Frequently asked questions: Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Scholarships Program

Approximately 10,000 scholarships are available across 2023 and 2024 for new domestic students to obtain their first qualification that leads to registration as a registered nurse or midwife. To be eligible individuals must enrol and attend an education provider located in Victoria (or border community as outlined in appendix 1).

These scholarships aim to reduce financial disincentives associated with undertaking an undergraduate (entry-to-practice) nursing or midwifery degree, including the costs associated with undertaking clinical placements.

For the purpose of this scholarship program ‘undergraduate (entry-to-practice)’ programs include undergraduate, graduate entry or professional entry degrees which lead to general registration as a registered nurse or a midwife. This may include double degrees, but excludes transition degrees (for example, courses that enable enrolled nurses to transition from ‘diploma to degree’ to become registered as a registered nurse).

Two phases of scholarships will be available. In the University Component phase, $9000 will be paid at $3000 per annum for three years during an eligible program of study. An additional $7500 scholarship payment will be available to individuals who are employed as a nurse and/or midwife by an eligible Victorian public health service within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earlier and following 2 years employment at a minimum 0.8 EFT or equivalent pro rata.

The total maximum scholarship value per individual is $16,500. Individuals may be eligible for all or part of this amount.

An eligible student/public health service employee can only receive one scholarship.

The scholarship program includes two phases:

University Component

Up to $9000 towards course costs over a maximum of 3 years. Recipients may receive $3000 per annum for 3 years. For example:

• if enrolled in a 3- or 4-year degree program, you may be eligible to be paid up to $9000
• if enrolled in a two-year program of study (such as graduate-entry courses) you may be eligible to be paid up to $6000.

Health Service Component

Provides an additional $7500 to individuals who:

• have been a recipient of the full University Component of the scholarship for your program of study and
• are employed as a registered nurse and/or midwife at a Victorian Public Health Service within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest and
• remained employed as a registered nurse or midwife in a Victorian Public Health Service for at least two years and
• maintained an average of 0.8 FTE hours across the two years, from the date of employment.

The undergraduate nursing and midwifery scholarships are available to new domestic nursing and midwifery students who commence eligible studies between 1 January 2023 and the Semester 1 census date for 2024 and meet the following criteria.

To be eligible for the University Component of the scholarship you must be:

• a domestic student. For the purposes of this scholarship, this is defined as:
  • an Australian citizen
  • a New Zealand citizen (or dual citizenship holders of either Australia or New Zealand)
  • an Australian permanent resident, or
  • an Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder and
• enrolled in a course:
  • that is a program of study approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as listed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website to obtain a first qualification that leads to general registration as a registered nurse or midwife and
  • offered by an education provider located in Victoria or a border community and be attending the course at an eligible campus for the purpose of undertaking the approved program of study (see Appendix 2 for a list of eligible providers and border community campuses) and
  • with the first year of study commencing in 2023 or 2024 and be enrolled as at the Semester 1 census date for 2024 and remain enrolled for a minimum 0.5 EFTSL (Equivalent Full-Time Student Load)
• a current Victorian resident or resident of a border community for the duration of your approved nursing or midwifery program of study.

To be eligible for the Health Service Component of the scholarship you must:

• have been a recipient of the full University Component of the scholarship for your program of study and
• are employed as a registered nurse and/or midwife at a Victorian Public Health Service within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest and
• remained employed as a registered nurse or midwife in a Victorian Public Health Service for at least two years and
• maintained an average of 0.8 FTE hours across the two years, from the date of employment.

Yes, individuals will need to apply for the scholarships. Evidence of initial eligibility will be required to receive the first scholarship payment. Evidence of ongoing eligibility will be required to receive the second and third University Component scholarship payments. The individual who is the eligible nursing and/or midwifery student will need to apply for the scholarship.

The first round of the Health Service Component scholarship will not be available until late 2026. Further information will be provided regarding the application process for the Health Service Component in due course.

Scholarship applications for Round 2 of the University Component will open after 1 September 2023, the Semester 2 census date.

Applications for Round 2 will open on October 4, 2023 for students who commenced their studies in the second half of 2023.

For those who commenced studies in the first half of 2023, but missed the first application round or were unsuccessful but believe they meet the eligibility criteria may apply for Round 2.

Each application round will remain open for a period of four weeks.

Application dates for 2024 are yet to be confirmed.

No, the scholarships are only available for new domestic students commencing in 2023 or 2024. Individuals who have previously completed in full or partially completed an undergraduate (entry-to-practice) nursing or midwifery program of study prior to 2023 are not eligible.

Providing the eligibility criteria are met, courses that commence in 2023, regardless of start date are in-scope. In 2024, students will need to commence studies in Semester 1 2024 and remain enrolled post the Semester 1 2024 census date to be eligible.

