Commonwealth Indigenous Scholarship

There are two forms of Commonwealth Indigenous Scholarships

• Commonwealth Indigenous Accommodation Scholarships
• Commonwealth Indigenous Education Costs Scholarships

These scholarships are funded through the Indigenous Student Success Program. Program that is provided federally by the Commonwealth of Australia (Canberra). If you will be receiving support from other sources you should check with that authority before applying for a Commonwealth Indigenous Scholarship from Southern Cross University. You are only permitted to receive one education cost scholarship and one accommodation scholarship at any one time (January to June / July to December). If you have concerns please contact the Scholarships office to discuss further.

Course of study

• Any degree or course. Note preference will be shown to commencing undergraduate students.
• Accommodation scholarships will preference On Campus students.
• Studying a minimum of 96 credit points in a calendar year for the full value of the scholarship – value will be pro-rata for enrolments of lesser value. A minimum annual enrolment applies of 48 credit points (24 credit points if commencing after June)
• Preference will be shown to scholarship applicants enrolled or intending to enrol in a Commonwealth Supported Place

For the purposes of the assessment of Indigenous Commonwealth scholarship, a person will be considered to be an Indigenous person where:

• Is of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and
• Identifies as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and
• Is accepted as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in the community in which he/she lives or has lived.

Citizenship

• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen

Low socio-economic status

Applicants must meet the criteria for low socio-economic status by demonstrating one of the following:

• Receiving or expecting to receive a Centrelink means-tested income support payment (such as ABSTUDY, Disability Support -Pension, Parenting Payment Single, Carer Payment etc.)
• Provide evidence of exceptional financial hardship
• Dependent students aged between 16–20 years whose parent/guardian was in receipt of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A at - the maximum rate in the year before commencing studies at SCU.