The University of Newcastle’s Scholarship for Asylum Seekers Program

The Scholarship for Asylum Seekers Program (SASP) has been established in recognition of the inequalities faced by people seeking asylum in Australia, including access to higher education. The Scholarship for Asylum Seekers Program is designed to support people seeking asylum to access and participate in higher education at the University of Newcastle.

Please note, the closing date to commence a SASP application for 2024 (Semester 1 commencement) is 23rd November 2023 at 5pm. If you would like to apply, please contact the SASP coordinator at sasp@newcastle.edu.au before this date.

What does the Scholarship include?

For the scholarship recipients, SASP provides a 100% tuition fee and Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) scholarship for students commencing undergraduate programs who have not previously undertaken any university study in Australia.

Scholarship recipients will also receive a stipend payment of $4000 (or pro-rata for part-time students) in April each year of their program. The Scholarship must be taken up in the semester in which it is offered; acceptance of the Scholarship offer cannot be deferred. If an applicant declines the Scholarship offer, the Scholarship will be offered to another applicant.

Am I eligible?

To be considered for the Scholarship for Asylum Seekers Program, applicants must:

• be able to provide documentation showing academic eligibility to apply for undergraduate study at the University of Newcastle. For example, completion of year 12 or equivalent, or relevant vocational education and training or overseas qualifications; and
• hold a (1) Temporary Protection Visa, Safe Haven Enterprise Visa or a Bridging Visa, (2) be seeking asylum and (3) have study rights; and
• have not completed any Australian undergraduate degree.

How do I apply?

The first step to apply for the Scholarship is to email us at sasp@newcastle.edu.au to let us know you’re interested.

Please provide your:

• email address and phone number and let us know which you’d prefer to be contacted on;
• basic details of your academic qualifications;
• what you are interested in studying, if you know this. If you’re not sure what you want to study, we can help you find out about your options.

Please note, the closing date to commence a SASP application for 2024 (Semester 1 commencement) is 23rd November 2023 at 5pm. If you would like to apply, please contact the SASP coordinator at sasp@newcastle.edu.au before this date.

Do you have a question?

For any enquiries, please contact Rhyall at sasp@newcastle.edu.au.

Want to help us support students from asylum seeker backgrounds?

The University of Newcastle has committed to supporting the scholarship by providing a 100% fee waiver to allow recipients to attend university, as well as dedicated support through their studies. In addition to this we are seeking to raise money to provide students with a stipend to help them meet their basic needs, such as housing, food and health care.

To donate towards this scholarship, you can make a gift online by going here and following the below instructions.

Click the 'Other Causes for Support' button	Select 'Scholarship for Asylum Seeker Program (SASP)' from the dropdown list

For other support or donation enquiries, please contact the Office of Alumni and Philanthropy
Email: donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au
Phone: 02 4921 8612