George Alexander Foundation Scholarship

The George Alexander Foundation Scholarship provides $8,000 per year for two or three years.

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 degree in 2023
• have completed at least one year of your program
• have at least two years of full-time study remaining (full-time through 2023 and 2024)*
• 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 degree.

*Bachelor of Architectural Design (BP250) students who have at least two years of full-time study remaining or intend to transition into the Master of Architecture (MC163) immediately after completing BP250 are eligible to apply (if all other eligibility criteria are met). 

Postgraduate students are ineligible to apply.

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.

You will need:

• one letter of recommendation, preferably from an academic, dated no more than three months ago
• your curriculum vitae, no more than two pages in length
• one letter of recommendation from an organisation to support your statements regarding your community participation dated no more than twelve months ago.

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.

• Tell us about yourself (100-150 words).
• Highlight your academic achievements since you commenced your degree. Mention any awards relevant to your chosen career and demonstrate any extra-curricular involvement to advance your standing in your field. (250-300 words).
• Demonstrate how committed you are to your community. What volunteering have you participated in since commencing your degree, within your university and/or in the broader community? This might include, for instance, social and environmental causes, sporting clubs, charity programs, and peer mentoring. (250-300 words).
• Tell us about your leadership experience. Have you held any leadership positions since commencing your degree? Have you demonstrated leadership potential in other areas of your life? (250-300 words).
• List and describe three core values that motivate you and guide your actions every day (50-150 words per value).
• What vision do you aspire to upon completing your degree? (250-500 words)
• How will a GAF scholarship help you achieve your vision? (250-500 words) 
• What imprint do you wish to leave behind professionally through your career and personally by living your values? (250-500 words)

GAF assesses all applications against three key selection criteria categories as defined in the following ways:

• Academic Achievement is reflected not just in your end of year result; excellence also includes participation in academic forums, competitions, additional merit awards, extra-curricular courses undertaken, and achievements gained through special interest programs.
• Community Involvement demonstrates how committed you are to your community by volunteering for a variety of events, social and environmental causes, sporting and arts clubs, and charity programs, both within the university environment and in the broader community.
• Leadership Potential speaks to your willingness to take on roles that require responsibility and demonstrate leadership, whether this is through university executive and committees, sporting membership and leadership, part-time and casual work, extra-curricular hobbies and skill.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications for 2023 are now closed.

This scholarship will next be offered for Semester 1, 2024, with applications opening August 2023.

Applications for 2023 are now closed.

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

As part of this scholarship, you will need to contribute at least 15 hours of volunteer work per year, and it is recommended that you undertake leadership training, such as through Future Edge.

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.

Find out how to contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.