Indigenous Access Scholarship - Undergraduate Indigenous Students

What can I apply for?

Indigenous students who are enrolled or planning to enrol in an undergraduate course or a Graduate Diploma in Education at Murdoch University are encouraged to apply for an Indigenous Access Scholarship.

Applying for an Indigenous Access Scholarship means at the same time you are applying for a Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ORDINARY), and if you have had to relocate from a regional or remote area to study you will also be considered for a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ORDINARY).

There's only one application form for all three of these scholarships. Download one here.

How much are the scholarships worth?

Indigenous Access Scholarship $4,166

Commonwealth Educations Costs Scholarship (ORDINARY) $1,103 per semester for up to eight semesters

Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ORDINARY) $2,207 per semester for up to eight semesters

Am I eligible to apply?

To be eligible to apply for an Indigenous Access Scholarship, you must meet all of the following criteria:-

Are you an Indigenous Australian?

Are you a student enrolled at Murdoch in an undergraduate course of study or a graduate diploma (or equivalent postgraduate course of study) in an area of National Priority?

Are you a Commonwealth Supported (HECS-HELP) student?

Do you fit the low socio-economic requirement by meeting one of the following criteria:

Currently receiving a Centrelink Income Support Payment (such as Austudy, ABSTUDY, Youth Allowance, etc),
or
Be able to provide comprehensive information demonstrating financial hardship including recent Australian Tax Office Notices of Assessments (NOA) and any further documentation as required?

Are you, or will you be enrolled as a full-time student (or have extenuating circumstances that prevent you studying full-time)?

Are you studying your first bachelor degree or higher level award?

If you answered YES to ALL of these you are eligible to apply for an Indigenous Access Scholarship!

For students who have had to relocate from a regional or remote area to study at Murdoch, to be considered for a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ORDINARY) you must ALSO: -

Either:

have lived in a regional or remote area of Australia for at least three of the previous four years prior to your enrolment; OR
have completed the final two years of schooling at a high school or college in a rural or regional area immediately prior to coming to Murdoch; OR
it was necessary to live away from your regional or remote home to complete the whole or majority of your secondary schooling at a high school or college in a Major City; OR
have lived in a regional or remote area for a total of at least two years and undertook vocational education and training (for example TAFE) for a maximum of two years immediately before enrolling at Murdoch;

AND

Have found it necessary to move away from the rural or regional area in order to undertake your course of study and will therefore incur additional accommodation costs;

AND

Be enrolled as an On-Campus student (that is be enrolled in a minimum of 1 internal unit) unless it can be demonstrated that there are exceptional circumstances preventing you from studying on campus;

AND

Not be living with either your natural or adoptive parents.

How do I apply?

An application form will be sent to you when you have been offered or accepted your offer of a place at Murdoch. The application form needs to be filled out completely with any extra required documents firmly attached. The application form should be handed in to the Student Service Centre by the closing date that you'll find on the application form coversheet.

If you don't receive an application form in the post you are welcome to download one here, or email Rebecca at the Scholarships Office: cls@murdoch.edu.au

Frequently Asked Questions

When I did KATEC/OnTrack I was awarded an Indigenous Access Scholarship. Can I get that again?

Indigenous Access Scholarships are once in a life time scholarships, but your Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ENABLING) and Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ENABLING) will automatically be converted to the Ordinary types so there is no need to reapply!

Can I have more than one Scholarship?

If you are awarded an Indigenous Access Scholarship you will automatically be given a Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ORDINARY), and if you have had to move from a regional or remote area to study at Murdoch University you will ALSO receive a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ORDINARY).

How will I know if I have been awarded a scholarship?

You will receive an email to your student email account that will let you know whether or not your application has been successful.

How will I be paid?

If you are awarded an Indigenous Access Scholarship you will be asked to register your bank details so payments can be made directly into your bank account.

When will I be paid?

The Indigenous Access Scholarship is paid in two instalments. The first is designed to help set you up to begin your studies and is paid as soon as possible after you have accepted your Scholarship. If you are still eligible the second instalment is paid soon after the HECS census date of semester, which is the end of Week 4.

The first Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ORDINARY) and Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ORDINARY) payments are made in full as soon as possible after you have accepted the Scholarship, or within six weeks of you accepting the Scholarship.

The rest of your Scholarship payments will be made after the HECS census dates of semester (Friday of Week 4) as long as you continue to be eligible.

How many Indigenous Access Scholarships are there?

The number of Indigenous Access Scholarships that the Federal Government gives Murdoch varies each year, and there is a very high demand for these scholarships. Unfortunately there are many more students applying for these scholarships than we have scholarships to allocate.

Are there any other Scholarships I can apply for?

Murdoch offers many other scholarships to students who are enrolled in undergraduate courses, and information about these scholarships can be found at the Scholarships Homepage: http://www.oss.murdoch.edu.au/scholarships/

I have a question. Who can I contact?

You can contact me: Murdoch's Scholarships Officer, Rebecca Sawyer at cls@murdoch.edu.au

Office of Student Life and Learning