$10,000 per annum
Residential fee account
Up to 4 years
Commencing T1, 2025
New students
Full-time or Part-time
On campus
23 May 2025
Scholarship Background

Max Schroder studied at Armidale Teachers’ College in 1959-60 and gained BA (Honours) and MA degrees from UNE by distance education. His interest in Indigenous students began in the 1960’s when he was teaching Aboriginal students in Armidale. He has also spent time in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. He was the first in his family to complete high school and to graduate from a university.
Max had an outstanding career in higher education which clearly reinforced the value he places on higher education and its ability to be transformative. In 2008, Max Schroder provided a scholarship for one Indigenous student to pursue a UNE degree. Since then, Mr Schroder’s ongoing support and generosity has grown the program significantly with dozens of scholars over the years.
The Ella Schroder Scholarship is specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who have completed their secondary education as a boarder at a boarding school. The scholarship recipient is also required to meet regularly with the Max Schroder Mentoring Scholarship mentor.
Ella Schroder was Max’s mother and the inspiration for his educational ambitions. At the end of primary school, Ella qualified for a place at a selective girls’ high school, but her father would not let her accept it and said that “education was wasted on girls”. This stirred Ella to educate herself. She became a powerful political advocate for women’s rights and an extremely accomplished public speaker.
Scholarship Details
Check the details below to see if you are eligible to apply for this scholarship. If you are eligible, keep a record of the name of this scholarship to add to your scholarship application.
Citizenship | Australian Citizen/Permanent Resident: The applicant must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident as defined by the Commonwealth |
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Indigenous Identified Scholarship | The applicant must identify as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and provide documentation according to the UNE Confirmation of Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander Identity Rule |
Study Mode | On campus |
Study Load | Full-time (48 credit points per academic year) or part-time (minimum 24 credit points per academic year) |
New/Continuing | New students who are Year 12 school-leavers and 1-2 year gap-year students |
Course Type | Bachelor degree (excluding Honours) |
Degree/School/Discipline | Any |
College requirement | The recipient is required to reside in one of the UNE colleges (including St Albert’s) for the duration of the scholarship |
Geographical requirement | Prior to commencing studies, the applicant’s permanent home address is/was in a Regional or Remote area (RA2-5) |
Additional requirement/s | Boarding School Requirement: The applicant completed their secondary education while living in a boarding school |
Financial disadvantage | Applicant must be able to demonstrate financial need(see Supporting Documents/Required Information below) |
- The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of (in order):
- Boarding School reference AND
- Financial need; AND
- Response to application questions.
- Preference may be given to applicants who are not in receipt of another scholarship.
- The scholarship shall be awarded by the University of New England.
- The scholarship will be administered by the University of New England.
- The Selection Committee’s decision is final.
Required Information:
- Complete the application form which includes the following questions:
- Why are you studying your chosen course and what are your career aspirations?
- Tell us about your personal strengths and community activities you are involved in. How have you used them to make a difference in the lives of others?
- What challenges, such as financial, geographic, or cultural, have you encountered and how have you navigated them?
- Complete the Financial Need Details Section on the application form.
Supporting Documents:
The listed documents are acceptable forms of evidence in each of the following criteria:
- Financial disadvantage:
Note: If you are awarded a scholarship you will be required to supply evidence of your financial situation as described in your application. Evidence of income can include:
- Income Tax Returns*
- Regular payslips
- Centrelink Statement/s
- A letter from an authorised person (e.g. community leader, school principal, minister of religion, accountant) that comments on your financial circumstances
* If the most recent financial year income information is not available, previous financial year income information may be used and must be accompanied with a letter from an accountant that comments on the estimated similarity/differences.
- Indigenous identified scholarship:
The applicant must identify as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and provide documentation according to the UNE Confirmation of Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander Identity Rule.
- Boarding school requirement:
Proof of boarding student status during high school, such as reference or statement of confirmation from the school.
Payment Conditions:
- The student shall receive $10,000 per academic year.
- The scholarship is payable into the recipient’s Residential fee account.
- The scholarship will be paid in 2 installments within 30 days following the Trimester 1 and 2 census dates.
- Payments will be made in each Trimester provided there is a minimum enrolment across the academic year in the nominated course:
- The minimum enrolment for part-time is defined at UNE as an enrolment of 24 credit points (or equivalent) in the academic year.
- Enrolment is required for Trimester 1 and 2 study periods, with Trimester 3 optional. If there is no active enrolment in these periods and a request for a leave of absence from their scholarship is not made and approved by Student Scholarships, the scholarship may be suspended.
- The student must continue to achieve a GPA 4.0 in each trimester.
- The student must continue to be enrolled in on-campus mode and be enrolled in all on-campus units, subject to availability.
- The recipient is required to reside in one of the UNE Colleges (excludes St Albert’s) for the duration of the scholarship.
- The student must submit a brief progress report upon request each year reporting on progress with their studies and involvement in sporting, cultural and community activities as well as participation in University life, where applicable.
Scholarship Specific Conditions:
- It is compulsory for the recipients of the Ella Schroder Indigenous Residential Scholarship to meet on a weekly basis (face to face or via virtual meeting) with their allocated Max Schroder mentor (the recipient of the Max Schroder Indigenous Mentoring Scholarship). The role of the mentor is to assist the recipients of this scholarship in their life and study at UNE. A record of attendance will be maintained by the Mentor and submitted to the Alumni Relations and Student Scholarships team. In accepting this scholarship, the recipient is agreeing to make their name, some personal details (e.g. enrolled course) and contact information available to the Max Schroder Indigenous Mentor.
- Recipients of this scholarship are expected to utilise the services and support offered by the Oorala Aboriginal Centre on campus.
General Conditions:
- The scholarship is intended for the nominated course and may not be deferred or transferred. If you wish to make any significant changes to your enrolment (e.g. change of degree, study mode and/or load) you must notify Student Scholarships prior to doing so. If you no longer satisfy the criteria and conditions of the scholarship, you may not retain it.
- Any request to vary the terms and/or conditions of the scholarship must be made via an appeal to the scholarships committee and will be determined at the discretion of the University (in consultation with the donor or other relevant committee).
- If at any time during the scholarship term the student is found to have committed behavioral misconduct in accordance with the University’s Student Behavioural Misconduct Rules, the scholarship will be terminated and any outstanding payments to be made under the scholarship will not be paid. You may also be required to repay any installment already received. Students who are residential college residents are also subject to the Residential College Code of Conduct.
- On campus students are expected to attend events or participate in activities to promote scholarships, if asked to do so.
- The applicant permits the University to give some personal details to the relevant Donor/Trustee/Committee/School, who may not be UNE staff. All information gathered will be treated with discretion.
- Some scholarships may affect other government payments. It is the recipient’s responsibility to seek advice from the relevant government agency.
- Minor changes may be required to the administrative conditions of this scholarship. If this occurs recipients will be given advance notice in writing. Donors will also be consulted where appropriate.
- Failure to meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions may lead to the termination of the scholarship and you being required to repay any installment already received.
Apply for a scholarship
You can apply for multiple scholarships in the one application. We recommend you create a list of all the scholarships you wish to apply for beforehand so you can include them on the one application form.
Please check the eligibility criteria for each scholarship. If you have any questions about your eligibility for a scholarship, please contact the Student Scholarships Team.