Sam Papasavas Scholarship

This scholarship provides $10,000 per year for the standard duration of program.

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

• be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder
• be a current or former refugee (current/former holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa)
• be enrolling full-time in  semester 1 and 2 in an associate or bachelor's degree at RMIT in 2025 (or part-time with exceptional circumstances)
• have at least one year of full-time study in your program left to complete
• be able to demonstrate financial hardship such as:
  • receiving a government tested low income benefit or having a Centrelink Health Care Card
• be able to demonstrate educational disadvantage such as:
  • living with a disability, long-term medical condition or identify as neurodivergent
  • 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
  • were born overseas, are from a non-English speaking background and recently migrated to Australia
  • have completed your secondary education at a School Network Access Program school

 

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 must provide evidence of your refugee status in Australia. You will need a copy of your current or former: 

• permanent humanitarian visa their Australian Permanent Humanitarian Visa; or

• Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) check; or

• refugee documentation from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection/Department of Home Affairs.

Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.

Application questions

If you are shortlisted for the scholarship, you will be contacted to answer further application questions. Please check the email address you nominate in your scholarship application form at least twice per week. The questions are listed below to allow you time to prepare your answers in advance.

• What motivated you to choose your RMIT program? Include the steps you have taken to achieve your educational goals.
• What are your future plans and career aspirations?
• What current challenges do you face in your studies and how will a scholarship help you to overcome this?

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

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

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

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

Find out how to contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.