Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship

The Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship supports Indigenous Australian students at Swinburne University, experiencing low income, financial hardship or from a regional or remote area to live in on-campus accommodation at Swinburne’s Hawthorn Campus.

Successful applicants will have their accommodation fees covered by the Moondani Toombadool Centre (MTC) at Swinburne’s Hawthorn Campus, in full for the first two years of study applicable to their chosen course and then partially covered for any further years of study. 

Please note that this scholarship has very limited places for each year.

Any Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree offered by Swinburne University of Technology or Swinburne Online.

To be eligible for the Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship applicants must:

1. Meet the following criteria:
   • Be an Australian citizen
   • Confirm you are of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage by submitting a Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Heritage certificate (COA) with your scholarship application or a certified Statutory Declaration declaring that the individual applying for the scholarship is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, and/or is accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived. 
2. Meet the following enrolment criteria:
   • be a Swinburne student in 2025
   • enrolled full-time in an eligible course (see courses eligible in section above)
   • studying on campus
3. Provide evidence of educational disadvantage. Disadvantage(s) may include: 
   • financial difficulty or low-socio economic status (Centrelink statement, payslips)
   • disability or medical condition
   • relocation from a rural or regional area in order to undertake tertiary study
   • first in family to attend university 
4. Provide one written referee report outlining your suitability for the scholarship:
   • can be supplied by a community leader, teacher, lecturer or employer
5. Applicants will be required to engage in an interview with Moondani Toombadool Centre staff to ascertain suitability for this scholarship in response to the following questions: 
   • How will this scholarship help you achieve your education and career aspirations?
   • What challenges do you perceive to encounter during your studies and what supports might you need to handle these?
   • What current economic supports do you have in place to assist you in living independently (ie. ABStudy, Centrelink Benefits, Employment)?
6. Successful recipients of this scholarship are required to engage with an Indigenous Student Advisor through the Moondani Toombadool Centre (MTC) at the commencement of your studies to undertake an individual learning needs assessment. 

The scholarship provides a 100% accommodation fee waiver at Hawthorn campus for the first two years of study applicable to their chosen course and then partially covered for any further years of study. 

Please note - It is the student’s responsibility to notify Centrelink or any other government body of any changes to personal income that might affect government payments received. 

Applicants should complete an online application form and submit with all supporting documentation.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. For assistance when completing your application, please contact the Moondani Toombadool Centre via indigenousstudents@swin.edu.au or view the Scholarship Application Help Guide.

Fees and Scholarships Team, Student Administration.
scholarship@swin.edu.au