Supporting documentation

Supporting documentation

Outlines documents that can be used to provide evidence for claims of hardship for coursework scholarship applications.

If you make a claim of hardship in your scholarship application, you will need to provide evidence to support your claim. Claims of hardship will not be assessed without supporting evidence.

Please ensure the evidence you provide is relevant to your claim, specific in detail and current. Documents uploaded from previous application periods will not be considered.

Providing false or misleading information will not only make you ineligible to receive a scholarship, it's a criminal offence to provide a false statutory declaration and the penalties can be severe.

Depending on your circumstances, you will need to provide different types of evidence to support your application. Documents considered as providing sufficient evidence for claims of hardship for coursework scholarship applications are outlined below.

When submitting supporting evidence, you can redact personal information such as your drivers license number, CRN number, TFN number and bank account details. Provided that current/relevant date(s) and your full name and address are visible, we do not require the additional personal information usually evident within these types of documentation.

If you find the evidence you can provide is not listed, please contact the relevant scholarship administrator (go to the webpage for the scholarship you applied for, the contact information for the scholarship is located near the bottom of the webpage).

Evidence of financial hardship

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If you receive Australian Government benefits income support from Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs, you should provide a copy which is current* and shows your full name, or name and address (or indicates your relationship to the person whose name and address is listed).

Eligible benefits include:

  • Centrelink Health Care Card
  • Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
  • Department of Veteran Affairs Health Card
  • Youth Allowance
  • JobSeeker Payment
  • Austudy
  • ABSTUDY
  • Disability Support Pension
  • Carer Payment

Please note, Family Tax Benefits, JobKeeper or Carer Allowance are not considered eligible within this category. Please see the If you live... categories below.

If you receive a Parenting Payment, a copy of your eligible low-income health care card is preferred. If your most recent statement* clearly shows that you receive the maximum payment rate, you can also provide this evidence.

If your statement does not show that you receive the maximum Parenting Payment, and you do not have a current low-income health care card, your Parenting Payment statement must be accompanied by an ATO Notice of Assessment to be considered. Please see the If you live... categories below.

If you are providing a copy of your card, the document must show a current expiry date and your full name.

If you are submitting an income statement, it should be current* and show the type and amount of Centrelink payments you receive (excluding any low non-income tested support such as Family Tax Benefit Part A or B, Childcare Benefits and/or Carer Allowance). Please ensure your full name is stated on all supporting documentation including any screenshots.

To ensure you are providing appropriate evidence of your Centrelink payments, please view our examples of eligible (PDF, 177KB) and ineligible (PDF, 302KB) evidence.

If you have an Australian Government low-income health care card, you should provide a copy that shows a current expiry date and your full name, or name and address (or indicates your relationship to the person whose name and address is listed).

Eligible cards are:

  • Centrelink Health Care Card
  • Department of Veteran Affairs Health Card

To ensure you are providing appropriate evidence of your card, please view our examples of eligible (PDF, 211KB) and ineligible (PDF, 236KB) evidence.

If your household has a combined income of $62,985 per year but you do not receive any eligible Centrelink benefits (see 'If you receive Australian Government benefits income support'), you can still provide evidence that you suffer financial hardship. Please visit the Department of Human Services income test if you have dependent children, as this may increase the allowed combined income.

You must:

  • Explain why you are not receiving Centrelink benefits;
  • Provide ATO Notice of Assessments for the financial year 2021-22 for ALL the people earning an income in your household; AND
  • The last 3 payslips for ALL people earning an income in your household

These documents should be collated into a single document either in a ZIP file, within a Word document, or as a single PDF.

PAYG (pay as you go) summaries are not accepted as evidence.

In exceptional circumstances (sale of a family business; death of a parent; etc.), parts of this evidence may not be accessible to you during the application period. If this is the case, we may accept a statutory declaration. Please contact the Coursework Scholarships Office prior to submission for advice.

To ensure you are providing appropriate evidence of your financial hardship, please view our examples of eligible (PDF, 258KB) and ineligible (PDF, 183KB) evidence.

