15 Scholarships for High School Students in Australia
- Stephen Turban
- 6 minutes ago
- 11 min read
Securing a scholarship in high school can help you explore unique academic paths and build a foundation for your career. Scholarships ease the burden on tuition, textbooks, and living expenses, making education more accessible. Beyond just financial support, scholarship opportunities pave the way for you to receive mentorship and networking opportunities, allowing you to access guidance, insights, and exposure that are rarely available within the classroom.
As a recipient, you can use the scholarship award to engage in advanced research experiences, pay for college, or enroll in academic/extracurricular programs. Whether you are aiming for a career in medicine, engineering, the arts, or anything else beyond and in between, a scholarship can help you build a foundation for your academic and professional goals.Â
In this blog, we have compiled a list of 15 scholarships for high school students in Australia.
If you are looking for more scholarships, you can check our blog here.
15 Scholarships for High School Students in Australia
Award amount:Â ~AU$20,000 over four years
Application deadline: September; applications open in July.
Eligibility: Female students in Year 8 currently entering Year 9 who are Australian citizens; applicants must demonstrate high academic potential and socioeconomic disadvantage.
How to apply: You submit via the foundation website, where you attach school reports, NAPLAN results, and a reference from the school principal.
The Harding Miller Education Foundation offers a scholarship that supports high-potential young girls from Australian public schools who face socioeconomic disadvantages. Alongside the financial support of approximately AU$20,000, you also gain access to mentoring, tutoring, and long-term educational support throughout Years 9 to 12. You will also be assigned a personal coach who will offer support and guidance for your academics. The foundation also provides a Future Success program to help you explore career paths and tertiary education pathways. The scholarship also comes with tech/IT support, an online tutoring service subscription, and prepaid expense cards to cover school supplies.
Location: Various sites around the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston.
Cost: Varies; financial aid availableÂ
Application deadline:Â Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Program dates:Â Two weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students, ages 13 – 18, who are currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program offers school students the opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities worldwide. You will work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4 to 10 students. You will attend university-style lectures and 1-on-1 weekly sessions with your tutor. The program includes practical experiences within various tracks such as dissections in medicine, robotic arm-building in engineering, or moot courts in law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, business management, computer science, artificial intelligence, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the end of the program, you will complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Award amount: AU$10,000/year + another $10,000 for postgraduate semesters
Application deadline:Â June 20
Eligibility: Year 12 students with outstanding academic records, co-curricular achievements, and expectations of achieving an ATAR of 95; applicants must be citizens of Australia or New Zealand.
How to apply: You can apply online through the UWA scholarships portal. You need to submit documents demonstrating your achievements and activities in Year 11 and Year 12 in relation to community and co-curricular achievements, and your school principal’s endorsement form, which will serve as evidence of your predicted ATAR based on Year 11 results.Â
The University of Western Australia Winthrop Scholarship offers high school students in Australia academic scholarships of AU$10,100 each year. This amount can cover your tuition, accommodation, and general living expenses. As a recipient, you will also get access to the UWA Winthrop Leadership Program, a University internship, and leadership development and mentorship programs. Additionally, following the completion of six semesters in undergraduate study, which are all covered under the scholarship, you will get another AU$10,000 for a maximum of eight semesters of postgraduate study. This competitive scholarship typically offers a maximum of five scholarship grants each year.Â
Location:Â Virtual
Cost: None—the program is fully funded!
Dates:Â Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year; spring, summer, winter, and fall sessions available
Application deadline: Varies by cohortÂ
Eligibility: High school students with high levels of academic achievement who demonstrate financial hardship
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a nonprofit research initiative designed for academically gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, which offers one-on-one research opportunities, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at no cost. Its Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. Here, you will work with a Ph.D. mentor on a one-on-one basis to design and complete an independent research paper. You can choose from a wide range of research areas, including social sciences, computer science, engineering, chemistry, psychology, data science, physics, economics, and international relations.Â
Award amount: Varies
Application deadline: August – September; dates vary by school and location
Eligibility: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in years 9 and 11 (must be in years 8 and 10 while applying); applicants must attend school in the cities of Sydney (metro only), Adelaide (metro only), or Canberra.
How to apply: You can apply through the GO Foundation’s website. You can seek guidance from your school regarding the next steps.
