Indigenous Rural Placement Scholarship
Overview
Title
Indigenous Rural Placement Scholarship
College
Opening date
01-07-2026
Closing date
Scholarship value
up to $2000
Scholarship duration
Payment term
Student type
Indigenous students, Regional or rural or remote
Description
The Indigenous Rural Placement Scholarship Program is an initiative to provide financial assistance to Indigenous students to undertake placements/work integrated learning activities in rural and remote settings. It encourages Indigenous students to undertake placements on country.
Funding is provided to assist students with the out-of-pocket costs incurred as a direct result of the placement. These are costs which are additional to everyday living expenses and are incurred as a direct result of a placement requiring relocation, including:
- Travel costs,
- Accommodation.
Eligibility
In order to receive a scholarship, applicants must meet the following preliminary eligibility criteria:
- Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Descent. One of the following forms of documentation will be accepted:
- Formal letter of confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Descent provided by a Community Organisation
- Statutory declaration identifying yourself as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, accompanied by one of the following:
- Evidence you are an Abstudy recipient;
- Proof of genealogy; or
- Formal letter from an Indigenous organisation or Aboriginal Liaison Officer that recognises you as an Indigenous person.
- From institutions that are unlimited institutional members of NAFEA (see https://nafea.org.au/membership/unlimited-institution-members/ for a list of current unlimited institutional members. The institution must have an active membership for the relevant scholarship year).
- Currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student.
- If enrolled in an undergraduate degree, be in at least the second year of the undergraduate course to apply.
- Agree to provide a report on the experience which is suitable for publication on the NAFEA website and in the NAFEA newsletter within one month of the placement ending.
- Be willing to participate in evaluation studies or surveys.
- Not be a previous recipient of a NAFEA scholarship
The WIL placement must be:
- Either commencing, or having the majority of the placement taking place, between:
- Round 1: 1 January – 30 June
- Round 2: 1 July – 31 December
- Fulltime (minimum of 30 hours per week)
- A minimum of three weeks/12 days duration. If undertaking multiple shorter placements, all placements must be a cumulative of 12 days and relocation required for all placements.
- Within Australia
- Undertaken in an outer regional, remote or very remote location which requires relocation and is at least 100 kilometres from your usual place of residence OR undertaken in a major Australian city (RA1) if your usual place of residence is in a regional, remote or very remote area (RA3-5) and you are required to relocate at least 100 kilometres from your usual place of residence. Regional and Remote Locations are defined as RA3-RA5 using Australia Bureau of Statistics remoteness classifications- ASGS Remoteness Areas (2016). You should check if your placement meets this requirement by searching the locator, click here. For a guide on how to use the locator, click here.
Application information
Step 1:
Students must complete an online application form. Application forms can be completed and submitted via www.nafea.org.au once the scholarship round has opened.
Applications must include:
- Evidence confirming of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Descent.
- Confirmation of your current residential address.
- The placement details (including dates and agency/industry partner name). This can be a confirmed placement or a proposed placement.
- University placement administrator details.
- Referee contact details for a personal reference.
- An estimate of the student’s out-of-pocket costs for the placement (these are costs that will be incurred as a direct result of the rural placement and are additional to your everyday living expenses).
- Declaration of other sources of funding or grants that have been awarded in support of the proposed rural placement.
- Brief statement of up to 1500 characters (300-400 words) on how this scholarship will positively impact your participation in your regional/rural/remote placement and your longer-term career aspirations. In your response, you should include the financial impact as well as the skills and experiences that you anticipate you will gain from the placement.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be sent an automated acknowledgement receipt when applications are received. Applications must be submitted to, and received by NAFEA, by Midnight (AEST) on the advertised closing date.
Preference will be given to applications from students:
- who have not received any other forms of funding or assistance (e.g. supplied accommodation).
- with significant out-of-pocket costs
- undertaking placements in more remote areas.
NAFEA scholarships are only awarded to individual students once. Candidates who have been successful previously are not eligible to re-apply. Any unsuccessful applicant for the scholarship is entitled to reapply for the scholarship in the following round and will be assessed against the program guidelines and criteria that are in effect on the date the re-application is received by NAFEA. Candidates cannot reapply for the same placement in a future round.
The NAFEA Scholarship Committee will assess and rank all applications, liaise with applicant’s institutional WIL areas and provide a recommended shortlist to the NAFEA Management Committee. The NAFEA Management Committee will have final approval of the shortlisted applications.
Step 2:
All shortlisted applicants will be required to provide:
- Evidence of additional expenses, such as quotes or bills demonstrating additional placement costs, particularly transport and accommodation costs.
- Confirmation in writing from their institution’s WIL/Field Experience Officer of the placement details (incl. dates and allocated agency).
- Confirmation of travel budget and supporting documents for their out-of-pocket costs (if applicable)
- Any further requested documentation regarding confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Descent.
NAFEA may use its discretion to decline a scholarship if it feels that the student does not meet the eligibility and intention of the scholarship scheme.
The NAFEA Scholarship Committee will seek confirmation from your referee (as per the details on your application) that they support your scholarship application. NAFEA may use its discretion to decline a scholarship if a referee does not support the awarding of the scholarship.
The NAFEA Scholarship Committee will assess and rank the shortlisted applicants and where necessary seek advice from the applicants’ institutions to make a final recommendation of successful applicants and funding amounts to the NAFEA Management Committee.
Successful applicants will be given a conditional offer. Students who do not receive a conditional offer may receive an offer at a later date if funding becomes available from a student declining, withdrawing or not meeting the eligibility criteria of their conditional offer, this will be at the discretion of the NAFEA Scholarship Committee.
Step 3:
A conditional offer is provisionally awarded to an applicant based on the information provided in the application form. Students will need to complete the scholarship acceptance form and meet the requirements of the scholarship prior to receiving funds.
