MEGT Foundation Scholarship Program

To be eligible for an MEGT Foundation scholarship, you must be:

• Female or identify as a female
• Aged 18 or over
• Residing in Australia for the entirety of the scholarship period 
• An Australian citizen, permanent resident, or Humanitarian Visa holder
• Experiencing financial hardship and/or personal disadvantage
• Able to demonstrate commitment and availability to pursue study through to course completion, including participation in coaching and Communities of Practice

Applicants need to demonstrate motivation, determination and competency to complete study and career goals beyond the scholarship by:

• Studying a Certificate II, III or IV, diploma or undergraduate degree 
• Managing study and other commitments 
• Participating in coaching and Community of Practice sessions 
• Providing proof of enrolment in the course applied for prior to the offer of a scholarship agreement

Applications for scholarships open to candidates living in Victoria only on Monday 8 July 2025. South Australian residents will be able to apply later in 2024. 

If you’d like to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), please complete the form at the bottom of this page and commit to attending a compulsory briefing session, which provides applicants with an overview of the program and an opportunity to ask questions. 

Briefing sessions will be held online at noon on the following dates in 2024:

• Wednesday 17 July 
• Monday 22 July 
• Wednesday 31 July 
• Wednesday 7 August 
• Tuesday 13 August 
• Monday 19 August 

Applicants must be able to prove one or more of the following factors has negatively impacted their learning experience:

• Lived experience of domestic or family violence or sexual abuse 
• Low educational achievement 
• Mental health barriers such as anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or neurodiversity 
• Physical disability 
• Early school leaver 
• Unemployed or underemployed 
• Poverty 
• Aged over 50, divorced or separated and needing to re-skill 
• Single parenthood 
• Marginalisation due to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status 
• Cultural and/or linguistic diversity 
• Gender diversity 
• Refugee or asylum seeker status 
• Health care card holders suffering financial hardship 

Members of the scholars’ working group understand the difficulties which may arise due to personal hardship, and often share similar personal experiences. They are dedicated to flexibility throughout the scholar selection process. Examples of reasonable allowances may include:

• Leaving situations involving domestic/family or sexually violence, and potential ineligibility for a health care card due to an unfinished financial separation process 
• Previous completion of a VET qualification and wanting to complete a qualification at similar level to reskill 
• Inability to access the Higher Education Contributions Scheme (HECS) or Vocational Education and Training (VET) student loans 
• Humanitarian visa holders who are ineligible for any type of student loan, but who are looking to become a permanent Australian resident 
• Women aged 50 or more who are recently separated, experiencing poverty and/or homelessness, and wanting to reskill to improve their employment opportunities 
• Marginalisation due to student loan debts 

Scholarships are intended to support gaining skills, knowledge and the financial stability to pursue a meaningful and sustainable career. Financial support may include:

• Fees associated with short courses, certificates, a diploma or the first year of an undergraduate qualification (assuming the applicant has no access to fee-free VET courses or student loans) 
• Childcare or babysitting fees to facilitate course attendance, studying, and/or completion of assignments (up to $1,200 per year) 
• Internet and/or Wi-Fi access (up to $500 per year) 
• Laptop purchased by MEGT (up to $1,300) 
• Office equipment such as a desk and/or chair purchased by MEGT (up to $1,000) 
• Living expenses such as food and utilities (up to $2,400 per year) 
• Travel expenses such as fuel or public transport (up to $800 per year) 
• Books, stationary and other relevant materials (up to $400 per year) 
• Tutoring (up to $1,000 per year) 
• Uniforms if required (up to $400 per year) 

NOTE: The amount allocated to an individual scholar is based upon the level of the qualification, study type (full or part time), and the total amount requested. 

MEGT scholars can access both individual support, and group support via our Communities of Practice (COP) which reflect the needs of each group. To date, topics have included:

• Goal setting 
• Academic writing 
• Stress management 
• Boundary setting 
• Time management 
• Financial literacy 

MEGT is grateful for the input of representatives from Victoria University (English Programs) and the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJISR) who work with MEGT staff members from our People and Culture and Marketing teams on the MEGT Foundation Working Group. The group strives to: 

• Provide industry expertise, advice and feedback about the model and recruitment strategy 
• Share expertise relating to the target group, industry, policies, application and enrolment processes and skills pathways 
• Engaging with suitable applicants 
• Create access to venues for Communities of Practice, interviews and celebration events 
• Facilitate access to tutors and training to deliver training on topics such as academic writing