Uni scholarships explained: are you eligible?

If you're currently in Year 11 or 12, you can apply for VU Early Entry – and by doing that, you're already in the running for a scholarship. No separate form. Your VU Early Entry application is your scholarship application. 

You could score a year of free accommodation, or one of three $5,000 scholarships: 

• the Achiever Scholarship, awarded to students with outstanding VCE results 

• the Community Scholarship, awarded to students contributing to their community in a positive way 

• the Innovator Scholarship, awarded to students with a vision on how they can change the world around them for the better.

That's on top of other perks like access to the gym, bonus ATAR points, one-on-one course advice and an ATARNotes+ subscription.

If money is tight, you can get help. VU Access scholarships are specifically for students facing financial hardship – and academic results aren’t part of the assessment at all. 

Your grades aren't assessed, your circumstances are. For example, you might be on a Centrelink payment, supporting family, working long hours alongside study, or just feeling the squeeze of cost of living. They're worth $1,000 a year.  

This means you’re eligible for up to $4,000 over four years if you're studying a uni degree, or up to $2,000 over two years if you're at TAFE. 

Another option is the VU Thrive Grant – a flexible, needs-based grant for current students who are experiencing financial pressure. It has already helped hundreds of VU students, and the amount you receive depends on what you can demonstrate you need. 

Moondani Balluk provide flexible financial support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across all study levels – from TAFE through to postgraduate study. The amount varies depending on your stage of study. 

Beyond financial support, Moondani Balluk is VU’s Indigenous Academic Unit and exists specifically to support Indigenous students throughout their time at university. If you’re unsure where to start, it’s a good first point of contact. 

There's also the VU Santa Singh & Balwant Kaur Scholarship, which supports Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Afghan women studying at uni. It's valued at up to $20,000 over a maximum of three years.

If you grew up in foster care, kinship care, or other out-of-home care arrangements, there's a specific grant for you. The VU Care Leavers Grant is open to currently enrolled TAFE students – from certificate through to diploma level – who can demonstrate relevant hardship connected to their experience. 

The amount isn't fixed; it's determined by the evidence you provide in your application. Like other equity-based support at VU, the more clearly you explain your situation, the better placed you are to receive meaningful assistance. 

Care leavers are one of the most underrepresented and undersupported groups in higher education. If this applies to you, it's worth looking into. 

The Elite Sport and Performer Program (ESPP) helps high-level athletes and performers manage study alongside professional competition, training and performance schedules. 

Support includes flexible timetables, extended course durations, special consideration for assessments, and access to health and fitness facilities. 

On top of the program itself, there are dedicated sport scholarships for different levels: 

• Elite High Performance Scholarship – VU’s top sporting award for athletes at the very highest level (for example national squads or top national rankings).  Worth $2,000 
• Emerging Elite Scholarship – for athletes competing at a strong national level with significant potential. Worth up to $1,000.  
• Aspiring Elite Scholarship – for developing athletes experiencing disadvantage that affects their study or training. Worth up to $500 plus access to facilities and support.  

The ESPP supports a diverse range of athletes and performers, from footy players to stunt actors, race car drivers, marathon runners, ballet dancers and professional snowboarders. The program also supports coaches and officials. 

The First Year Booster scholarship is worth $2,000, for newly commencing undergrads with at least two years of study ahead of them. Think of it as something to soften the first-year landing. 

Some scholarships are location-specific and easy to miss. If you live within the Hume Local Government Area and you’re starting TAFE or university (Certificate III or above), the Hume Multiversity Tertiary Scholarship is worth $5,000. 

If you received a Western Chances Scholarship in secondary school, you may also be eligible for the VU Western Chances Scholarship, worth up to $4,000 across your studies. 

The Uniquely You Engineering Scholarship is $10,000, for third-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Engineering). 

VU offers an Asylum Seeker Scholarship for students on Bridging, Temporary Protection, or Safe Haven Enterprise visas who have already completed a TAFE course at VU. It covers tuition fees plus up to $20,000 over four years of undergraduate study. 

It’s a significant package, but it’s important to know that it’s by nomination only, meaning you can’t apply directly. If you think you may be eligible, speak to VU’s scholarships team about whether you could be nominated. 

The VU Block Model International Scholarship offers new international students up to 30% off their first-year tuition fees – tiered at 10%, 20% or 30% based on your previous academic results. High-achieving students and those completing Australian Year 12 studies are guaranteed 30%. 

For international students starting a STEM degree, there’s also the STEM Accommodation Scholarship, which can cover up to a full year of accommodation. 

If you're starting a master's by research or PhD, the VU Global Research Scholarship offers 20% off tuition fees for the full duration of your degree.

Most equity and access scholarships aren’t decided by grades. Applications are usually scored based on your circumstances, supporting documents and how clearly you explain your situation. 

That means two students in similar situations might receive very different scores depending on how much detail they provide. A short or vague application will almost always score lower than one that clearly explains financial pressure, family situation, work commitments or other challenges. 

One of the biggest mistakes students make is underselling their situation or leaving sections incomplete. 

Applications open at specific times throughout the year, so timing matters. Most scholarships require full-time enrolment, although exceptions can exist for students registered with Accessibility Services or those with documented exceptional circumstances. 

You can apply for more than one scholarship, but you’ll usually only be awarded one – whichever one benefits you most. If you defer your course, your scholarship offer generally won’t carry over and you may need to reapply when you start. 

Provide as much detail as possible. For equity scholarships especially, applications are scored and incomplete applications are disadvantaged. Supporting documents also need to be submitted within five days of the closing date. 

Check the eligibility criteria for anything that might apply to you. Every year, scholarships go unclaimed simply because people assume they won’t qualify. 

If you’re starting at VU, it’s worth checking properly rather than ruling yourself out. A scholarship might not cover everything – but a few thousand dollars can make a big difference when you’re studying. 

Scholarships at VU