If you have a yearly income of under $36,465 but you do not receive any low income Centrelink benefits (see 'If you receive Australian Government benefits income support'), you can still provide evidence that you suffer financial hardship  (please visit the Department of Human Services income test if you have dependent children, as this may increase the allowed income).

You must:

  • Explain why you are not receiving Centrelink benefits;
  • Provide an ATO Notice of Assessment for the financial year 2021-22; AND
  • Your last 3 payslips

These documents should be collated into a single document either in a ZIP file, within a Word document, or as a single PDF.

PAYG (pay as you go) summaries are not accepted as evidence.

To ensure you are providing appropriate evidence of your financial hardship, please view our examples of eligible (PDF, 258KB) and ineligible (PDF, 182KB) evidence.

Evidence of a disability or medical condition

If you have a long-term illness, disability or mental health condition, you can make a claim of medical hardship in your scholarship application. The following documents can be used as evidence:

  • A current*, detailed letter from your health care provider, specifying the nature of your condition and the impact it is likely to have on your studies**;
  • Current* evidence of Centrelink disability or sickness benefit payments; or
  • Your current RMIT Equitable Learning Plan

Evidence such as prescriptions, hospital admission forms or letters from non-health care providers do not provide sufficient context to assess the likely impact in your education, so will not be accepted.

Evidence that you have moved to study at RMIT

Moving from interstate or rural/regional Victoria in order to study at RMIT presents a greater challenge than local students face. Providing the following documents demonstrates evidence of this challenge:

I will be moving from a rural/regional/interstate location to study at RMIT in Melbourne

  • Proof of your current rural/regional/interstate address* (i.e. bank statement, utility bill)

I have moved within the past 4 years from a rural/regional/interstate location in order to study at RMIT in Melbourne

  • Proof that shows your previous and current addresses and when you moved (i.e. dated bank statements that show both addresses; rental agreements demonstrating when you moved in)

Evidence of other circumstances

There are other factors which RMIT takes into consideration when evaluating your scholarship application. If any of the categories below apply to your circumstances, find out what evidence we require to support your claim.

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Please upload a copy of one of:

An ImmiCard is not able to be accepted as evidence for this category.

See Indigenous eligibility for more information.

Please upload:

  • Documentation from the Department of Human Services; or
  • Documentation from your out-of-home care provider; or
  • A letter written by someone in a position of authority (not yourself or a family member/friend) who is qualified to comment on your circumstances, i.e. teacher, social worker, GP/counsellor/health care provider, lawyer, community or religious leader, police or law enforcement member.

The above documentation must:

  • Use your full name;
  • Discuss your circumstances;
  • Be dated; and
  • Be either on official letterhead OR contain an original signature and contact details (PDF preferred)

If you are unable to provide this documentation, please contact the Coursework Scholarships Office for alternative options.

Sometimes, difficult circumstances don't fit into neat categories. If something you are facing is having a negative impact on your education and you wish for it to be considered as part of your scholarship application, you can provide a document as evidence. The document should be:

  • Written by someone in a position of authority (not yourself or a family member/friend) who is qualified to comment on your circumstances, i.e. teacher, lawyer/accountant/health care provider, community or religious leader, police or law enforcement member;
  • Preferably specific both about the circumstances and the impact on your education;
  • Dated; and
  • Either on official letterhead or containing an original signature (PDF preferred)

While we prefer current (i.e. not more than 3 months old) evidence, we understand that some life events have long-ranging consequences. For example, a student who has been a victim of crime may submit a police report from a number of years ago. This evidence would of course be accepted.

If you are unsure about what circumstances or time-frame might be considered within this category, please contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.

If you must study part-time (rather than choosing to because of work commitments, credit exemptions or preference), you can provide current* evidence to support reasons why you are unable to study full-time, i.e. a copy of a detailed letter from your health care provider or evidence of Centrelink Carer or dependent payments.

If you are unsure about what circumstances might be considered within this category, please contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.

* not more than 3 months old

** the preferred documentation for this category

Need help?

Contact the Coursework Scholarships Office.

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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