website or understanding the material it is advised to consult with the school.
Alfred
Felton
Bequest Koorie Scholarships -
Discontinued from 2006
Australian
Vocational Student Prize
This prize requires
nomination by the
student’s school
he Australian Vocational Student Prize was awarded for the first time in 2005 to encourage and recognise outstanding senior secondary students undertaking a Vocational Education and Training in Schools programme or Australian School-based Apprenticeship. Each winner received a certificate and $2000 in prize money.
Enquiries re: 2007 should be directed to: vocationalstudentprizes@dest.gov.au. Nomination forms and information on how to submit the nomination form will be available there.
Future
Leaders
Awards
These awards require nomination by the student’s school.
The
Merlyn Myer Leadership Awards recognise students with leadership
potential who are keen to achieve and motivated to assist other people.
The
recipients are students with current or potential leadership roles at
school or
in the community. Secondary schools
throughout
The Helen Handbury Leadership Awards mark the
outstanding
contribution that the late Mrs Helen Handbury has made to community
development
in rural & regional
There
is also an Environment Award and a Writer’s prize.
Nominations
in 2006 closed on 1 August. For information on 2007 awards
visit
http://www.futureleaders.com.au/ or contact Dr Helen Sykes, Future Leaders,
Phone (03) 9699-9596; email: helen@futureleaders.com.au
These
scholarships funded by the Australian Sports Commission give
Indigenous sportspeople the opportunity to improve their sporting
performance
at an elite level. Please note that The
Indigenous Sport Unit will be not be allocating Indigenous Sporting
Excellence
Scholarships (ISES) this 2006-07 financial year. The scholarships complement, but do not
replace, existing mainstream programs and initiatives.
- Each scholarship is valued at $500
- Scholarship holders are selected by national sporting organisations, against agreed guidelines.
- Only 100 scholarships are awarded each year.
- Funding can be spent on anything to develop the sportsperson’s participation in their sport.
- Athletes, coaches, sports trainers and officials who receive this scholarship are also eligible to apply for the Elite Indigenous Travel and Accommodation Assistance Program if they are selected for a state representative team attending national championships or an Australian team competing internationally.
To be
eligible for a scholarship, sportspeople should be:
-
over
12 years of age, representing their state in national competition or
-
a
coach with Level 1 or level 2 accreditation
-
a
sports trainer with Level 1 accreditation
-
a
sports official with accreditation competing in a sport that is
recognised by
the Australian Sports Commission.
Please
keep up to date with the AIS Indigenous Sport Program website for
future
funding decisions: http://www.ausport.gov.au/isp/index.asp
The
Applications
will be available from their website in early 2007.
http://www.igssyd.nsw.edu.au/scholarship.htm
Smith
Family Learning for Life Programme.
Learning for Life provides primary and secondary children and their families with access to personal and financial support through qualified staff and volunteer mentors as well as access to additional programs, advocacy, emotional guidance and referrals to specialist services. For information visit the website at
http://www.smithfamily.com.au/
or contact the Smith Family in
The
Department of Education
and Training administers 28 different student scholarships which
equates to
approximately 175 scholarship awards (as some scholarships have more
than the
one award).
The
scholarships are
offered to primary and secondary students and range in value from $250
to over
$2000. They are generally awarded to students who:
However
there are
scholarships that are not based on the above criteria, especially
scholarships
connected to the Police Force and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union,
Locomotive
Division.
The Alice Jennings Scholarship for a Koorie female completing her
last year
of VCE.
For the
student
demonstrating her involvement in the welfare of the Koorie population
and also
her success in entering into an approved TAFE or University course in a
field
that contributes to the welfare of the Koorie population. The scholarship is
valued at $1000 per annum and will be awarded for one or more years of
study
subject to the student’s satisfactory progress. Scholarship
holders must
agree to authorize the Department of Education and Training to obtain
academic
results in connection with the scholarship.
Koorie students
currently completing Year 10 are invited to apply for the Tynan-Eyre
Scholarship valued at $400. The scholarship will be awarded on the
basis of
the student’s end of year results and involvement in school and
community
activities. The scholarship is for two years and carries an allowance
of $200
per year.
There are
also 30
awards offered for the George Garibaldi Turri Scholarship.
which is
offered to VCE students who intend to become teachers.
The website https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/scholarships/
relating to this information is taken was last updated October 2004 and
will be
next updated in December 2006.
Yachad Accelerated Learning Project
This is
not a programme for individual students, but a group programme aimed at raising the
scholastic achievements of students in remote and rural locations in
YALP uses
an action based research project. It is
a partnership between:
YALP is
coordinated by an independent non-profit organization, Yachad. In
http://www.yalp.org.au/index.php
Part III.