The Goods O’Loughlin Foundation, founded in 2009, is an Aboriginal-led charitable organization that has provided 1,700 scholarships for students across Sydney, Adelaide, and Canberra. With a GO Scholarship, you get access to financial assistance for educational essentials. You also receive cultural mentorship, ongoing support from Program Managers who regularly check in on your education journey, and access to jobs, internships, work experiences, and career orientations. As a recipient, you may receive internet support, career information, and tickets to events.
Award amount: AU$4,000
Application deadline: November 7
Eligibility: Students entering Year 11 the following year who have achieved a minimum Grade Six practical level from AMEB, ANZCA, or Trinity College syllabi; applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents who are learning an orchestral instrument
How to apply: You can fill out the scholarship’s online form, which should contain your resume, a LOR from your current instrumental music teacher, examiners’ reports of the past two years, and a link to your submitted/uploaded short performance video of up to 2 minutes. If your application is shortlisted, you will have to perform during an audition to qualify for the scholarship.
The Theodore Kuchar Scholarship, offered in partnership with Townsville City Council, is an academic scholarship for young artists. With this award, you get financial support and opportunities to develop your skills and start your career under the guidance of professionals. The $4,000 scholarship can help you with instrumental class/program tuition and/or professional development. You will receive the funds in two installments—$2,000 each during years 11 and 12. You can also use the award to attend music camps, learn how to play new instruments, and enroll in professional music courses
Award amount: AU$4,000; offered in two $2,000 installments, one each in Years 11 and 12
Application deadline:Â September 26
Eligibility:Â Students who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait islanders enrolled in Year 10 in a public high school in a rural or remote region
How to apply:Â Log on to the Public Education Foundation website, where you will have to sign up for a PEF-Apply account and then submit the form along with a few personal identification documents and statements, a reference from an Aboriginal community member, and a supporting statement from your principal.
The Rural and Remote Indigenous Secondary Scholarship is designed to support Indigenous students in rural or remote public high schools attending Years 11 and 12. The scholarship offers financial support of AU$4,000 to ease the monetary burden on students and help them continue to engage in school. The scholarship’s coverage spans various educational needs, offering coverage for textbooks, uniforms and school shoes, stationery, electronics, study-related software, printer, internet connection, school excursions and school camps, furniture, and tutoring. To continue accessing the scholarship’s benefit, you must stay in school till you graduate and maintain a good attendance rate throughout the scholarship duration.
Award amount:Â $1,000/year for Year 10 students; $2,000 for students in Years 11 and 12
Application deadline:Â Third week of December; applications typically open in mid-October.
Eligibility: Students in Years 6 – 12 in Northam Senior High School who are working towards the achievement of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and are Australian citizens/permanent residents.
How to apply: You can apply through the Department of Education’s online portal here. You need to submit academic reports and a reference from the school principal.
The Laurence Armstrong Trust Scholarships partners with the Department of Education to offer various scholarships to school students. The scholarships offer $1,000/year from Years 7 to 10 and $2,000/year for Years 11 and 12. By the time you finish school, you get about $8,000 to assist you with your education. This scholarship is specifically designed for students who are currently enrolled at or planning to enroll at Northam Senior High School. Typically, two or more students can be recipients each year. The award is offered based on demonstrated financial need, along with overall academic performance and school attendance.
Award amount: $1,500/semester
Application deadline:Â December 20
Eligibility:Â Graduating Year 12 students in Western Australian schools with an ATAR of 90 or higher
How to apply: List Edith Cowan University (ECU) as your first preference when applying for university via TISC. You will be considered automatically for ECU scholarships following registration.
ECU’s ATAR High Achievement Scholarship offers financial support to help you as you transition into full-time collegiate study. The scholarship provides a $1,500 award each semester, designed to help cover first-year study costs. This scholarship is merit-based, offering awards based on ATAR scores. To qualify for the benefits of the scholarship, you should enroll in a total of 120 credit points in your first undergraduate year.
Award amount: Varies; scholarship is designed to cover tuition and boarding at AIEF partner schools
Application deadline: Varies by partner school
Eligibility: Indigenous Australian students with financial need who are eligible to receive ABSTUDY and are accepted for enrolment at an AIEF partner school
How to apply: You must contact the chosen AIEF partner school to receive and submit your scholarship application form.
