Important dates
Applications for Trimester/Semester 2 2025 open 11 June 2025.
Applications for Trimester/Semester 2 2025 close 9 July 2025 at 5pm.
Benefits
This scholarship offers cash payments up to $5000 per year, for 3-4 years (dependent on normal course duration).
Eligibility criteria
Prospective candidates should ensure they meet all criteria before submitting their application.
To be eligible you must be:
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
- commencing a bachelor degree at Deakin University in Trimester/Semester 2 2025 and be enrolled full time
- experiencing an area of hardship.
Preference will be given to:
- female indigenous students
- students who are able to demonstrate participation in and commitment to supporting the community and volunteer activities.
Conditions
As a scholarship recipient you must:
- write an introduction statement about your goals for study and what it means to receive the scholarship
- complete a yearly impact statement for the duration of the scholarship
- provide a completion statement at the conclusion of your studies.
Your application
Supporting documents
As part of the application process, you may also be required to upload current supporting documentation.
When you apply for this scholarship, you'll need to supply evidence of your financial and/or medical hardship (if applicable), and your community service/volunteering achievements (if applicable).
If you are successfully offered a scholarship, which is available only to individuals of Aboriginal descent from Australia or descendants of Indigenous inhabitants of the Torres Strait Islands, you may be required to provide one of the following documents, but only if you have not previously submitted this documentation:
- Confirmation of Aboriginality
- Local Aboriginal Land Council letter
- Parents' Certificate of Aboriginality (COA) with birth certificate
- Letter from a local Indigenous cooperative
Make sure you choose the correct document type when you upload your documents as it will make a difference. If your documents are uploaded into the incorrect type they will not be considered when assessing your application. Remember it is quality, not quantity, which you need to provide. Aim to provide documents which are current, relevant and concise.
Read more about supporting documentation
Application tips
Applying for a scholarship isn’t just about meeting the eligibility criteria.
It’s a good idea to think about why you want a scholarship, how it will help you and what you have to offer the Deakin community.
How to apply
You can apply for this scholarship through our Scholarship Application Portal.
When applying for this scholarship, select the 'Undergraduate Scholarship Application Tri/Sem 2 2025' option and, if eligible, your application will automatically be considered for this scholarship.
This reduces the number of scholarships you have to apply for and increases your chances of receiving a Deakin scholarship.
The scholarship application process is highly competitive with a limited number of scholarships available. Unfortunately, not all eligible applicants will receive a scholarship.
What happens next?
Your application will be assessed and ranked based on the details you provide and your supporting documentation.
If you are successful, you will be contacted by the email address you nominated within your application portal account, unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted.
You'll find out if you were successful usually within four weeks of the application closing date. If you have not received an offer by this time, you have been unsuccessful. You can view the status of your application via your scholarship application portal account.
About the donor
This scholarship is generously supported by the John and Barbara Hay Philanthropic Foundation.
Next offering period
This scholarship is yet to be confirmed for any future offering periods. Please check back at this page at a later date for any updates.