George Alexander Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship provides up to $10,000* per year for up to three years.

*Scholarship value for 2026 is yet to be confirmed.

Five scholarships available.

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

be an Australian citizen
be from a rural/regional/remote area and moving/moved to Melbourne for the first time to study at one of RMIT’s Melbourne campuses
be commencing full-time study in a bachelor degree in semester 1 2026
have graduated from secondary school in 2024 or 2025
have a history of high academic achievement with an achieved ATAR of 80 or higher
be able to demonstrate participation in and commitment to supporting the community and volunteer activities
be able to demonstrate leadership and leadership potential in your academic, professional and personal life
be commencing your first year of tertiary study
have not previously completed the same level of program or higher, e.g. if you plan to study a Bachelor of Laws, you should not have previously completed another bachelor's degree

Complete the online application by the close date. Partial applications will not be assessed.

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, from a person qualified to comment on your academic studies, preferably a subject coordinator from your secondary school and/or your school principal, and dated no more than three months ago.
one letter of recommendation from an organisation regarding community participation, dated no more than three months ago
evidence of living in a rural/regional/remote location (e.g. drivers licence)

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 school should be on official letter head. Applicants who do not submit one academic letter of recommendation and one letter of recommendation from an organisation will be deemed ineligible, and references from the same people are not acceptable.

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.

Selection

Selection is made on the basis of academic merit and written application.

Applicants will be evaluated on the quality of their applications. Ensure to respond to all questions thoroughly, with careful attention to spelling and grammar.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications are now open.

Applications close 11:59PM Monday 12 January 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

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.