About the Aboriginal Tertiary Scholarship Program:

There are three levels of scholarship available:

• Major - $30,000 x 2
• Mid - $20,000 x 1
• Minor - $10,000 x 2

The Aboriginal Tertiary Scholarship Program enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people to apply for financial support to actively continue their accredited study.

The program is a key component of the department's Aboriginal Workforce Strategy 2024-2027, specifically aligning with pillar three: Create employment pathways and build stronger careers. 

In acknowledgment of the significant value Aboriginal employees bring to the Department of Justice and Community Safety (the department), pillar three includes a focus on establishing clear and accessible employment pathways for new and existing Aboriginal employees, to ensure they can reach their full potential. 

This is designated program under s.12 Special Measures of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.

Eligibility:

There are 3 eligibility criteria that applicants must meet:

1. Residency - Have resided in the state of Victoria on a full-time basis for a minimum of 3 years immediately preceding lodgement of the application. Confirmation of residency is requested on the application form.
2. Aboriginality - Be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is accepted by the Aboriginal community as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person; and can provide a Confirmation of Aboriginality (CoA) 1
3. Study requirements - Be undertaking full-time studies at an education institution, and either:

• have successfully completed the first year of an undergraduate degree course in the discipline for which the application is being made; or
• have successfully entered a postgraduate course for which the scholarship application is being made; or
• have successfully completed the first year of an accredited online undergraduate/post graduate course. 

Applicaiton Assessment:

Applicants are required to provide details on and will be assessed on:

1. Level of Aboriginal community involvement

Tell us about yourself, your mob and country and outline your engagement with the Aboriginal community.

2. Motivations

Tell us about your study interests and why you decided to pursue your particular course of study.

3. Career goals

Tell us about how a career with Justice is aligned with your career goals.

4. Academic results

Past academic results will be considered in assessing an applicant's ability to complete their course of study within the duration of the proposed scholarship.

5. Overseas and interstate study

Applications for overseas and interstate study will not be considered for the scholarship. However, applications may be considered from students undertaking short-term study interstate or overseas, such as study tours and student exchanges as part of their course curriculum.

In such instances, the applicant will need to demonstrate in their application why the study cannot be undertaken in Victoria.

The responsibilities:

• Inform the AWU if you intend to take any subjects which require you to be interstate or overseas.
• Maintain passing grades for all subjects and provide the AWU with your results at the end of each term.
• Please refer to the attached Aboriginal Tertiary Scholarship Program Guidelines for all responsibilities.

Qualifications:

Applicants must be enrolled in and have completed the first year of any criminal justice related or social sciences undergraduate degree.

For more details regarding this program please review the scholarship guidelines form or contact:

Krystal Henderson, Manager, Aboriginal Workforce Unit on 0477 132 117 or via Aboriginalworkforce@justice.vic.gov.au. 

Applications for this scholarship close at 11:59pm on Sunday, 19^th of January, 2025

Your application will be viewed during the advertising period and you may be contacted to undergo a screening process if you meet the requirements outlined in the position description.

Why pursue a career with us?

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we provide every person with the means to achieve their potential through ongoing learning and development opportunities in a diverse, equitable and supportive environment.

We look for people who are prepared to do their very best in line with our values and behaviors. Our values shape and influence how we recruit, train and develop our staff and build relationships with stakeholders.

We will also provide you with professional development opportunities, an employee assistance program, access to job opportunities across the Victorian Government, salary packaging and much more.

For further information on our benefits please follow the link Why work for Vic (careers.vic.gov.au).