Shaping Futures Scholarships

Applications open
Amount

$5,000

Number available

52

Closing date

08 February 2026

Apply for this scholarship

Scholarship details

Donor

Public

Establishment

The Shaping Futures Scholarship Program was established in 2011 with the aim of helping those students who are most in need and continues to grow each year as one of our largest equity scholarship programs.

Shaping Futures Scholarships will be awarded to students who are managing their academic progress alongside complex personal circumstances such as:

  • Carer responsibilities
  • Financial disadvantage
  • Long term medical condition/disability or ongoing effects of abuse
  • Regional or remote disadvantage
  • Sole parent responsibilities
  • Additional attributes such as being an Indigenous Australian, having Refugee status, or an Out-of-Home Care experience.

It is hoped that the Shaping Futures Scholarships will provide much needed support for students to continue to overcome adversity and maintain their achievements.

These scholarships are funded entirely by generous donations from alumni, donors, staff, businesses and the community, and funds are continually sought via the Shaping Futures Appeal.

In addition to general Shaping Futures Scholarships, donors have established specific 'named' opportunities to support students in areas they are passionate about. You can read more about these on the List of Shaping Futures Scholarships page.

Applicants for this scholarship who are in the first year of their degree should also consider applying for the Shaping Futures Full Degree Scholarship.

For more information on this scholarship, please review the full Terms and Conditions.

Eligibility

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

  • Be enrolled in any year of an undergraduate degree program at the University of Newcastle.
  • Be intending to study on a full-time basis (minimum 60 units per year).
  • Demonstrate academic progress by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or equivalent required for entry for commencing students, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 for continuing students (evidence not required for current UON students).
  • Demonstrate the impact of educational disadvantage such as carer and sole parent responsibilities, financial hardship, a long-term medical condition or disability, the ongoing effects of abuse, regional/remote disadvantage, or applicant attributes such as being an Indigenous Australian, having a Refugee background, or placement with an Out-of-Home Care provider.
  • Be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident (including holders of a permanent humanitarian visa and New Zealand citizens with permanent residency).
  • Not be the recipient of another University of Newcastle donor-funded or sponsored scholarship concurrently.

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 personal statement (approx. 1 A4 page) outlining your academic achievements, career aspirations in the relevant area of study, and how this scholarship would assist you. This statement will cover all scholarships you are submitting for.
  • You may be required to provide documents to support your educational challenges and personal circumstances. These will be identified when you apply based on your individual application responses.

Benefit

The scholarship provides a benefit of $5000 to be paid as a lump sum.

Payments are typically received 2–3 weeks after the semester census date, or 2–3 weeks after you accept your offer if the census date has already passed.

Selection

Selection for this scholarship does not require review by a selection panel, however is competitive and will be based on a thorough assessment of each application and required supporting documents, considering both the eligibility criteria and the applicant's demonstrated educational disadvantage.

The award of named Shaping Futures Scholarships may take specific donor wishes in to account.

College

Contact Details

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

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