1. Our work
  2. Indigenous Scholarships Portal

About the Program

Financial barriers can put an end to many students’ dreams of attending university. Scholarships can make their dreams a reality. Aurora’s Indigenous Scholarships Portal  connects students to scholarships.

For Indigenous students, who are often the first in their family to attend university, the sheer volume of information across multiple locations is overwhelming and often difficult to navigate. The Portal is a one-of-a-kind central repository of scholarship listings available to Indigenous students. It allows students to find scholarships and apply directly through our online system. Students can also save relevant documents in a secure individual profile and access tools and personalised guidance.

The Portal increases access to higher education for Indigenous students. It makes what was previously overwhelming, accessible and achievable.

The Stories

Penny – Indigenous Scholarships Portal user
“...because of the website I was able to win that scholarship and I am now able to study full time.”

Oceania – Indigenous Scholarships Portal ambassador
“I’ve been able to access a number of scholarships on the Portal. These scholarships have helped me to move physically closer to uni. Without the stress of needing to commute, I now have more time outside of classes and can work towards being the best doctor that I can be.”

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts (4th year Law and Social Work student, UNSW) (awarded the John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship)
“I am completing my degree for my parents, community, and family, and most importantly for all the old people who have walked before me and have fought for our rights – they have taken much larger steps in order for us to be where we are today, and as the next generation we will continue to as well.”

The Statistics

900+
scholarship listings (5,000 individual scholarships)
$60million
value of scholarship listings
66,000+
unique visitors since the launch in Dec. 2016

The Impact

Independent evaluation by Nous Group found that the Portal increases Indigenous students’ access to financial support and resources so that they are better able to achieve their education and career aspirations. Specifically, it notes that the Portal is:

  • Unique because there is no other resource available that effectively lists scholarships in a content hierarchy that responds to the specific interests, needs and personal circumstances of Indigenous students.
  • Comprehensive because it collates over 900 university, private, philanthropic and government scholarships, both Indigenous specific and mainstream. This includes opportunities from non-university scholarship providers
  • A culturally safe online environment due to Aurora’s cultural responsiveness to the needs of stakeholders and users, and the Portal’s focus on Indigenous-specific content.
  • Able to reach a large proportion of the Indigenous community:
    –Indigenous students, who use the Portal to look for scholarships
    –Their networks (parents, teachers, community support), who use the Portal to support students.