Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) Tertiary Accommodation Grants

Refer to selection details for application information
Amount

$10,000

Number available

20

Scholarship details

Donor

NSW Government - Aboriginal Housing Office

Establishment

The NSW Government - Aboriginal Housing Office is offering Tertiary Accommodation Grants to eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in full time studies with University of Newcastle. This is a new program established within the Strong Family, Strong Communities framework to support eligible tertiary students with grants of $5000, $7,000, or $10,000 to offset the cost of living whilst studying.

The grants will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students experiencing the impact of housing stress on their ability to study. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate degree study and demonstrate that they are in financial hardship.

Application is via submission of this application form to wollotuka@newcastle.edu.au by 26 February 2024.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, you will need to:

  • Establish your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity and heritage with the university as outlined here.
  • Be enrolled/enrolling in any year of an enabling, undergraduate, or postgraduate program on campus with University of Newcastle. Students who have accepted an offer to start study with us next year may also apply.
  • Be enrolled full-time.
  • Demonstrate that you are a social housing tenant or are experiencing housing stress and provide evidence of independent living arrangements. (housing stress is defined as an individual expending more than 40% of weekly income on housing).

Required Documentation

Required documents will be listed on the ‘Your Documents’ page of your application. The application portal accepts PDF only. A maximum of 3 PDF smaller than 5 MB can be added per document type upload field.

  • A copy of the Application Form (see link above) to be submitted to wollotuka@newcastle.edu.au
  • Evidence of independent living arrangements which outlines weekly rent payable. This can be a rental/lease agreement/contract, a rental bond notice, a letter from your landlord, or a statutory declaration from a relative or friend.
  • Evidence of income to determine housing stress. This can be a payslip, a bank account statement, or documented evidence of centrelink income payments.

Benefit

A grant valued between $5,000 - $10,000 will be awarded for assistance with housing and accommodation.

The number of grants available is indicative only and will depend on the funding allocation in each offer year.

Selection

Applications will be evaluated and grant recipients and amounts determined by a selection panel assembled by the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO). There will be a University of Newcastle representative on the panel.

College

Contact Details

Admissions and Scholarships
Student and Academic Services
University of Newcastle
University Drive
CALLAGHAN NSW 2308

Phone: +61 2 4921 5000
Email: scholarships@newcastle.edu.au