Swinburne Welcome Scholarships for Asylum Seekers & Refugees 2026

Swinburne Welcome Scholarships provide opportunities for holders of the below Visa categories to access a variety of courses at Swinburne University:

1. Bridging Visa ‘E’ (BVE’s) (subclass V050),
2. Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) (subclass V785)
3. Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) (subclass V790)
4. Temporary Humanitarian Concern (V786)

Please remember that you must also submit an application for a course at Swinburne.

If you are a current Year 12 student and have applied for a course through VTAC, you must let us know your VTAC ID as part of your scholarship application by including it in your personal statement. If you are not a current Year 12 student, you can apply for a course directly to the University. Please go to the course application instructions for Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 31 January 2026
2. Value: Full tuition fee waiver + materials fees + up to $7,500 per year (TPV & SHEV holders)
3. Study Level: Undergraduate, UniLink Diploma, Vocational Diploma & Advanced Diploma
4. Sponsor: Swinburne University of Technology
5. Course to Study: Selected undergraduate & vocational courses
6. Eligible Country: All Countries

Eligibility Criteria for Swinburne Welcome Scholarships for Asylum Seekers & Refugees 2026

To be eligible for the Swinburne Welcome Scholarship, applicants must:

1. be a holder of either a Bridging Visa 'E' (V050), a Temporary Protection Visa (V785), Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (V790) or Temporary Humanitarian Concern Visa (V786).
2. Note: Holders of Bridging Visa ‘A’ and those who have entered Australia on a Student Visa are not eligible for these Scholarships.
3. submit a course application through VTAC or directly to Swinburne
4. be a commencing first-year full-time student in 2026.
5. Note: Part-time enrolment will be considered under special circumstances

You must attach the following to your online scholarship application:

1. A personal statement (300 words) that details your involvement in the community*, and how you intend to contribute to your community and society in the future. This might include any volunteer work, and any demonstration of leadership potential you have accomplished in any setting including:
2. school
3. community
4. any member group of the Refugee Council of Australia
5. church
6. youth groups
7. sporting clubs etc.
8. *This could have taken place in your home country or in any part of your journey in coming to and living in Australia. Please be sure to also tell us how you intend to contribute to community and society in the future.
9. Provide evidence of financial hardship. Examples include (but not limited to):
10. Health Care Card
11. Youth Allowance
12. Newstart Allowance
13. Austudy
14. Abstudy
15. Disability Support Pension
16. Carer’s Payment
17. Bank statements and payslips can be used if an explanation is provided in a personal statement
18. Submit a reference (written in the past twelve months). This must support what you say in your personal statement. This is not a character reference. The reference must include the date, name, position and contact details of the person providing the reference, and your permission for the University to contact them for further information if required.

Please make sure you have all of these documents together prior to starting your online scholarship application. We would also like to remind you that the completion of this online Swinburne Welcome Scholarship form is only one half of what you need to do; you must also apply for a course at Swinburne, either directly to Swinburne or through VTAC.

Benefits of Swinburne Welcome Scholarships for Asylum Seekers & Refugees 2026

All Welcome Scholarships comprise a full fee waiver.

Those undertaking an approved Vocational Education program will also have their materials fees paid for by the University and where relevant may have their concession fees covered if they are studying a Certificate course under the ASVET program.

Those on a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) may be eligible for a payment of up to $7,500 per annum if their course is longer than 12 months.

IMPORTANT:

Be advised that if you enrol in any course (whether that be full-time or part-time), you may lose any Government income support. You must have an alternative source of income to support yourself throughout your study – for most people this will be in the form of part-time work.

How to Apply

The 2026 Swinburne Welcome Scholarships, Semester 1 are now open and will close on Saturday, 31 January 2026.

1. Stage one is to complete the online scholarship application form and submit it with all supporting documentation.
2. Stage two is applying for your course of interest

Applying for your course of interest

If you are not a current Year 12, you must apply for your course of interest directly to the University; you must attend the University, where you will be provided with support and assistance in submitting your course application.

An appointment can be made by registering here: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/study/options/connect/one-on-one/

You will need to attend your appointment at the Admissions office which is located on the ground floor of the SPW Building directly opposite Glenferrie Railway Station.

Please see this map: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/media/swinburneeduau/about-swinburne/docs/pdfs/hawthorn-map.pdf

Please remember to bring your Immi card and any other relevant documents with you.

Preference will be given to applicants who have completed a Vocational Education program at Swinburne University.

For more information, kindly visit Swinburne University scholarship webpage.

Application Deadline

January 31, 2026

Application Link(s)

• Apply for Swinburne Welcome Scholarships for Asylum Seekers & Refugees 2026