Dr Bill Jonas Memorial Indigenous Scholarship 2026 in University of Newcastle

This scholarship has been established by donations made to the Dr Bill Jonas Memorial Indigenous Fund. The fund was established with donations from the Wollotuka Institute, friends, family and community members who wished to honour Dr Bill Jonas’s significant contribution to Wollotuka and the University of Newcastle.

Dr Jonas, a proud Worimi man, is widely regarded as a pioneer of Indigenous rights. Dr Jonas’ list of impressive achievements includes contributions as an academic, activist and administrator. Dr Jonas, the first Aboriginal Australian to be awarded a PhD and the nation’s second Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, died on the 25th May 2019.

This scholarship provides a total benefit of $5,000 paid as $2,500 in each semester.

Payments are typically received 2–3 weeks after the census date, or 2–3 weeks after you accept your offer if the census date has already passed

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineFebruary 8, 2026
• Value$5,000
• Study LevelMasters , Undergraduate
• SponsorUniversity of Newcastle
• City to studyNew South Wales
• School to studyUniversity of Newcastle
• Course to study
• Eligible CountryAustralia

Benefits

This scholarship provides a total benefit of $5,000 paid as $2,500 in each semester.

Payments are typically received 2–3 weeks after the census date, or 2–3 weeks after you accept your offer if the census date has already passed

Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, you will need to:

• Be enrolled in any year of any undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the University of Newcastle.
• Be enrolled either full-time or part-time.
• Demonstrate academic progress by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or equivalent required for entry for commencing students, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 for continuing students (evidence not required for current UON students).
• Establish your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status per the process outlined on the Wollotuka Institute's study with us page.
• Demonstrate the impact of educational disadvantage such as carer or sole parent responsibilities, financial hardship, long-term medical condition/disability, the ongoing effects of abuse, regional/remote disadvantage, or placement with an OOHC provider.
• Not be the recipient of another University of Newcastle donor-funded or sponsored scholarship concurrently.

Selection Process

Selection is a competitive process and will be based on assessment of the scholarship application and any required supporting documents, with reference to the eligibility criteria.

Selection will be made by the Indigenous Scholarship Selection Committee which will consist of a minimum of three members chosen by the Pro Vice-Chancellor – Indigenous Strategy and Leadership.

The Selection Committee will communicate the details of successful recipients to the Scholarships Office, and all applicants will be notified of an outcome via email. This will occur within 6 weeks of the scholarship application closing date.

Application Documents

Required documents will be listed on the ‘Your Documents’ page of your application. The application portal accepts PDF only. A maximum of 3 PDF smaller than 5 MB can be added per document type upload field.

• A personal statement (approx. 1 A4 page) outlining your academic achievements, career aspirations in the relevant area of study, and how this scholarship would assist you. This statement will cover all scholarships you are submitting for.

• You may be required to provide documents to support your educational challenges and personal circumstances. These will be identified when you apply based on your individual application responses.

Check also:
2025 Faculty of Engineering International Tuition Fee Research Scholarship at The University of Sydney Australia
Scholarship winning strategies for 2026 (Upcoming Webinar)

Application Deadline

February 8, 2026

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to University of Newcastle on applications.newcastle.edu.au to apply

For more information on how to apply kindly visit University of Newcastle scholarship website