Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander applicants

There is a special entry scheme at Melbourne designed especially for you, as well as a variety of scholarships and other assistance.

Access Melbourne

Access Melbourne can help you gain entry into an undergraduate course at Melbourne, even if your ATAR is below the minimum published ATAR. Each year at least 25 per cent of domestic undergraduate places at the University are reserved for Access Melbourne applicants.

All Indigenous students will be considered for entry on a case by case basis.

Am I eligible?

You're eligible for this category if:

• You're of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, or
• You identify as a person of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, and are accepted as such by the community in which you have been living in, or are associated with.

The team from Murrup Barak – the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development will be in touch to verify your eligibility.

Which undergraduate courses can I apply for?

If you're eligible under the category of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you may receive a guaranteed place in one of five undergraduate degrees, subject to meeting course prerequisites. Guaranteed entry scores differ for each degree.

Indigenous applicants will still be considered for entry below these ATARs, but entry is not guaranteed.

^* Bachelor of Science (Extended) entry requirements

Find out how to apply

Do I receive any other support?

Access to specialised degrees

If you dream of studying at Melbourne but feel unsure about meeting the requirements, the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) or the Bachelor of Science (Extended) might be for you.

These four-year degrees have been developed specifically for talented and motivated Indigenous Australians, and offer targeted mentoring, specialised subjects plus an exciting opportunity to live on campus at one of the University’s residential colleges.

Help moving to Melbourne

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students come to live and study at Melbourne from all over Australia, and around 300 Indigenous students are part of our friendly community on campus. Visit Murrup Barak, the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development to learn about how we can help you transition successfully to life at university with dedicated facilities, events, advice and more.

Financial assistance

Every Indigenous student who receives an offer for an undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne will be considered for the Melbourne Access Scholarship valued at $5 000 per year for the standard duration of their undergraduate studies.

In addition, students who are eligible to receive an Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarship will be considered for:

• An Indigenous Education Cost (ICECS) scholarship valued at $3 000 per year for up to four years, and
• An Indigenous Accommodation Cost Scholarship (ICAS) valued at:
  • $2 000 per year for up to four years for students who will relocate to Melbourne from within Victoria
  • $4 000 per year for up to four years for student who will relocate to Melbourne from outside Victoria

To be eligible for an Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarship, you must not be in receipt of other Commonwealth assistance given for the same purpose. Where the number of eligible students exceeds the number of scholarship available, preference is given to students from remote or regional areas and student who are financially disadvantaged.

Other support

Melbourne Chancellors Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to talented students in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement during their Australian Year 12 or International Baccalaureate (IB).

The scholarship provides a living allowance for up to three years with a value of:

• $5 000 per year for students who studied in Victoria
• $10 000 per year for students who studied outside Victoria
• Melbourne Global Scholars Award of up to $2 500 for an approved period of overseas study as an Exchange or Study Abroad student

There are also a range of additional scholarships and bursaries available to Indigenous students.

Murrup Barak

Murrup Barak – the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development – administers the Indigenous scholarships program, providing a range of benefits such as housing bursaries, book vouchers, assistance with living costs, and monetary grants.

Visit Murrup Barak

Advice and mentoring

Murrup Barak, the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development has a dedicated Indigenous student success team who work with Indigenous students to ensure that they maximise their academic, global, social and cultural experiences at the University. You can meet other Indigenous students and get help with subject selection, accommodation, community networking, mentoring, cross-cultural development, career counselling, scholarships and finances.