For students who need to relocate to study at RMIT in Melbourne; provides a rental subsidy worth up to $23,868 for accommodation at UniLodge Royal Melbourne.
Applications now closed
In 2024 the scholarship will be paid as a rental subsidy for a standard studio at UniLodge Royal Melbourne.
| Scholarship type | Scholarship value | Student contribution | Student contribution (weekly) |
| Access and equity - Full year | $11,934 | $11,934 | $229.50 |
| Access and equity - Single semester | $6,227 | $6,227 | $239.50 |
| Access and equity - Indigenous (financial hardship) - Full year |
$23,868 | $0 | $0 |
| Access and equity - Indigenous (financial hardship) - Single semester | $12,454 | $0 | $0 |
| Access and equity - Indigenous (no financial hardship) - Full year | $16,708 | $7,160 | $137.70 |
| Access and equity - Indigenous (no financial hardship) - Single semester | $8,718 | $3,736 | $143.70 |
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
- be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a permanent humanitarian visa holder
- be from an interstate or rural/regional area and moving/moved to Melbourne to study at RMIT
- 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
- having a long-term medical condition or disability
- experiencing personal/family/social difficulties
- 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
- be enrolling full-time in semester 1 2024 in a certificate IV, diploma, degree or postgraduate by coursework program at RMIT
- not already be committed to a student accommodation provider under a lease agreement in 2024
- have not commenced or completed a program at the same level of study or higher
If you are a certificate IV or diploma student you must:
- not be in an apprenticeship or traineeship program
Successful recipients who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander will be required to register with RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Centre in order to receive this scholarship.
Preference will be given to students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and those commencing a program at RMIT for the first time.
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.
If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you will need:
- to confirm your Indigenous eligibility with RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Centre prior to the application close date
If you cannot provide the required confirmation documentation by the scholarship application due date, you will be considered an "Access and Equity" applicant rather than an "Access and Equity - Indigenous" applicant, and you will have a different scholarship value.
Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.
Find out more about applying for scholarships.
Applications are now closed.
Applications are now closed.
View the Coursework Scholarships Office’s terms and conditions (PDF, 698KB).
Additional charges
Bond: Students will be required to pay a bond equal to 4 weeks rent in line with the requirements of the Rental Tenancies Act (Vic.) 1997 and sign a residential tenancy agreement with UniLodge Royal Melbourne prior to moving in. The bond must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). The RTBA will hold the bond in trust until the end of the lease. This will be refunded at the end of the tenancy agreement following an apartment inspection and clearance of all relevant payments to the accommodation provider.
Departure Cleaning Fee: Recipients will be charged a departure cleaning fee at the end of their tenancy.
If a recipient chooses to terminate their Residential Tenancy Agreement prior to the lease end date, they must continue to pay all rent charges until a new resident can be secured or the Residential Tenancy Agreement ends, whichever comes first.
What is included in rent?
- Residential Life Program Membership
- Water usage
- Electricity usage
- Unlimited Wi-Fi Internet
What is not included in my weekly rent?
- Departure Cleaning Fee
- Food
- Study materials
- Bed linen and kitchen equipment.
Refer to RMIT's Moving to Melbourne website for information on lifestyle and culture, public transport, employment and the cost of living.
Quotes from past recipients:
'I want to say thank you for all your support over the last year. This scholarship has helped me in many ways, especially the transition of making Melbourne a second home. I am very grateful for receiving this scholarship.' - 2022 recipient
'I was extremely grateful to be awarded this scholarship as it opened up the opportunity for me to study at my first choice of university. It has made my transition so smooth and easy, and everyone I have been in contact with has been so friendly'. - 2022 recipient
'Moving to Melbourne would have been impossible without your support. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to move away from my small town and gain lots of new knowledge. I’m forever thankful.' - 2021 recipient
Notice to applicants
The scholarship application process is highly competitive with a limited number of scholarships available. Unfortunately, not all eligible applicants will receive one.
Only successful candidates will be notified via email to their RMIT student account.
For information about other financial assistance available to RMIT students, please speak to one of our Student Welfare Advisors.
