Uni Fact Sheet: Scholarships

Due to their capacity to relieve financial pressure, university scholarships are highly sought after. Awarded to students based on academic achievement or some other type of criteria such as socioeconomic status, demographic, or area of study, scholarships can include full or partial payment of tuition fees, accommodation and text books to assist the recipient.

Not all scholarships are limited to students who excel academically. To fully understand what scholarships might be available to your child and to give them the best chance of snaring one, we have compiled a list of helpful tips to point you in the right direction.

Do plenty of research

It is vital to conduct substantial research before deciding on a scholarship. Make sure your child is pursuing something they enjoy, because there is no point obtaining a scholarship to study medicine just because they got a high ATAR when they want to be a teacher.

Meet the application criteria

Regardless of whether the money is provided by an education provider, a private organisation or the federal government, scholarships will require certain criteria. This may be in the form of academic results but could also be based on where an applicant lives or their socio-economic circumstance.

Get it in on time

Punctuality is crucial at university so handing in the application on time is very important. Given the strong competition for limited scholarships, a late submission may not even be checked and thus will rule your child out regardless of how well they've presented themselves on paper.

Have a Plan B

It’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan. Even if your child has had their heart set on a specific scholarship or university, there are no guarantees that they will get their first choice. Therefore, it is advisable to have another option that they can fall back on if their initial pick doesn’t come to fruition.

It’s not a free ride

Obtaining a scholarship doesn’t mean that they get to coast through university. Your child will still be expected to attend lectures, be prepared and pass the required exams, and submit high-quality assessments and assignments.