RMIT thanks donors supporting students through scholarships

RMIT thanks donors supporting students through scholarships

RMIT has recognised the impact of donor support in helping students overcome financial hardship and complete their studies, at a recent scholarship dinner bringing together donors, recipients and staff.

Held at the State Library of Victoria, the event welcomed around 180 guests and provided an opportunity for donors to connect directly with the students their contributions support. 

With many students facing unprecedented pressures – including the rising cost of living, food insecurity, and mental health challenges – demand for scholarship support continues to grow. 

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Alec Cameron said more than 9,000 eligible students missed out on scholarship funding last year alone.  

"That’s a startling number by any measure and I think we should aspire, collectively, to reduce it dramatically," said Professor Cameron.  

"Scholarships reflect RMIT’s long-standing commitment to access, inclusion, and social mobility. Recipients are more likely to finish their studies and to perform at a higher level than their peers."

RMIT Vice-Chancellor Professor Alec Cameron thanks donors for supporting students through scholarships. RMIT Vice-Chancellor Professor Alec Cameron thanks donors for supporting students through scholarships.

Executive Director Students, Dene Cicci, said demand consistently outpaces available funding, with around 14,000 students applying for scholarships each year. 

"While RMIT offers a range of wrap-around services to support students who miss out, scholarships are the most direct way to make a meaningful difference," said Cicci. 

MC and Director Global Marketing, Dr Carmen Gould, shared her own experience as a scholarship recipient. Leaving home at 16 with just a bag of clothes, she supported herself while continuing her education.  

"Once I was at university, something changed. I had access to student funding. 

"I still worked part-time, but for the first time there was a degree of stability underneath me. And with that stability came possibility," said Dr Gould.  

"Tonight, many of the students around our campuses are carrying burdens invisible to the rest of us … balancing work, caring responsibilities, housing insecurity, financial stress, cultural expectations, or profound uncertainty about whether they can continue," she said. 

"Scholarships do far more than pay fees and provide living allowances. They create breathing space. They support student success. They tell students: ‘you belong here’."

MC Dr Carmen Gould shares her own story of how a scholarship made a different to her education experience. MC Dr Carmen Gould shares her own story of how a scholarship made a different to her education experience.

Guests also heard from PhD student Tatjana Domes and alum Stefan Millard, who shared how scholarships have supported their education journeys. 

Find out more about scholarships at RMIT and how you can support students.

22 May 2026

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22 May 2026

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