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF
TERTIARY AWARDS, BURSARIES and SCHOLARSHIPS ON OFFER as of September
2006.
[This section contains a listing of particular avenues to investigate for financial and other support for which Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander students can apply at tertiary level. It includes some that are reserved for Indigenous students and some that have more general eligibility. The information relates mostly to Victorian awards or national awards that can be held at Victorian institutions. A few interstate awards reserved for Indigenous students are included, but in general if you are interested in studying interstate you should seek information from Home pages of the institutions in each state.
The
information
about scholarships, bursaries, grants and awards is placed in
alphabetical order, either by the name of the award or the name
of the
awarding institution. Occasionally, information is repeated to ensure
that
people seeking information about grants or scholarships or bursaries or
awards
have a good opportunity to find what they need. As it
is impossible to include all of the scholarships on offer, do not
be surprised by omissions. Keep your eyes open. You never know where or
when
you will find information about scholarships.]
AAUW
(American Association of University Women) Educational Foundation
International
Fellowships
The
AAUW Educational Foundation provides International Fellowships for
women who
are not citizens or permanent residents of the
Criteria: women whose
projects are
important for their countries of origin (plus other items).
Applications close
See the AAUW website http://www.aauw.org
Work experience placements at
the ABC
will generally be in support roles to project co-ordinators or line
management
staff in the Technology and Distribution division. Applicants must
be completing a relevant
electrical engineering/technical course.
Applications can be mailed or
emailed to
the local ABC Technical Services Manager in your capital city. The
Manager in
Phone: (03) 9626 1298 or e-mail morganella.donato@abc.net.au
Aboriginal and
This scheme recognises Dr Hunter’s significant contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in his role as Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. (NACCHO)
The scheme is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are studying a Nursing, Medicine, Allied Health or Certificate III and IV or Diploma and Advanced Diploma Aboriginal Health Worker Course, Health Management, Allied Health at an educational Institution, University or Registered Training Organiastion (RTO). Scholarships will be up to $15,000 per annum for full-time study and up to $7,500 per annum for part-time study for the usual term of the course. Applications close in September.
Further details and eligibility criteria are available by contacting the Scholarships Assistant, Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA) on
free call 1800 68 86 28 or e-mail at scholarships@rcna.org.au
See also the RCNA website for more general
scholarships:
http://www.rcna.org.au/pages/scholarships.php
Aboriginal
and Torres Straits Islander Undergraduate Pharmacy Scholarship scheme
This scheme is managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia as part of the Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Programme (RRPWDP). There are three scholarships of $15,000 per annum (maximum for four years) offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who have been granted a place for full-time study in a pharmacy undergraduate degree at any Australian university that has entered into an agreement with The Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Scholarship
recipients are required to undertake all possible placements in a rural
or
remote community, join a rural health club and/or Indigenous Students’
Association at their university (where available), and enrol in any
available
courses that may assist their understanding of the nature of rural
practice.
For application information contact: The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Telephone (02) 6270 1888 or Fax (02) 6270 1800 or download the application form online… http://beta.guild.org.au/rural/content.asp?id=205
See http://beta.guild.org.au/rural/
Abstudy
The ABSTUDY scheme provides allowances to people in recognition of their educational and social disadvantage. The main objectives of the ABSTUDY Scheme are to:
Abstudy is now administered through Centrelink and details of the scheme for both secondary and tertiary students can be obtained at any Centrelink office or by visiting the following website for the Policy Manual.
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/publications_resources/abstudy/contents.htm
Recent updates made in 2005 to the ABSTUDY Policy Manual can be viewed at
Should there be any difficulties in accessing the website or understanding the material it is advised to consult with either a dedicated unit for indigenous students or the general Student Services unit.
AEU
(Vic) Australian Education Union-Victoria
AEU (Vic) offers awards to
This project provides two weeks for women unionists to learn more about the AEU. The AEU pays replacement costs to your employer to enable you to attend. For more information see www.aeuvic.asn.au/women/development.html or contact Barb Jennings or Gayle Bernhardt on (03) 9418 4860.
AFUW
(Australian Federation of University Women)
Georgina Sweet
Fellowship,
valued at $4,000 is a biennial
scholarship offered to
assist a postgraduate member of IFUW (the International Federation of
University Women) to undertake advanced study or research in
AFUW Fellowship, a biennial scholarship
valued at $4,000 is to assist Australian AFUW members in a PhD degree
by
research in any field.
E.M. Hinder
Bursary, an
occasional award valued at $4,000, is to assist an Australian female
Honours or
Postgraduate student or a researcher in any field to complete a project
undertaken in
For more
information on these awards
visit the AFUW website www.afuw.org.au or e-mail the AFUW office at afuw@anu.edu.au
Applications for
the following year close
31st July. For general enquiries contact the
Fellowship Convenor,