Scholarship details
Study levels
Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research
Student type
Future students and Current students
Study area
All study areas
Eligibility criteria
Indigenous Australian, Struggling financially, From regional and rural or remote areas
Citizenship
Australian and Australian or New Zealand
Application dates
- Applications open
- 8 June 2026
What you'll receive
You'll receive:
- an Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship, valued at $5000 each year, for the duration of your course of study at QUT, paid in two instalments of $2,500 per calendar year
- an Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship, valued at $5000 for one year only, paid in two instalments of $2,500.
Scholarship availabilities will be subject to annual Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) funding from the Australian Government.
Students can only receive one Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship during the lifetime of their studies at QUT.
Eligibility
To access the Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship, you must:
- identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Person as defined under Section 5 of the Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Descent Policy
- be enrolled in or applying for a research or coursework award course at QUT in 2026
- be able to demonstrate financial disadvantage by either:
- being in receipt of a means-tested Commonwealth income support payment, or
- a comprehensive assessment with a successful outcome by the university (e.g. an Equity Scholarships Scheme assessment, or an Equity Emergency or Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Bursary assessment through Student Services in the current year of application.
To access the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship, you must:
- be eligible to receive the Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship
- not have previously received the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship, or the former Indigenous Relocation Scholarship
- be able to demonstrate:
- having resided in a regional or remote area in Australia, according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), at the time of your admissions application (QTAC or direct application to QUT), or show evidence of having attended a school in a regional or remote area in Australia, according to the ASGS
- being a recent school leaver (i.e. have graduated school in the last two years and have done no further study since graduating).
How to apply
- You may not need to complete a new scholarship application if you received an Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship in 2025. You will continue to receive your Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship for the duration of your course of study at QUT provided you meet the conditions outlined in the next section.
- If you did not receive an Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship in 2025, you must submit your online application to be considered for any of the Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships.
If you are applying in Semester 1 and want to be considered for a higher value Named Learning Potential Fund Scholarship, you will need to complete a separate application through the QUT Equity Scholarships Scheme. Named Learning Potential Fund Scholarships are offered only in Semester 1 application round each year.
If you are applying in Semester 1 or Semester 2 and you are not receiving a means-tested Commonwealth income support payment, (e.g. Centrelink), you will need to complete a separate application through the QUT Equity Scholarships Scheme.
Complete an application to the Equity Scholarships Scheme
Conditions
To keep your scholarship, you must:
- be enrolled either full-time or part-time
- maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 4.00 or higher each calendar year
Terms and conditions for Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships (PDF file; 224.9 KB)
About the scholarship
Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the Australian Government's Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP), which provides grants to higher education providers to assist Indigenous Australian students undertake higher education.
Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships aim to increase the number of Indigenous Australian persons enrolling in courses leading to higher education awards and increase the number of Indigenous Australian students progressing in and completing courses leading to higher education awards.
Contact us
Scholarship Team
- Phone
- 3138 7624
- Int. phone
- +61 7 3138 7624
- scholarships@qut.edu.au
- Website
- https://www.qut.edu.au/scholarships
- Postal address
- Queensland University of Technology
- GPO Box 2434
- Brisbane QLD 4001