The majority of courses commence in Semester 1, and Semester 2 respectively. To receive the scholarship, you will still need to apply in a scholarship application round post your course census date.

Late scholarship applications will not be accepted once the applicable scholarship round has closed.

Individuals will be able to apply in a subsequent scholarship payment round if they missed applying and receiving their relevant payment in the prior round.

If an eligible individual has submitted a scholarship application, and that application has been declined on the basis of insufficient eligibility evidence, the individual may re-apply and provide the required eligibility evidence in a future scholarship round.

If you're enrolled in a double degree or honours degree that includes nursing and midwifery you will be eligible if you meet all other eligibility criteria.

In line with the scholarship administration, $3000 per annum is only available over the first 3 years of study, up to a maximum of $9000.

You must obtain employment at a public health service in the year immediately following completion of your program of study to obtain the remaining $7500 component of the scholarship.

If you meet all of the eligibility criteria, you will be eligible for the scholarship. However, if you receive credit for whole semesters or years of study, you will only receive the University Component scholarship payments for the years of study you complete as an undergraduate (entry-to-practice) nursing and/or midwifery student (e.g., you have previously completed or partially completed a degree in another health discipline, you are awarded RPL for your previous studies and are admitted into second-year of a bachelor of nursing degree. In this example you will be eligible for $6000 ($3000 per year of nursing and/or midwifery study).

If you're enrolled in a 2-year entry-to-practice program of study (for example, graduate-entry courses) that leads to your first general registration as a registered nurse or midwife, you are eligible for the undergraduate (entry-to-practice) scholarship. This includes the Master programs of study available via the University of Melbourne and Monash University and graduate entry bachelor degrees (excluding EN to RN entry courses).

In line with the scholarship administration, funding is available over the 2-year duration of the program of study and you may receive a $6000 scholarship.

EN to RN programs of study are excluded from this initiative, however enrolled nurses who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible for a scholarship.

Alternatively, if you are an enrolled nurse employed by a Victorian public health service you may be eligible for an Enrolled nurse to registered nurse transition scholarship.

If you choose to study part-time, you are eligible for the undergraduate (entry-to-practice) scholarships if you meet all other eligibility criteria and providing the part-time study is at least a minimum of 0.5 Equivalent Full-time Study Load.

In line with the scholarship administration, $3000 per annum is available over the first 3 years of study up to a maximum of $9000.

If you do not obtain employment in a Victorian public health service as a registered nurse and/or midwife (at minimum 0.8 EFT or equivalent pro rata) within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest, 4 years from study commencement, you will not be eligible for the final $7500 payment.

$9000 is the maximum amount an individual can receive in the University Component scholarship funding. If you move between universities, you will still be eligible for the University Component scholarship providing you continue to meet the eligibility criteria and the education provider and course you move to are eligible under the scholarship initiative.

If you move to another course at the same university, you will be subject to the maximum scholarship amount of $6000 for 2-year courses and $9000 for 3- and 4-year courses, with a maximum amount of $9000 per individual, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

Universities may provide a Leave of Absence period to enable students who are experiencing extenuating circumstances in their personal or academic life (e.g., significant financial, emotional, medical, employment or study related difficulties). Individuals should contact their university to discuss their individual circumstances and to request a Leave of Absence.

Students should have completed a minimum of one semester in an eligible nursing and/or midwifery course. Following this the only breaks in study accepted under the scholarship are where an individual has an approved Leave of Absence from their education provider for compassionate reasons. Whilst a student is on a Leave of Absence period, they will not be eligible for the scholarship payments. However, the Leave of Absence will not impact the student’s scholarship eligibility once they recommence studies providing they continue to meet all of the eligibility criteria, including the minimum of 0.5 Equivalent Full-time Study Load across the academic year.

Courses delivered wholly online only are not eligible.

If you change from a hybrid or onsite course to an online only mode of study, you will no longer be eligible for the scholarship payments.

All students must meet the eligibility requirements, this includes undertaking an eligible entry-to-practice course that has an onsite attendance component. Where a university offers an eligible course via different attendance modes, students must be enrolled with onsite or hybrid attendance.

In line with the scholarship administration, $3000 per annum is only available over the first 3 years of study up to a maximum of $9000.

If you do not obtain employment in a Victorian public health service as a registered nurse and/or midwife (at minimum 0.8 EFT or equivalent pro rata) within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest, you will not be eligible for the final $7500 payment.

Yes, you will be eligible to receive the undergraduate (entry-to-practice) scholarship as long as you meet and continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

Receipt of this scholarship may impact eligibility for other types of scholarships (e.g., those awarded by educational institutions where a condition of the scholarship is that no other scholarships for the same purpose have been received). You should discuss any concerns directly with the awarding organisation.

