Recognition as an Indigenous Australian category

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible for this category if you meet one of the below criteria:

• You are 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 can been living or are associated with.

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

How to apply

To apply for this Access Melbourne category submit a SEAS application via the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) under SEAS Category 1: Personal information and location.

Guaranteed entry

Year 12 applicants who are eligible for this category may be eligible to receive a guaranteed place if they meet the course prerequisites.  ATAR requirements for guaranteed entry differ for each degree, please see the table below:

^* To be eligible for guaranteed entry to the Bachelor of Science (Extended) you must also achieve a study score of at least 25 in one of VCE Units 3 and 4 Biology, Chemistry, Physics or any mathematics (or equivalent).

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.