About scholarships

What are scholarships?

Scholarships can assist with the cost of tertiary study and can be awarded for many reasons. These include scholarships for academic achievement, Indigenous Australians, community service, financial disadvantage and for other equity and access groups

Where to find scholarships

Scholarships are offered by many different organisations. The places we suggest you search for scholarships are:

• Scholarships available through VTAC 
• Scholarships available through institutions 
• Scholarships offered by government, community and business organisations.  For example, scholarships for teaching offered by the Victorian or Commonwealth government. To find other opportunities, search online.

You should spend some time exploring all these opportunities and apply for any scholarships you think you might be eligible for.

Additional support from Centrelink

If you receive Centrelink benefits and need to move for study, you may be eligible for a Centrelink Relocation Scholarship.  Centrelink also offer a repayable Student Start-Up Loan.

 Equity schemes and scholarships application dates

 Find all VTAC dates on the Dates and fees page.  

Who can apply for scholarships through VTAC

VTAC accepts scholarship applications from:

• individuals who lodge a VTAC course application, and
• some individuals who are not applying for courses through VTAC.

To be eligible for institutional access and equity scholarships, you must:

• Meet any institutional specific requirements
• Have an appropriate type of residency status for the institution(s) you are applying to.

For more information, download the Applying for scholarships factsheet.

What scholarships can I receive through VTAC?

There are over 50 scholarships you can be considered for through VTAC. These are categorised into three types of scholarships:

Merit: Based on scores, performance or  application standard. Merit scholarships for 2027 may be awarded to students for academic achievement if they have completed an Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2026. To be considered, applicants must apply for courses through VTAC but do not need to lodge a VTAC equity schemes and scholarships application.

Indigenous Commonwealth scholarships: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants, who meet eligibility requirements, are encouraged to apply for Indigenous Commonwealth scholarships.  There are several types of Indigenous Commonwealth scholarships covering access, education and accommodation costs. Check to see which universities offer these scholarships through the VTAC equity schemes and scholarships application. Others require applications to the institution. 

Access and equity: These help cover costs of studying higher education, particularly those who may not have been able to afford to study otherwise. In addition to the categories listed above, access and equity scholarships applied for through VTAC are awarded for:

• • having to relocate to attend tertiary study
  • intending to live on campus
  • community service
  • leadership
  • being a student from Gippsland committed to regional and rural health and applying to Monash.

For information about the scholarships offered by each institution, see the list of scholarships through VTAC.

Applying for scholarships through VTAC without a course application (scholarship-only application)

Examples of individuals not applying for courses through VTAC, who may wish to submit a scholarships application, include those:

• • applying for Victorian courses through UAC (the Universities Admissions Centre in New South Wales)
  • already enrolled in a tertiary course
  • deferred
  • who want to transfer between tertiary courses, or
  • who are applying for courses directly to the institution.

La Trobe University, Swinburne University of Technology and Victoria University accept VTAC scholarship application from those not submitting a VTAC course application.

You can find the 'Scholarships-only' application on your VTAC portal dashboard after you have created an account and completed your profile.

When will I know my outcome?

You will receive advice about your scholarship outcome later in the cycle, typically in December. Depending on the institution offering the scholarship, the advice will either be emailed to you directly or available in your VTAC account. For information about when scholarships are offered and the offer process, see the scholarship offers page.

Applying for scholarships directly through institutions

Many tertiary institutions also have scholarships you can apply for directly that will have their own application and deadlines. There is a list available on our website of scholarships available through institutions. Or you can visit institution websites directly.