Scholarships

A scholarship is a type of financial assistance that can help cover tuition fees, study expenses and living costs while you complete your degree. Unlike a loan, a scholarship does not need to be repaid.

Scholarships can be awarded for many reasons, including academic achievement, sporting or creative talent, leadership, community service or to support students from under-represented backgrounds. At Deakin, scholarships are designed to recognise achievement, reduce barriers to education and help students focus on their studies.

There are three main sources of scholarships available to Deakin students:

• university scholarships funded directly by Deakin
• government scholarships funded by state or Commonwealth governments
• external scholarships funded by private organisations, charities or industry partners.

Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria and application process, but all are designed to help students access and succeed at university.

There are many different types of university scholarships available in Australia and Deakin offers scholarships across a wide range of categories.

Merit-based scholarships

Merit-based scholarships recognise students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in areas such as sport, leadership, community service, music, the arts or extracurricular activities.

Examples at Deakin include:

• Deakin Sport Network Elite Athlete Scholarship for students competing at state, national or international sporting levels. Offers up to $5,000 per year for up to three years.
• Deakin Scholarship for Excellence for students demonstrating excellence in extracurricular activities, leadership, community service, sport or academics.

Academic excellence scholarships

Academic excellence scholarships reward outstanding academic performance, either overall or in a specific field of study.

An example of this is the Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Scholarship, for high-achieving students with an ATAR of at least 95 (or equivalent), offering financial support and additional benefits.

Access and equity scholarships

Access and equity scholarships help students who may face additional barriers to attending university, including financial hardship, regional or remote location, disability or other forms of disadvantage.

Examples include:

• Deakin Scholarship for Excellence and Equity for students who demonstrate both academic achievement and educational disadvantage.
• Dawn Wade Foundation Scholarship, which provides financial, accommodation and wellbeing support for students from under-represented schools.
• Deakin Student Support Scholarship to support students experiencing financial hardship while studying.

PhD and research scholarships

Research scholarships support students undertaking higher degree research, including PhD programs.

The two major research scholarships available at Deakin are:

• Research Training Program Scholarship (RTP) – funded by the Australian Government.
• Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR) – funded by Deakin.

Both scholarships cover tuition and include a stipend to help cover living expenses while students complete their research degrees.

Eligibility varies depending on the scholarship. At Deakin, scholarships may be awarded based on:

• academic achievement
• extracurricular excellence, such as sport, leadership or community service
• financial hardship or educational disadvantage
• regional or remote background
• Indigenous identity
• specific study areas or student cohorts, such as women in STEM.

There are scholarships available for many different circumstances and backgrounds, so it’s worth exploring all available options to see what you may qualify for.

In most cases, yes, but the process is designed to be straightforward. And there are detailed instructions on each scholarship page.

For many Deakin scholarships, domestic students only need to complete one application to be considered for multiple scholarships.

International students are  automatically assessed for scholarship eligibility when they apply for a course at Deakin. Scholarships are awarded on a first come, first served basis so applying early helps your chances of being awarded one.

Some prestigious scholarships may require additional application steps, such as written statements, interviews or supporting documentation.

Scholarship applications are assessed against specific eligibility criteria, so the first step is to explore available scholarships and identify which ones match your circumstances.

At Deakin, you can use the scholarship finder to search by study level, course area or personal circumstances and review the eligibility criteria for each scholarship.

Depending on the scholarship, you may need to provide supporting documents that demonstrate your eligibility, such as evidence of:

• academic achievement
• financial hardship
• regional or remote location
• disability
• refugee status
• extracurricular achievements.

Applications are usually submitted through the Scholarship Application Portal, although some scholarships may use VTAC, online forms or direct applications.

It’s also important to check application opening and closing dates, as these vary between scholarships and study levels.

Yes. Scholarships are available for a wide range of students and circumstances – not just for high academic achievers or elite athletes.

Many scholarships focus on access and equity, leadership, community contribution, financial need, regional background or specific areas of study. You may be eligible for support even if you do not have top grades or sporting achievements.

Deakin offers a range of merit-based scholarships that recognise achievement across academics, leadership, sport and community involvement.

Examples include:

• Deakin Sport Network Elite Athlete Scholarship, to support students competing at high sporting levels.
• Deakin Scholarship for Excellence that recognises students with outstanding extracurricular or academic achievements.
• Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Scholarship that supports high-achieving academic students.

Yes. Deakin offers scholarships for Indigenous students across all study levels, including undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD study.

These scholarships are designed to support access to education, academic success and student wellbeing.

Yes. Deakin offers several scholarships for international students across undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees.

One of the University’s most prestigious scholarships is the Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship, which covers either 50% or 100% of tuition fees for eligible students.

International students may also be automatically assessed for some scholarships when applying to study at Deakin.

International research students are eligible to apply for both the Research Training Program Scholarship (RTP) and the Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR), subject to eligibility requirements.

Yes. Research scholarships support students undertaking higher degree research programs and help cover living and study expenses while completing a PhD.

Both domestic and international students may be eligible for:

• the Australian Government-funded Research Training Program Scholarship (RTP)
• the Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR).

Yes. Some Deakin researchers receive grant funding that includes scholarships for PhD candidates working on specific research projects.

These opportunities are listed through Deakin’s scholarship finder and research opportunities pages.