Northcote Trust Scholarship

Diploma students: This scholarship provides up to $5,000 per annum for up to three years (the final year/semester of your diploma and up to two years of your undergraduate degree).

Undergraduate degree students: This scholarship provides $5,000 per annum for up to two years.

One year or one semester scholarships may also be awarded depending on available funding.

To be eligible for this scholarship you must: 

• be an Australian citizen or a permanent humanitarian visa holder
• be able to demonstrate circumstance/s which impact your ability to study such as:
  • receiving a government tested low income benefit or having a Centrelink Health Care Card
  • living with a disability, long-term medical condition or identify as neurodiverse
  • experiencing personal/family/social difficulties
  • be from an interstate or rural/regional area and moving/moved to Melbourne to study at RMIT
  • have previously/are currently living in foster/kinship care or are a ward of the state
  • be from an under-represented background such as
    • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
    • were born overseas, are from a non-English background and recently migrated to Australia
    • current or former refugee
    • completed secondary school at a School Network Access Program school
• not have previously completed a program at the same level or higher
• demonstrate outstanding potential and ambition
• be aged 30 or under as of 31 December 2024
• be enrolling full-time at RMIT in semester 1 2025 in either:
  • your final semester of a diploma or advanced diploma. You will be progressing from a RMIT diploma or advanced diploma to a full-time RMIT undergraduate degree program in a similar field in semester 2 2025 or
  • your final year of a diploma or advanced diploma. You will be progressing from a RMIT diploma or advanced diploma to a full-time RMIT undergraduate degree program in a similar field in semester 1 2026 or
    
  • an associate or bachelor degree having progressed from a diploma or advanced diploma at RMIT in a similar field
• have no fail or withdrawn grades after census date in any RMIT program

Postgraduate students are ineligible to apply.

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.

Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications are now closed.

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

This scholarship will next be offered for Semester 1 2026, with applications opening August 2025. 

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

Quotes from past recipients:

"The Northcote Trust Scholarship helps me in a number of ways. I live away from home so it is beneficial with not only university expenses but also living expenses. It makes things easier and means I don't have to work as much, if I was having to work more than what I am now, then I do believe my study and grades would be impacted." - Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) student

"It has helped financially, as I am able to not work as much and be able to focus on my studies more. This also had a positive impact on my mental health." - Bachelor of Nursing student

"It has enabled me to double down and focus on the quality of my educational revisions. My GPA climbed from 2.7 to 3.3 so it definitely is working" - Associate Degree Information Technology student

"Before receiving the Northcote Trust Scholarship I was in a very tough space with money and was having to work 20-25 hours per week while also studying full time at RMIT and it put a lot of pressure on my studies. I saw myself falling in to the trap of choosing to work over my study time. When I received news that I had been granted the Northcote Trust Scholarship I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe that such a big burden had been lifted off my shoulders and I could finally focus on my studies knowing that I had something to reduce my cost of living and study." - Advanced Diploma of Computer Systems Engineering student

"As I live alone, having moved to Victoria from Queensland in 2018 to study, the scholarship is extremely beneficial in supporting me. It helps me worry less about day to day costs and helps me focus on my studies and doing well in my course, so that I can continue to achieve the high results I strive for." - Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media student

Find out how to contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.