Grathelms Scholarship

This scholarship provides up to $10,000 for one year.

Three scholarships available:

• up to $7,000 for a second and third year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (BP328) student 
• up to $10,000 for a Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) (BH127) student

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a permanent humanitarian visa holder
• be enrolling full-time in either:
  • your second year of the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (BP328) in Semester 1 and 2 2027 (having completed no less than 96 credit points and no more than 120 credit points) and have at least two years of full-time study left to complete, or
  • your third year of the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (BP328) in Semester 1 and 2 2027 (having completed no less than 192 credit points and no more than 216 credit points) and have at least one year of full-time study left to complete, or
  • the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) (BH127) in Semester 1 and 2 2027, having graduated from the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (BP328) in Semester 1 or 2 2026
• be able to demonstrate circumstance(s) that impact your ability to study, or be from an RMIT priority group, including:
  • living with a disability, long-term medical condition, or identify as neurodivergent
  • have experienced or currently experiencing significant personal or life difficulties
  • have relocated/will be relocating from interstate or a rural or regional area to Melbourne to study at RMIT (check eligibility using the Regional Adjustment Calculator)
  • are experiencing financial hardship, for example if you:
    • receive a Centrelink/Department of Veterans' Affairs low-income support payment, or
    • hold a low-income Centrelink Health Care Card
  • are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
  • are an early school leaver, mature-age student, or you entered university via a TAFE pathway
  • are a current or former refugee
  • are from a low socioeconomic (low SES) background
  • have recently completed secondary schooling at a SNAP (School Network Access Program) school
• be able to demonstrate your commitment and dedication to fashion 
• be able to show a high level of engagement, progress and potential.

The scholarship is awarded based on your scholarship application, academic results and your demonstrated potential for future practice.

The online application form will be made available here when applications open. 

Supporting documentation

Depending on your circumstances, you will need to provide different types of evidence and material to support your scholarship application. Applications without supporting documents will not be considered.

Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications for Semester 1 2027 open 1 August 2026.

Timely applications: If you submit your Access and Equity Scholarship Application by 31 August 2026, we’ll let you know if we need any additional documentation.

Applications for Semester 1 2027 close 2:00pm Tuesday 20 October 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

View the Coursework Scholarships Office’s terms and conditions (PDF, 698KB).

This scholarship is made possible by a generous donation from Neil McGrath and Ron Elms, designers and principals of Grathelms Couture, established in Melbourne in 1966.

Over many decades, Grathelms designed for many notable clients in both Australia and overseas. The Grathelms scholarship is given for one purpose – to foster and assist oncoming talent and to provide encouragement and reward.

Quotes from past recipients:

"Receiving the scholarship made me feel meaningful, in realising that someone believed in my creative and academic pursuits, I understood that my work was important and that I was on the right path to the future that I had always dreamed of. This encouragement gave me confidence to continue to pursue this path." - Bachelor of Fashion (Design) student

"The scholarship gave me so much freedom to establish my practice and studio with the required tools of my trade, and freedom to explore materials that I otherwise haven't had the opportunity to buy. Also especially this year when life has been in so much turmoil it gave me financial security to weather some of the more difficult and unstable times." - Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) student

Find out how to contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.