A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a place at a university or higher education provider where the Australian Government subsidises a student’s tuition fees. This subsidy does not cover the entire cost of study. The remaining portion of the tuition fees which the student is liable for is referred to as the 'student contribution amount'.

All students are also liable for costs not covered by tuition fees (CSP or full fee-paying), for example additional fees charged by education providers (e.g., Student Amenities Fees), uniforms, books and equipment, transport, and accommodation.

Education providers are responsible for assessing and determining a student’s eligibility for a CSP.

Availability of CSPs varies between courses and education providers and not all universities and courses offer CSPs. Where a CSP is not available or in instances where the student does not meet the CSP criteria, education providers may offer a student a full fee-paying place. For more information about CSP and full fee-paying places visit the Government’s Study Assist website.

Students who meet the eligibility criteria for the University Component of the scholarship will receive the scholarship regardless of their place in the course being a CSP or full fee-paying.

No, individuals are responsible for organising associated payments to their chosen education provider by the due date. This includes deferral by HECS-HELP/FEE-HELP loans and up-front payment of fees.

These scholarships aim to reduce financial disincentives associated with undertaking an undergraduate (entry-to-practice) nursing or midwifery degree, including the costs associated with undertaking clinical placements, and are not designed to only support the university fee costs.

University Component

Eligible individuals will receive University Component scholarship first payment for Round 2 in March 2024 and each eligible year thereafter.

If remediation is required, scholarship payments may be delayed.

Health Service Component

Eligible individuals will be paid the $7500 scholarship, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, after two years of consecutive employment at an eligible Victorian public health service.

In order to be paid the scholarship, individuals must apply for the scholarship and be deemed eligible.

Individuals will need to provide personal bank details for the scholarship payment to be made.

Payments will be made directly into a recipient’s bank account.

All personal information, including bank details will be managed in accordance with relevant privacy and data handling requirements.

You can retain the scholarship support received over the years of study (to a maximum of $9000).

If you do not obtain employment in a Victorian public health service (at minimum 0.8 EFT or equivalent pro rata) within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest, 4 years from study commencement, you will not be eligible for the final $7500 payment.

No, applying to work at a public health service is a competitive process and applications for graduate programs will be managed as per the usual graduate program recruitment process. Places in graduate programs are awarded to candidates based on merit, suitability and meeting the relevant eligibility criteria. Individual health services will decide who they employ in graduate programs.

Yes, if you meet the other eligibility criteria and are employed as a mental health nurse in a Victorian public health service then you are eligible for the health service component of the scholarship.

To receive the Health Service Component of the scholarship individuals must be employed in a Victorian public health service within 12 months of study completion or by 30 June 2029, whichever is earliest.

You must remain employed at a Victorian Public Health Service for at least 2 years to be eligible for the Health Service Component. You will not be eligible for the payment if you leave the Victorian public health service before two years of employment is completed.

If you have received the University Component of the scholarship you will not be expected to return the money. However, you will not be eligible to receive the Health Service Component of scholarship.

No, to be eligible for the Health Service Component of the scholarship you must be directly employed as a registered nurse or midwife by an eligible Victorian public health service.

An eligible Victorian public health service refers to a public health service listed in Schedule 1 – 5 (inclusive) in the Health Services Act 1988.

The scholarship payment may impact your tax liability or other benefits paid under an Australian Government scheme such as Austudy, Abstudy, aged or disability, carer allowances, pensions or the like. Please obtain relevant professional advice and/or refer to the Australian Tax Office website.

The Victorian Government is not required to withhold tax (PAYG) from scholarships paid. Individuals should seek individual tax advice

The Australian Taxation Office does not consider scholarships as Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE), therefore the scholarship will not attract superannuation.

The Victorian Government does not pay superannuation on behalf of scholarship recipients.

New South Wales

• Balranald Shire
• Bega Valley Shire
• Berrigan Shire
• City of Albury
• City of Broken Hill
• City of Wagga Wagga
• Edward River Council
• Federation Council
• Greater Hume Shire
• Hay Shire
• Lockhart Shire
• Murray River Council
• Murrumbidgee Council
• Snowy Monaro Regional Council
• Snowy Valleys Council
• Wentworth Shire

Note: The Silver City Highway between the Broken Hill and Wentworth Local Government Areas is part of the NSW-Victoria border bubble.

South Australia

• Berri Barmera Council
• City of Mount Gambier
• District Council of Grant
• District Council of Loxton Waikerie
• District Council of Robe
• Kingston District Council
• Naracoorte Lucindale Council
• Renmark Paringa Council
• Southern Mallee District Council
• Tatiara District Council
• Wattle Range Council

Key Round 1 application dates

• Round 1 program applications closed: May 24 2023
• Round 1 notification of application outcome: August 2023
• First payment to successful Round 1 applicants: December 2023