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Santa Singh and Balwant Kaur Scholarship
Applications open Wednesday 10 June 2026 and close at 5pm on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
Awarded to Palestinian women, this scholarship provides financial support to help them pursue their dreams and build a brighter, more empowered future.
Value
- Cash payments - Total scholarship value to be determined at the time of offer.
Duration
- Awarded for the normal full-time remaining duration of your course.
Am I eligible?
Ensure you meet all criteria before submitting an application. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
- be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa
- identify as both female and Palestinian
- enrolled in an undergraduate bachelor or honours degree or postgraduate by coursework degree
- enrolled full time in Trimester/Semester 2, 2026 unless there are individual circumstances preventing full-time study
- experiencing an area of hardship affecting your studies.
Selection criteria
Preference will be given to postgraduate or continuing undergraduate students.
Deakin alumni discount
If you are successful in receiving an offer for this scholarship and you are eligible for the Deakin alumni discount, you can only hold one. You will be asked to nominate which arrangement you would like to hold. If you do not make a nomination, the Deakin alumni discount will automatically be withdrawn.
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
- Provide a completion statement at the conclusion of your studies
- Maintain a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 50 for the duration of the scholarship.
Why this scholarship was established
The donor’s father, Santa Singh, and mother, Balwant Kaur, were born in Punjab, British India, and migrated to British Malaya before 1940 as impoverished, illiterate labourers. The donor was born in Malaya in 1945 during a period of conflict.
In 1951, the donor’s mother sought to send them to an English school alongside their older brothers. This decision was strongly opposed within the Sikh community, which believed English education was unsuitable for girls at the time.
Despite financial hardship and social pressure, the donor’s parents persevered and ensured access to an English education. Their courage and sacrifice led to university study in 1965, a path not taken by the donor’s siblings.
This lived experience of perseverance and the transformative power of education inspired the establishment of scholarships for Afghan women. The scholarships honour the donor’s parents and aim to support students facing disadvantage, connecting shared experiences through education and opportunity.
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 as the incorrect type they will not be considered when assessing your application. Remember, it's quality, not quantity, you need to provide.
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.
