Indigenous Access Scholarship

Am I Eligible?

To apply, you must:

• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• be an Indigenous Australian
• not have previously received the Indigenous Access Scholarship (IAS)
• be enrolled full time in your first undergraduate degree
  (if you are studying part-time you may be eligible if you have extenuating circumstances preventing fulltime enrollment)
• provide proof of low income:
  • a copy of your statement of income of a means tested Commonwealth Support Payment (eg, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY, Parenting Payment, Disability Support Pension),
    OR
  • long term low income and demonstrated proof of this by being able to provide ATO Notice of Assessment and Pay Slips.

Preference will be given to if you relocate to attend University from regional, rural or remote area of Australia

Ongoing Eligibility

The first IAS payment (half of the scholarship value) is paid on offer acceptance and the 2nd payment is received within 3-4 weeks from the session's Census Date.  To receive the 2nd scholarship payment, you must continue to meet the enrollment criteria and low income eligibility.

The IAS is a 'once only' scholarship payment, paid in the successful applicants 1st session of enrollment.

Guidelines

Download the 2014 Commonwealth Scholarship Guidelines [PDF]
(includes Indigenous Access Scholarship)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the VTAC application deadline is earlier than UAC's?

The VTAC applications do close approximately 6 weeks earlier than UAC due to different administrative structures.

Applicants, who thought they would apply via VTAC for the scholarship and missed the deadline are also eligible to apply via UAC.

What are the deadlines to apply?

• 1st and only application round for VTAC closed 18 October 2013.
• 1st Round closed via UAC on 3 January 2014.
• 2nd Round OPENS - To be advised.

How and when do I know if I was successful or unsuccessful?

Applying through UAC?

• UAC will advise your 1st Round application outcome mid to late January with a Scholarship offer or unsuccessful letter.
• 2nd Round application outcome - To be advised.

Applying through VTAC?

• VTAC will advise of your application outcome in late December or early January with a Provisional Offer or an unsuccessful letter.
• This will change to a confirmed offer once you enroll for the 1st session 2014 and the Scholarship Office will send an email to you confirming your offer and inviting you to accept.

I applied last year and was unsuccessful, can I apply again?

Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria you should apply again.

I already have an ICECS and/or ICAS - do I need to reapply through UAC or VTAC for next year?

You don't need to reapply as your continued scholarship recipiency is ongoing and your ongoing eligibility is checked by the Scholarship Office.

I have received an Indigenous Access Scholarship (IAS) before, can I apply for another IAS?

The IAS is a "once only" allocation, therefore once you have received full payment of an IAS, you cannot have another allocation of this scholarship.

What if I am studying part time?

• A full time student is one who is enrolled to undertake an amount of study of at least three quarters (or 75%) of an equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL). This equates to three (8 point) subjects or more or 24 subject points or more per semester.
• Students who are enrolled to undertake less than this amount of study are not eligible unless there are exceptional circumstances that prevent the student from studying full-time.
• CSU will take into account factors such as disability, long term illness, indigenous community responsibilities and significant carer responsibilities in determining your inability to study full-time.

When and how do I get paid?

You will be paid half the Scholarship amount on acceptance of the offer, and the other half within 3-4 weeks of the Census date.

Will my Scholarship affect my CentreLink payment?

The Indigenous Access Scholarship is not considered as income under the Social Securities Act and will not affect your Centrelink payments.

How do I know if my home address is rural or not?

Check your home postcode listing

What happens if I defer my course?

Your offer for the IAS will be cancelled and you must reapply next year when you commence your course.

How to Apply

Applications for the IAS are submitted via the Universities Admissions Centre of NSW (UAC) or the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC).