The scholarship will open in approximately mid-January 2026 and will close approximately mid-February 2026.

Yes! You can save the form and return to it at any time. Here's how: Click the "Save" button at the bottom right hand corner of each page A message will appear with a link for you to save and use when you're ready to return to the form Alternatively, you can enter your email address and the link will be emailed to you The link will expire in 28 days (or on the application closing date, if this is earlier). You can request a new link if it expires before the closing date Make sure you save regularly to avoid losing your work.

You will need: Current enrolment advice Documents demonstrating previous academic achievements (e.g. Year 12 reports, WACE certificates, previous semester results advice, any other study started or completed since leaving school) Accommodation contact or tenancy agreement Abstudy assessment letter Pay slips and records of any other income to calculate your estimated income for this year. If you are married or in a defacto relationship, you will also need your spouse/partner income details Contact details for your character referee (make sure they are happy for us to contact them).

Email contact@minniebairstowscholarship.org or call our friendly Project Officer, Zora, on 0467 154 203. She loves helping you get your application submitted. She also knows that new things don't always make sense right away and that technical issues sometimes happen.

To submit the form: Click the "Submit" button on the last page of the online form You won't be able to submit unless you have answered all the required questions, indicated with an asterisk* Submit the form by the end of the day on the application closing date Once you submit your application form, you will receive email confirmation of your submission You can update or revise your application right up to the closing date by using the link in your submission confirmation email Do not share your confirmation email. Ensure it is kept safe and secure, as it contains your personal information and allows access back into your application, so you don't want other people accessing it.

This varies from year to year, at the Trust's discretion. Five scholarships were awarded in 2024. Since being restructured in 2019, a total of 26 scholarships have been awarded. The recipients attend all five major universities in Perth, from enabling courses, undergraduate degrees and doctorates. There have been a mix of first year students and continuing students, from a diverse range of courses including Social Work, Architecture, Medicine, Psychology, Criminology, Education, Nursing, Archaeology and Business.

No, we don’t believe it will. Because the scholarship is paid directly to your accommodation provider, Centrelink does not consider it income. We recommend you confirm this with Centrelink. ​ If you have opted for Abstudy Residential Costs Option, you are not eligible for this scholarship, as your accommodation costs are already fully covered by Abstudy.

No, the scholarship only applies to: University enabling/bridging courses A first undergraduate degree A second degree in a field that is only offered at post-graduate level at your university and requires a general undergraduate degree as a prerequisite for entry (e.g. some universities only offer medicine or law courses as a Doctorate) The scholarship does not cover: Certificate or Diploma courses (other than enabling/bridging courses) Second or subsequent undergraduate degrees Post-graduate courses (except as noted above) Second or subsequent post-graduate courses

Generally, we expect students to make good academic progress but understand that sometimes things don’t go smoothly. We want you to complete the study wherever possible, so if you experience a hiccup, we will work with you to support you through it. Be sure to let us know if you start experiencing difficulties. ​ You will have one semester to ‘self-correct’ and pass all your units the following semester If you subsequently fail another unit, the scholarship may be reduced pro rata for the semester following the failure. It will be fully reinstated once you pass all your units in a semester. If you fail all your units in a semester, the scholarship may be terminated.

Generally no, but it will depend on your circumstances and the type/value of the other scholarships. It is definitely worth applying in the first instance.

The scholarship is funded by the Minnie Bairstow Trust, a charitable trust established in 1987 by the late Minnie Bairstow, who saw a need to assist with accommodation for Aboriginal university students.​ Since the Trust's inception, it has offered various forms of assistance with accommodation: initially as student accommodation owned by the Trust, then as numerous modest annual financial scholarships.​ In 2019, the scholarship moved from multiple small annual scholarships to fewer but more generous, course-long scholarships. The Trust believes this more effectively addresses the major financial burden of housing and ensures a secure home for the duration of a recipient's studies.​ The current and past recipients represent all five universities across Perth. They have been selected at various stages of their course, from first to last year. Their fields of study have so far included a university Enabling course, Medicine, Architecture, Psychology, Criminology, Archaeology, Commerce and Social Work.​ The Trust is managed by a voluntary management committee under the umbrella of Baptist Churches Western Australia. Scholarship recipients are selected by an independent selection panel consisting of two Aboriginal members who currently or have previously worked in tertiary education, along with a representative of the Trust's management committee. A part-time project officer is employed to manage the application process and day-to-day running of the scholarships.

Mainly, we will expect you to: Maintain good academic progress Comply with your accommodation provider’s tenancy agreement Maintain contact with our Project Officer and inform us of any changes to your circumstances Attend an annual gathering to meet other scholarship recipients and the Trust’s management committee We will also ask you to provide the evidence of your academic progress and tenancy compliance. For academic progress you will need to provide: Proof of enrollment at the census date of each semester Proof of academic results at the conclusion of each semester Your authorization to liaise directly with a nominated staff member from your university who can confirm your academic progress and continued enrollment each semester For tenancy compliance: Your authorisation for us to liaise directly with your accommodation provider.

Scholarships run for the remainder of a recipient's course and are therefore generally multi-year. ​ Recipients undertaking an enabling course who successfully complete that course may subsequently apply for the scholarship to continue into their bachelor degree. ​ The Trust will also consider continuing the scholarship into post-grad study for recipients undertaking a bachelor degree, particularly in fields where a Masters degree is required for professional recognition.

Our primary selection criteria are: Financial need Capacity to complete the selected university course – how suited you are to the course and your ability to apply yourself to achieve your goals. In recognition of the enormous potential of educated, empowered Aboriginal people to contribute to the autonomy and well-being of the wider Aboriginal community, we also highly regard a demonstrated commitment to your community.

The maximum possible value of the scholarship is $12,000 per year. How much you will receive in any semester depends on how many units you study that semester, as well as the cost and type of accommodation you live in. ​ Full-time and Part-time study Applicants are generally required to be enrolled in an 'Equivalent Full Time Study Load' (EFTSL) of 1.0 for the year. This is the maximum number of units required each semester in order to complete your course in the minimum time allotted by the university. If you are studying part-time, we may still consider your application. If you are successful, your payments will be adjusted at a pro rata rate. For example if your EFTSL is 0.375 (75% of the full-time load) for a semester you will receive payments at a reduced rate of 75% for that semester. ​ If you drop to part-time while receiving the scholarship you will generally continue to receive it but it will be adjusted to a pro rata rate.

The type of accommodation you live in will impact how much you receive: University colleges: 100% of the fees to a maximum of $12,000 per year Student housing (independent living) and other rental accommodation: 75% of the cost to a maximum of $12,000 per year The scholarship is for the cost of fair and reasonable accommodation. Apart from university colleges, reasonable accommodation for a single person is considered to be: a one bedroom apartment or one bedroom in student housing or one bedroom in a share house. If you live in a share house, the scholarship is for your share of the rent only. If you live alone in accommodation with more than one bedroom, we will contribute to the equivalent cost of the first bedroom (or two bedrooms, if your tenancy agreement limits occupancy to one person). If you have dependents, we generally assist with the additional costs of extra bedrooms. ​ The scholarship will be paid directly to your accommodation provider or landlord. You must have a formal written tenancy agreement or accommodation contract with your accommodation provider.

The Pre-Application Eligibility Check at the start of the application form will help you to know if you fit the criteria for this scholarship. We don't want you to waste time on this application if you are not eligible. Criteria for eligibility include: Able to prove Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander In financial need Study and live in Perth, Western Australia while studying Receive Abstudy ( but NOT Abstudy Residential Costs Option) Are enroled as a full-time or near full-time, internal (face-to-face) student in a university course for at least Semester 1 of the year in which applied Note: not all university courses are covered by the scholarship (See FAQs for course details) Pay rent for accommodation (See FAQs for accommodation details)