If you have any questions about this scholarship, please email our team or call +61 3 9244 6333.
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Mary MacKillop Today First Nations Tertiary Scholarship
Applications open Wednesday 10 June 2026 and close 5pm 8 July 2026.
Awarded to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, this scholarship provides financial support to help overcome barriers and achieve your academic goals.
Value
- Cash payments of up to $625 per enrolled credit point. Total scholarship value varies depending on normal course duration.
Duration
- This scholarship is awarded for the normal course duration, up to a maximum of 4 years.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be:
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
- commencing at Deakin University in Trimester/Semester 2, 2026
- enrolled full-time in a bachelor degree or a postgraduate by coursework degree, unless there are individual circumstances preventing full-time study.
Selection criteria
Preference will be given to students who are:
- enrolled in a bachelor degree
- experiencing an area of hardship affecting their studies
- from a regional or remote home location
- not in receipt of another scholarship
- enrolled in their first tertiary qualification.
Maintaining this scholarship
To retain this scholarship, you'll need to:
- provide an introductory statement about your goals for study and what it means to receive the scholarship
- be open to engaging with the donor to complete a report/story including photos of your experience which can be used to promote the program to stakeholder groups including student material, annual reports, marketing etc
- maintain a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 50 for the duration of the scholarship
- provide an annual impact statement for the duration of the scholarship.
Why this scholarship was established
Mary MacKillop believed in the power of education to transform lives. In her legacy the Sisters of Saint Joseph have continued to empower individuals and communities by providing access to education. Since 1998 tertiary scholarships for the First Nation Peoples of the lands in which we live have addressed the financial barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and supported them to access and achieve their academic goals.
Ready to apply?
Register and log in to Deakin's Scholarship Application Portal, then select ‘Undergraduate Scholarship Application Tri/Sem 2 2026’ or ‘Postgraduate Scholarship Application Tri/Sem 2 2026’. If eligible, your application will be considered for this scholarship and any others you may be eligible for.
Numbers of this scholarship are limited; not all eligible applicants will receive one. If you're successful, you'll be notified via email; usually within four weeks of the application closing date. Unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted.
Supporting documents
As part of the application process you're required to upload supporting documentation by the specified closing date. These should be current, relevant and concise.
The documents required for this scholarship include:
- evidence of your financial hardship (if applicable)
- evidence of your medical condition (if applicable).
Make sure you choose the correct document type when you upload your documents – 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's quality, not quantity, you need to provide.
If your application is successful, and you have not previously provided this documentation to Deakin University, you will be asked to provide evidence confirming you are of Aboriginal descent from Australia or a descendant of an Indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands. You will be required to provide one of the following documents:
- Confirmation of Aboriginality
- Local Aboriginal Land Council letter
- Parents' Certificate of Aboriginality (COA) with birth certificate
- Letter from a local Indigenous cooperative
How to write a successful application
Applying for a scholarship isn't just about meeting the eligibility criteria. It’s your opportunity to stand out and be recognised for where you’ve come from and where you want to go.
Missed the application deadline?
This scholarship is yet to be confirmed for any future offerings. Please check back for updates.
