Swinburne Welcome Scholarships 2026

Swinburne Welcome Scholarships provide opportunities for holders of the below Visa categories to access a variety of courses at Swinburne University:

• Bridging Visa ‘E’ (BVE’s) (subclass V050),
• Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) (subclass V785) 
• Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) (subclass V790) 
• Temporary Humanitarian Concern (V786)
• Bridging Visa A (BVA's) (subclass V010) (who have also applied for permanent protection) 

Please remember that you must also submit an application for a course at Swinburne.

If you are a current Year 12 student and have applied for a course through VTAC, you must let us know your VTAC ID as part of your scholarship application by including it in your personal statement. If you are not a current Year 12 student, you can apply for a course directly to the University. Please go to the course application instructions for Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineJanuary 31, 2026
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorSwinburne University of Technology
• City to studyVictoria
• School to studySwinburne University of Technology
• Course to study
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

All Welcome Scholarships comprise a full fee waiver. Those undertaking an approved Vocational Education program will also have their materials fees paid for by the University and where relevant may have their concession fees covered if they are studying a Certificate course under the ASVET program.

All Welcome Scholarship holders may be eligible for a payment of up to $7,500 per annum if their course is longer than 12 months.

IMPORTANT: Be advised that if you enrol in any course (whether that be full time or part time), you may lose any Government income support. You must have an alternative source of income to support yourself throughout your study – for most people this will be in the form of part-time work.

Requirements

To be eligible for the Swinburne Welcome Scholarship, applicants must:

1. be a holder of either a Bridging Visa 'E' (V050), a Temporary Protection Visa (V785), Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (V790) or Temporary Humanitarian Concern Visa (V786), or a Bridging Visa A (V010) and have applied for permanent protection.
2. submit a course application through VTAC or directly to Swinburne.
3. be a commencing first year full-time student in 2026.

Note: Part time enrolment will be considered under special circumstances

Selection Process

• Preference will be given to applicants who have completed a Vocational Education program at Swinburne University. 

Application Documents

You must attach the following to your online scholarship application:

1. A personal statement (300 words) that details your involvement in the community*, and how you intend to contribute to your community and society in the future. This might include any volunteer work, and any demonstration of leadership potential you have accomplished in any setting including:
   • school
   • community
   • any member group of the Refugee Council of Australia
   • church
   • youth groups
   • sporting clubs etc.
     
     *This could have taken place in your home country or in any part of your journey in coming to and living in Australia. Please be sure to also tell how you intend to contribute to community and society in the future.
      
2. Provide evidence of financial hardship. Examples include (but not limited to):
   • Health Care Card
   • Youth Allowance
   • Newstart Allowance
   • Austudy
   • Abstudy
   • Disability Support Pension
   • Carer’s Payment
   • Bank statements and payslips can be used if an explanation is provided in a personal statement
3. Submit a reference (written in the past twelve months). This must support what you say in your personal statement. This is not a character reference. The reference must include the date, name, position and contact details of the person providing the reference, and your permission for the University to contact them for further information if required.

Please make sure you have all of these documents together prior to starting your online scholarship application. Be reminded that the completion of this online Swinburne Welcome Scholarship form is only one half of what you need to do; you must also apply for a course at Swinburne; either directly to Swinburne or through VTAC.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

1. Stage one is to complete the online scholarship application form and submit with all supporting documentation.
2. Stage two is applying for your course of interest

For more information, kindly view the Scholarship webpage.