Student scholarships

Eligibility

Scholarships help students and families with education costs and support students to continue their study at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Scholarships are available for students:

• studying in Victoria and who are Australian citizens or permanent residents
• enrolled in Years 4 to 11
• enrolled in Year 12 who plan to undertake tertiary study.

Scholarships are awarded to students who can demonstrate:

• excellent academic achievement
• participation in school and local community activities
• financial need. This is based on either:
  • their parent or carer receiving a Centrelink income support payment or holding a concession card, or
  • the student receiving the Youth Allowance.

Some scholarships have different eligibility criteria. Check the individual scholarship details to confirm the eligibility requirements.

Scholarships

Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close on 1 February 2027. To view available scholarships, select the student’s year level in 2026:

• Year 4 scholarships
• Year 5 scholarships
• Year 6 scholarships
• Year 7 scholarships
• Year 8 scholarships
• Year 9 scholarships
• Year 10 scholarships
• Year 11 scholarships
• Year 12 scholarships (for students commencing tertiary study in 2027)
• Tertiary student scholarships

More information is available at Student Scholarships.

Other scholarships available

Marrung education scholarships support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to complete years 11 and 12. For more information on Marrung scholarships, including guidelines, application form and submission requirements, please visit: Marrung | vic.gov.au

The Public Education Foundation also offer life changing scholarships to young people in public education, as well as their teachers and principals.

Before applying

The following information is needed to apply:

• the student’s personal details
• end-of-year school results
• details of the school and community activities the student has taken part in (if needed for the scholarship). This part of the application should be completed by the student
• the name and contact details of their school principal
• a current Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) or a concession card for the student or their parent/carer. This is needed for scholarships based on financial need.

How to apply

1. Read all the information on this page.
2. Register an account on the scholarships website. A new registration is required each year.
3. Complete the application form.
4. The student’s school principal must verify the application once it has been submitted.

Applicants will receive an email about the outcome of their application by June 2027.

The application does not need to be completed all at once.

It can be saved and finished later. Changes can be made until the school principal verifies the application.

Students can apply for more than one scholarship and can get help to complete the application form.

Entering your school results

Students must include their end-of-year school results in the application form. The application should only be submitted once these results are available. Schools may record results differently, so the results may need to be converted. Instructions on how to do this are provided below.

For years 4 to 10

School results must be converted to the 'student progress in learning' measurement.

If the school reports grades from A to E:

• A and B convert to 'above expected standard'.
• C converts to 'expected standard'.
• D and E convert to 'below expected standard'.

If the school reports grades from 5 to 1:

• 5 and 4 convert to 'above expected standard'.
• 3 converts to 'expected standard'.
• 1 and 2 convert to 'below expected standard'.

For year 11

For year 12

Include the relevant results in the application:

• VCAA study score for each VCE Unit 3 and 4 subject.
• Satisfactory or unsatisfactory results for the VCE Vocational Major subjects.

If the subjects on the form are very different from what the student is studying, the student or their parent/carer can speak to the school principal or email studentscholarships@education.vic.gov.au.

Activities

Some scholarships ask for information about school and community activities. This part of the application should be completed by the student.

The student should explain how their school and community activities have influenced them. For example, the activities may have helped the student develop new skills, such as leadership, or influenced what they want to study or pursue as a career.

School activities

School activities can include:

• being school captain, house captain or on the student council
• coaching or mentoring other students
• extracurricular activities like sports, music or drama
• taking part in fundraising or working bees for the school
• any awards won
• any other examples of volunteering or being selected for activities that help the school community.

Sports carnivals or classroom projects are part of the regular school curriculum. Students should include activities outside the regular curriculum.

Community activities

Community activities should involve volunteering (not paid work) to help people or organisations in the wider community. For example:

• volunteering at an aged care facility, or sporting club, or taking part in environmental projects
• being involved in Scouts or Girl Guides
• taking part in youth advisory groups or community arts programs
• fundraising or supporting charitable causes.

Students should nominate a person who can confirm their participation in community activities. The Student Scholarships Team will ask the student for permission before contacting the referee.

Tips for filling out the application form

Students should:

• take their time completing the application
• apply for as many scholarships as they are eligible for
• let their school principal know they are applying for a scholarship
• answer all questions and keep close to the recommended length for each response
• ask friends, family or someone at the school to review the application before submitting it
• allow enough time to complete the application before the closing date.

Principal verification

After the application is submitted, the school principal must verify the school results and activities entered. They must do this by 1 March 2027.

Principals can email studentscholarships@education.vic.gov.au if they have any questions.

If the principal does not agree with the results, the application will need to be corrected and verified again.

If the student has not received an email confirming verification by 1 March 2027, they should speak to their principal as soon as possible.

Once the principal verifies the application, no further changes can be made.

Outcomes and further advice

Students will receive an email about the outcome of their application by June 2027.

Questions about the scholarships process can be emailed to: studentscholarships@education.vic.gov.au.