LGBTQIA+ Shaping Futures Scholarship

Applications open
Amount

$5,000

Number available

1

Closing date

08 February 2026

Apply for this scholarship

Scholarship details

Donor

Various

Establishment

The Shaping Futures Scholarship Fund was established in 2011 with the aim of helping those students who are most in need.

The LGBTQIA+ Shaping Futures Scholarship hopes to support a student who identifies as LGBTQIA+ and who is managing study alongside 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 equity attributes such as being an Indigenous Australian, having a Refugee background, or placement with an Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) provider.

For full details of this scholarship, please review the 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.
  • Identify as LGBTQIA+
  • Be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident (including holders of a permanent humanitarian visa and New Zealand citizens with permanent residency).

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.
  • The application will ask for a Y/N answer to the question: "Do you identify as LGBTQIA+?".

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. Academic merit may be considered where relevant.

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