Up to $12,500 per annum
Bank account
Up to 4 years
Commencing T1, 2025
New or Continuing students
Full-time or Part-time
On campus or Online
5 January 2025
Scholarship Background

The Planning Group within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has developed this scholarship to create a pathway to support Aboriginal students to commence their career with DPHI in their Planning group.
The scholarship program will provide Aboriginal students who wish to pursue a career in urban and regional planning with financial support during their degree and a potential employment pathway within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. The successful applicant may also be offered paid internships and opportunities for graduate placement in the Planning division. At DPHI we know that Country is at the core of every Aboriginal person’s identity and sense of belonging.
We aim to develop a better understanding of Aboriginal communities and to integrate this knowledge into our work and to create partnerships based on co-design and collaboration.
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 or Online |
Study Load | Full-time or Part-time (minimum 24 credit points per academic year) |
New/Continuing | New or Continuing students |
Course Type | Bachelor degree (including Honours) |
Degree/School/Discipline | Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning |
Academic requirement | For continuing students, a minimum GPA of 4.0 in your course to date is required |
Geographical requirement | Prior to commencing studies, your home address is/was in NSW |
- The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of (in order):
- Academic merit; AND
- Responses to the application questions; AND
- Shortlisted candidates will be offered an interview with DPHI representatives. This may be done by video call or telephone.
- Preference may be given to applicants who are not in receipt of another scholarship.
- Preference may be given to applicants who express a career goal to work in urban and regional planning.
- The scholarship shall be awarded by the University of New England in consultation with the Donor.
- 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?
Supporting Documents:
The listed documents are acceptable forms of evidence in each of the following criteria:
- 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.
- Geographic requirement evidence: If requested, the applicant must be able to provide proof that they have resided for at least 5 years consecutively, or 10 years cumulatively in New South Wales.
Payment Conditions:
- The student shall receive $1,562.50 per 6 credit points (or equivalent) to a maximum of $12,500 for 48 credit points (or full-time equivalent) per academic year.
- The scholarship is payable into the recipient’s bank account.
- The scholarship will be paid in up to 3 instalments within 30 days following the Trimester 1 and 2 and/or 3 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 part-time enrolment for this scholarship is defined as 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.
- Should a student be required to repeat any unit, a second scholarship payment will not be made for this unit.
- The student must continue to achieve the academic eligibility requirement of 4.0 GPA in each trimester.
- 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:
- This scholarship also contains an optional work experience component. The recipient is responsible for arranging this directly with the donor.
- A scholarship recipient may be invited by DPHI to undertake an internship over the UNE summer holiday period.
- Offers of internship will be subject to requirements of the Government Sector Finance Act 2018 (NSW), background and police checks and other DPHI Human Resources requirements.
- The industrial training will be negotiated directly between DPHI and the scholarship recipient(s).
- Payment for the industrial training will be provided by DPHI directly to a scholarship recipient, and the amounts will be determined at DPHI’s discretion with reference to appropriate Award rates.
- During the internship, the scholarship recipient will be covered by and will need to abide by the DPHI policies.
- This internship is not compulsory and will be considered separate to the scholarship and separate to UNE.
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 behavioural 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 instalment 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.
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.