George Alexander Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship provides $8,000 per year for up to three years:

$8,000 per year for two years; x4 scholarships (total value $16,000)
$8,000 per year for three years; x4 scholarships (total value $24,000)

Eight scholarships available.

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or permanent humanitarian visa holder
be enrolling full-time in semester 1 and 2 at RMIT in a bachelor's degree in 2026, or:
have completed at least one year of your program
have at least two years of full-time study remaining (full-time through 2026 and 2027)*
be able to demonstrate academic merit
show initiative and commitment in your academic and/or personal life
be active in your community (i.e., volunteer work, university clubs and committees, student leadership or sporting teams)
demonstrate leadership and leadership potential in your academic, professional and/or personal life
not have completed the same level of program or higher, e.g., if you are studying a Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management), you should not have previously completed another bachelor's degree.

The link to the application form will be provided here once 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.

You will need:

your curriculum vitae (CV), no more than two pages in length
one letter of recommendation regarding your academic standing, preferably from a year 12 teacher, dated no more than three months ago
one letter of recommendation from an organisation regarding community participation, dated no more than three months ago

Note: Both letters of recommendation must include the date, contact details and signature of the person providing the letter. The letter of recommendation from the university academic should be on official letter head.

Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.

Application questions

It is expected that the online application will take approximately thirty minutes to complete. The main application questions are listed below to allow you time to prepare your answers in advance prior to starting the online application.

Please provide us with a short personal statement. Personal statements offer applicants an opportunity to share something about their background, values, what drives them and what they care about. Your personal statement can be upbeat, reflective or both. Use the statement to summarise and showcase who you are.
What is the university degree that you intend to study, and why do you plan to undertake this degree?
What are your post-university aspirations? How does your chosen degree inform this vision?
Please describe any academic and extracurricular curricula areas where you have performed at a high level. This may include, but is not limited to, receiving academic awards, significant accomplishments in sports and the arts, and high performance in competitions.
Please describe how you have been a community contributor. This can be demonstrated through your participation in volunteering programs and activities, contributions to community events, charity fundraising, supporting social and environmental issues, both at school and in the broader community.
Tell us about any significant leadership roles and leadership activities that you have undertaken at your school and outside of school. This may include being part of your school’s student leadership team and other roles where you have held a leadership position (e.g. in sports, community organisations), advocated for changes, organised and led events, mentored others and were a role model.

All eligible and complete applications submitted by the due date will be reviewed and assessed by a selection committee against the Key Selection Criteria, being:

The applicant's academic standing and participation.
The level and quality of community participation undertaken by the applicant (including, volunteering, work history and other extracurricular activities).
The measure of leadership and leadership potential demonstrated in the applicant's academic, professional and personal life.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications are now closed. The next round of applications for 2026 will open in August 2025.

Applications now closed.

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

George Alexander (1910–2008) was an engineer who studied Industrial Management and Executive Training at RMIT. George was particularly aware of the obstacles he had faced as a child and his own lack of education, so he was inspired to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds get a start in life. In order to achieve this, he created the George Alexander Foundation to use his wealth in a constructive way.

Watch 2015 GAF Scholarship recipient Cassie Cohen shares her experiences on YouTube.

Watch a short biography of George Alexander, founder of the George Alexander Foundation on YouTube.

Watch George Alexander scholar Brenda McKinty's GAF 50^th Anniversary Address on YouTube.