ABSTUDY third-party scholarship programs
How the program works
Organisations funded by the Australian Government through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy’s Children and Schooling Programme to establish an Indigenous scholarship program may be automatically eligible for ABSTUDY approval.
Students offered a scholarship from a third-party program specifically approved for ABSTUDY may be automatically approved for ABSTUDY Away From Home benefits (subject to eligibility for means-tested payments). This includes funding for interstate travel if the scholarship school is not located in the student’s home state. The program is independent of a student’s school and family.
Students who receive a third-party scholarship not specifically approved may still be eligible for ABSTUDY Away From Home benefits based on other factors such as living in a remote area. If a student is eligible, ABSTUDY will provide support, including for travel within the student’s home state. Generally, interstate travel is not funded for secondary school students.
Assessment process
The department uses 8 selection criteria to assess if a third-party scholarship program can be approved for ABSTUDY. ‘Required’ criteria are mandatory and must be met before approval for ABSTUDY can be granted. Selection sub-criteria are then graded as one of the following:
- ‘highly suitable’
- ‘suitable’
- ‘not suitable’.
Provide your criteria responses in the ABSTUDY Scholarship program assessment template.
We will not approve scholarship programs that receive a ‘not suitable’ grading in any of the following sub-criterion.
In addition to the responses provided against the selection criteria, applications are also assessed using information from a range of sources including:
- other information provided by the scholarship program or the partner school
- the school’s website
- the Australian Government MySchool website
- the relevant state or territory education department.
If we are considering a rating of ‘not suitable,’ the applicant will be given an opportunity to provide additional information to support their application.
If your scholarship program is not approved, you can request a review of the decision. An independent officer in our department will review the decision and seek additional information from you as needed.
Selection criteria
Lodging the application
Lodge your application by 30 June of the preceding year to ensure your approval is in place before the start of the school year.
In addition to your completed assessment criteria, your application should include:
- information about your organisation and its structure
- any additional information about the scholarship program and how the program meets the assessment criteria
- any relevant published material about the scholarship program such as brochures or flyers (or links to online material)
- contact details (name, email and telephone) of someone who will be available to respond to questions about the program.
Email your completed submission to ABSTUDY@dss.gov.au or post to:
Branch Manager
Carer, Disability and Student Payments Branch
Department of Social Services
GPO Box 9820
Canberra ACT 2601