This scholarship is designed to support indigenous students interested in attending AIEF boarding and day schools across Australia. The scholarship offers multi-faceted support, covering part of the cost of tuition and boarding fees, along with offering cultural mentoring and academic assistance to students in financial need. AIEF partners with schools and tertiary residential colleges that are committed to Indigenous education, offer student support and pastoral care, and are dedicated to the support of Indigenous families and communities. The exact amount of coverage varies by partner school.Â
Award amount: Varies; partial to full remission (about 80%) of boarding/tuition fees at MGG from Years 9 to 12
Application deadline:Â Early February; applications open in November.
Eligibility:Â Australian students entering Year 9 or 10 who reside in rural or regional locations
How to apply: You can submit an online application form via Melbourne Girls’ Grammar’s scholarships page during the application window. You will also have to submit a written letter describing your goals at MGG, financial records, recent certified school reports, and NAPLAN results. Then, you will take an exam conducted by Academic Assessment Services.Â
Melbourne Girls Grammar, a leader in girls’ education in Australia, offers various scholarships to students. The Judy Roach Scholarship for Boarding specifically offers financial support to cover female students’ four consecutive years of boarding and tuition at school. As a recipient, you will receive a remission for all or a part of your boarding fees and tuition for the duration of your schooling at Melbourne Girls Grammar. Fee remissions are determined based on the needs of the recipients’ families. The amount can also vary each year.
Award amount: Offers a discount on the NYSF Year 12 program fee; exact amount is assessed case-by-case!
Application deadline:Â TBA; applications open mid-yearÂ
Eligibility: Australian Year 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students demonstrating access or equity needs
How to apply: You can fill out the NYSF program application form available each year during the application window on the website and complete the Access and Equity Scholarship section in the form to be considered for financial aid.
The National Youth Science Forum, a non-profit, runs programs that allow students to engage in STEM learning on university campuses. Its Year 12 Program is an opportunity to participate in tours of science and technology facilities, learn about research, connect with professionals, and explore academic and career paths in STEM. To improve access to the program, NYSF offers Access and Equity Scholarships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with financial needs, providing monetary assistance to cover the NYSF Year 12 Program fees. The program can help you build a network of peers and gain early exposure to university coursework and campus life.
Award amount: $7,000
Application deadline:Â November
Eligibility: Residents of the City of Logan who are artists and 18 – 35 years old; applicants must draw on their cultural backgrounds while practicing art that can be displayed in a gallery.
How to apply: You can apply online via the Logan Arts SmartyGrants portal.
The Robyn Daw Young Scholarship, administered by the Friend family in partnership with Logan City Council, is designed to support local artists whose work draws primarily on their cultural background. As a recipient, you get a financial award, the chance to display your work at gallery exhibitions, and access to private mentorship. The main award is $7,000, limited to just one recipient; however, about eight shortlisted artists get an artist fee of $425 and access to a professional development and workshop program. With this scholarship, you will also gain access to guidance from peers and professionals in the field.
Award amount:Â Varies by package as amounts are tailored to you; typically includes school costs, tutoring, etc.
Application deadline:Â Varies by local partner; applications are typically open year-round
Eligibility: Students from low-income backgrounds enrolled at schools in Australia
How to apply: You can apply via your school or by contacting The Smith Family organization.
The Smith Family is an Australian children’s charity organization that offers various programs to support children's education. The organization’s Learning for Life is a long-term support program for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program can help you cover the cost of attending school, including paying for uniforms, books, and excursions. In addition, as a recipient, you can access the guidance of a designated Learning for Life Coordinator and engage in other Smith Family programs, such as Learning Clubs to help you catch up with school work, and mentoring programs like iTrack to help you build academic and life skills.
Award Amount: Varies depending on your ATAR score, but typically a tuition fee reduction from 15% to 30% is available.
Application deadline:Â Typically, May
Eligibility: Full-fee paying international studentsÂ
How to apply: When you apply for an eligible course at Flinders, you are automatically assessed for the scholarship.
Offered by Flinders University, a leading international university in Australia, this scholarship is designed to support international students with strong academic performance. The reward is offered in three tiers, varying based on your ATAR score. You can access a 15% tuition-fee reduction for ATAR scores of 65 – 69.95, a 25% reduction for scores of 70 – 79.95, and a 30% reduction for scores equal to or higher than 80. To continue receiving the scholarship benefits, you must maintain a GPA of 4.0 and a full-time load of study.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-on-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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