Equity Scholarships
Equity Scholarship categories and supporting documents
When awarding scholarships, institutions will consider their scholarship-specific requirements, as well as the educational challenges and applicant attributes listed below. Note that the specified applicant attributes, on their own, do not make you eligible for a scholarship; you must also show that you have experienced one or more of the specified educational challenges.
The documents you’ll need to provide are detailed under each educational challenge and attribute. If you have to provide supporting documents, a document package will be produced automatically when you apply. If you are not prompted to download a document package, you don’t need to supply supporting documents.
All documents must be uploaded as PDFs to your application. No hardcopy documents will be accepted.
Circumstances you can claim
| Eligibility criteria | You care for another person who needs ongoing support because of a long-term medical condition, a mental illness, a disability, frailty or the need for palliative care. As a carer, you:
Volunteers under the auspices of a voluntary organisation are not included. |
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| Supporting documentation required | One (only) of the following:
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There are four categories of financial challenges. You are considered to be experiencing financial hardship if you satisfy one (only) of the following eligibility criteria.
Category 1: Receiving a Centrelink means-tested income support payment
| Eligibility criteria | You are currently receiving a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income support payment (such as a Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment (Single) or Carer Payment). |
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| Supporting documentation required | Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN). The CRN must be in your name. You will be required to enter your CRN in your online application. In line with the UAC privacy policy and UAC’s agreement with Centrelink, your CRN will not be shared with institutions. Therefore, institutions may also request that you provide it. |
Category 2: Expecting to receive a Centrelink means-tested income support payment
| Eligibility criteria | You are expecting to receive a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income support payment in the current admissions period. |
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| Supporting documentation required | In your application you will be asked to indicate when you expect to receive a Centrelink (or other Commonwealth) means-tested income support payment. No documentation is required to support eligibility for the expectation of receipt of a means-tested payment when you apply. However, after enrolment and prior to payment of a scholarship, you must provide your institution with evidence that you have received a support payment. Alternatively, email your CRN to equity@uac.edu.au once your first payment has been credited to your bank account and we will update your assessment. |
Category 3: Able to demonstrate exceptional financial hardship beyond your control or choosing
| Eligibility criteria | You are able to provide comprehensive information demonstrating exceptional financial challenges that are beyond your control or choosing. If you are eligible to claim a Centrelink means-tested allowance but choose not to, you are not eligible to claim exceptional financial hardship. If your family income is above the Centrelink eligibility threshold, you are generally not eligible to claim exceptional financial hardship. |
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Supporting documentation required |
Evidence of eligibility for exceptional financial hardship demonstrating a level of real and enduring financial hardship. Supporting documentation requirements are provided in the document package. |
Category 4: Dependent student undertaking a Year 12 qualification with a parent/guardian in receipt of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A
| Eligibility criteria | You are a dependent student between the ages of 16 and 19 years (up to the end of the calendar year you turn 19) who is currently undertaking a Year 12 qualification and whose parent/guardian is in receipt of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A. You are not eligible to claim this disadvantage if you are a parent receiving FTB Part A. |
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| Supporting documentation required | One (only) of the following:
or
Note: Your parent/s or guardian/s can view and download their Centrelink income statement/s by logging into their Centrelink online account, or myGov, if they have set up an account. Alternatively, your parent/s or guardian/s must call or visit a Centrelink office to obtain a Centrelink family assistance letter. Allow at least a week for Centrelink to process your request. If you have any queries about this documentation, email equity@uac.edu.au. |
| Eligibility criteria | Your ability to study at university is being affected, or is likely to be affected, by the long-term and ongoing effects of one of the following:
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| Supporting documentation required | All of the following:
Medical impact statement Educational impact statement Responsible person |
| Eligibility criteria | Within the two years immediately prior to the start of your current or proposed period of higher education study, you lived in a regional or remote area of Australia for at least 12 months. |
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| Supporting documentation required | Documents substantiating your residential (not postal) address in a regional or remote area of Australia for a period of at least 12 months in the two years immediately prior to the start of your current or proposed higher education course of study. Documents must be in your name and may include: bank statements; a letter of attendance from your school or higher education provider showing your home address at the time you attended; Centrelink letters; electoral commission enrolment form; utilities bill; phone bill. Your permanent residence postcode/s will be used to assess whether you lived in a regional or remote area of Australia. The Australian Standard Geographic Classification Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) system map can be accessed at doctorconnect.gov.au. (Navigate to the 'Health Workforce Locator' and enter your address.) You can use this tool as a guide for your postcode. All categories other than ‘RA1 – Major Cities of Australia’ are considered to be regional or remote. Note: If you can only provide documents in your parent/guardian's name, upload a copy of your birth certificate or other document(s) that verify your relationship. Email equity@uac.edu.au if you need more information about the documents you must provide. |
| Eligibility criteria | You are single and have at least one dependent child under 18 who is wholly or primarily in your care and who is living in Australia. |
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| Supporting documentation required | One (only) of the following:
A responsible person may be a higher education educator, doctor, specialist medical professional, lawyer, accountant, social worker, counsellor, religious or community leader. They must be familiar with your circumstances and able to comment and provide information about your educational disadvantage and its effect on your ability to study. If you’re a current Year 12 applicant, a responsible person is your school/college principal, counsellor, year adviser or careers adviser. If you’re unable to have your school complete the statement, you must attach an explanation as to why your school can’t complete it and the relationship between you and the responsible person. |
Applicant attributes
| Eligibility criteria | You satisfy all of the following criteria:
Institutions may use this criteria in conjunction with other demonstrated circumstances. |
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| Action required | Answer relevant questions in the application.
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| Eligibility criteria | You are placed, or have previously been placed, with an out-of-home care (OOHC) provider due to government agency intervention.
This includes:
Spending time in a refugee camp inside or outside of Australia does not meet the eligibility criteria for out-of-home care status. |
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| Supporting documentation required | At least one of the following:
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| Eligibility criteria | You are, or have previously been, the holder of one of the following Australian refugee and humanitarian visas:
Institutions may use this criterion in conjunction with other demonstrated circumstances. |
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| Supporting documentation required | One (only) of the following:
Note: Providing an Immi Card or visa grant letter with no other documents is not enough for assessment. UAC must be able to identify your date of entry into Australia. |