Don’t let every movie about university ever made discourage you from applying for a scholarship, they’re no longer tailored specifically to geniuses and/or sporting gods – average couch potatoes rejoice.
Turns out, you might be sitting there with your bag of chips and glazed over stare at the TV completely unaware that you could be eligible for a uni scholarship right darn now.
VTAC is working with the universities of Monash, RMIT, La Trobe, Charles Sturt, Deakin, Swinburne and Victoria University to offer a ridiculous number of different scholarships to help you get the best education possible.
The best part is that once you complete and submit the Scholarships Application through VTAC’s website, you could be eligible for a slew of different scholarships from various institutions, depending on what they reckon you’re eligible for. The options are overwhelming, you guys.
Check out the three different eligibility categories that you might fall under. You can also peep the full list of available scholarships here.
Access and Equity Scholarships
While the Access and Equity Scholarships do cater for financial hardship, it’s not necessarily the only way you can be eligible.
To be a desirable candidate, you can simply be the first in your family to go to uni, which I mean (without bragging or rubbing it in my siblings’ faces), would’ve helped me out immensely as the first in my family to hit the books. Actually I change my mind, cop it brother and sister.
You can also be eligible if you intend to live on campus; if you’re an Indigenous Australian or a refugee; if you have a disability plus a bunch of additional criteria.
Scope out the full list to see if you’re eligible here.
Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people can apply for Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships which can cover access, education and accommodation costs.
If you want to go that extra step and hustle like a machine, you can also contact different Universities about alternative scholarships and support programs. Gotta be in it to win it, people.
For example, through VTAC, La Trobe is currently offering the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship which could score you over $5k a year to help with Uni costs.
Suss other scholarships out here.
Academic Merit Scholarships
Okay, so I know I said that scholarships aren’t necessarily tailored specifically to boy and girl wonders, but this one kinda is.
If you’ve got absolute bangin’ grades, you’ll be a strong contender for the Academic Merit Scholarships. Basically, don’t ditch classes in Year 12 to drive to KFC (guilty as charged), work hard and you may be able to cop a decent payment to go towards your studies.
If you’re keen, pop in a completed application via VTAC and your preferred institution will have a little looksie at your grades to suss out whether you’re deserving of the scholarship.
Read up on it some more here.
Applications for this year do close on the 12th of October though, so if you’re deadset hellbent on getting some financial assistance, I suggest you motor with your application forms pronto.
Get all the ins and outs of applying here. Good luck, future Prime Ministers. (Seriously though, the chances of at least one of you becoming Prime Minister is pretty high considering we get a new one every three days.)
