Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships (ICECS and ICAS)

Applications are open   Local students   Future and current students

The Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS) and Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS) aims to improve access to higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those who need to relocate from regional and remote areas, through payments to assist with education costs.

Courses eligible

Any Undergraduate, Postgraduate (coursework) or Higher Degree by Research course offered by Swinburne University of Technology or Swinburne Online.

Eligibility / selection criteria

To be eligible for the Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS) and Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS) 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 (Stat Dec) 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 commencing or continuing Swinburne student in 2025
    • enrolled full-time or part-time in an eligible course (see courses eligible in section above)
    • studying on campus or online
  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 to undertake tertiary study
    • first in family to attend university

By submitting an application for ICECS, you will automatically be assessed for the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS).

To be eligible for ICAS you must meet the following additional criteria:

  • have lived in a regional or remote area of Australia within the past four years and need to relocate to undertake the current study.
    • Please refer to Australian Statistical Geographical Classification – Remoteness Area to determine your geographic classification (Click on the 'Start now' button at the link provided. Choose 'Search a Location' or 'Search the Map'. Provide your address and select Australian Statistical Geographic Standard Remoteness Areas classification option to determine your geographic classification).

Please note:

  • If you are in receipt of a Centrelink Student Start Up Scholarship, Student Start up loan, Relocation Scholarship, ABSTUDY Residential Costs Options or Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships and you are offered an ICECS/ICAS, you may choose to either accept or decline the offer. If you do accept the offer, you must contact Centrelink for information about how to return the Centrelink Student Start Up Scholarship, Relocation Scholarship or Student Start up loan payment.

  • 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. 

Value

  • ICECS is valued at $2,900 per year paid in two instalments in the year. This scholarship is available for up to eight payment cycles.
  • ICAS is valued at $5,450 per year paid in two instalments in the year. This scholarship is available for up to eight payment cycles.

How to apply

Applying through VTAC

If you are planning to apply for a Swinburne course after completing Year 12, you may be able to apply through VTAC by completing the VTAC Scholarship Application Form which is available through your VTAC user account. Refer to VTAC for opening/closing dates.

Applying directly through Swinburne

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 view the Scholarship Help Guide.

Conditions

All scholarships offered by Swinburne are governed by a set of conditions. Please visit our Scholarship Conditions page for further information.

This scholarship is not available to students receiving an Indigenous RISE Scholarship, Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship, or Indigenous Relocation Scholarship.

Successful recipients of this scholarship are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress each semester. If you do not maintain satisfactory academic progress, your scholarship may be at risk of suspension or termination.

o   The Moondani Toombadool Centre encourages students to actively engage with their Indigenous Student Advisors and the Indigenous Academic Success Program to ensure consistent academic results.

Recipients of this scholarship must remain actively enrolled at a full-time capacity. If a student enters a Leave of Absence whilst in receipt of this scholarship payments will be paused. Continuation of payments upon return from Leave of Absence are subject to assessment that all other conditions will continue to be met.

The Moondani Toombadool Centre reserves the right to rescind your scholarship if you are found in breach of any of the following conditions:

o   you cease to meet any of the eligibility criteria or ongoing requirements

o   you do not resume study at the conclusion of a period of leave of absence or do not meet all of the University’s requirements

o   you are found to have committed serious academic misconduct or general misconduct

If you are in receipt of a Centrelink Student Start Up Scholarship, Student Start up loan, Relocation Scholarship, ABSTUDY Residential Costs Options or Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships and you are offered an ICECS/ICAS, you may choose to either accept or decline the offer. If you do accept the offer, you must contact Centrelink for information about how to return the Centrelink Student Start Up Scholarship, Relocation Scholarship or Student Start up loan payment.

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.

Contact

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