Commonwealth scholarships information

Commonwealth scholarships eligibility

To be eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships, you must:

• Identify as Aboriginal. 

• Meet low socioeconomic criteria and provide evidence of financial hardship, such as a means-tested Centrelink benefit (e.g. Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY) or a Health Care Card. Note: not all Centrelink benefits are means-tested.

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate course as a Commonwealth supported student, or in a graduate diploma/postgraduate course in a National Priority area. 

• Be studying full-time (minimum 75% load or 13.5 units per half-year). Exceptions apply for students with a disability or significant carer responsibilities.

• Be enrolled during one of the two scholarship periods: 1 January–30 June or 1 July–31 December. 

Additional eligibility criteria apply depending on the scholarship type. You are not eligible if you:

• Are studying part-time (unless exceptional circumstances apply), 

• Already received the same scholarship,

• Receive an Adelaide University Study Grant or Centrelink Relocation Scholarship alongside a CAS-Indigenous scholarship. 

• In addition to the basic eligibility requirements listed above each scholarship type has its own specific eligibility requirements.

Duration of scholarships

The maximum duration a student may receive a Commonwealth Scholarship is:

CECS - Indigenous - 8 scholarship periods 

CAS - Indigenous - 8 scholarship periods

CECS-Indigenous Enabling - two scholarship periods 

CAS-Indigenous Enabling - two scholarship periods

CECS - PG - 4 scholarship periods 

This excludes periods of approved leave

Offers

Conditional Commonwealth Scholarship offers may be made during the admissions process via SATAC. Final offers for any remaining scholarships will be made by Adelaide University after the census date.

Successful applicants will receive an offer through the myScholarships portal. This will include details about your rights and responsibilities, and a request to provide your bank details. You must accept the offer and submit your banking information in myScholarships before any payment can be made. 

By accepting a Commonwealth Scholarship, you agree to provide any personal information needed to confirm your ongoing eligibility.

You may also choose to share your contact details with the Department of Education if requested, for purposes related to your scholarship. 

If you are not successful, you’ll be notified via your Adelaide University student email.

Payments

Payments are made directly to students via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), subject to meeting ongoing eligibility requirements for each scholarship period. 

For all CECS and CAS scholarships, students will receive two payments per year, each representing 50% of the annual scholarship value.  

The first payment will be made within six weeks of accepting the offer. 

Subsequent payments will be made within six weeks of the census dates for study periods 2 and 5, typically mid-April and mid-September, once eligibility has been confirmed.

Leave

The scholarship holder may take periods of leave in accordance with University Policy A - 48 Enrolment.  Scholarship payments will be deferred for such periods of leave.

Transfer of scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarship holders transferring to Adelaide University from another higher education provider are not guaranteed continuation of their scholarship. 

Students who hold a Commonwealth Scholarship from another institution may apply to Adelaide University and will be assessed based on the University's selection criteria. 

If eligible, Adelaide University may award a Commonwealth Scholarship for the remaining duration of the scholarship. 

Applicants must declare any previous Commonwealth Scholarship support received. Conversely, students who transfer from Adelaide University to another provider cannot transfer their Commonwealth Scholarship 

Termination 

A Commonwealth Scholarship will be terminated if the student no longer meets eligibility requirements, unless they are on approved leave. 

The scholarship also ends once the maximum duration has been reached. 

Additionally, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the University's Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual. Failure to do so may result in the scholarship being withdrawn.

Provision of false information

If Adelaide University suspects that a student receiving a Commonwealth Scholarship has provided false or misleading information, it must review the student’s eligibility. 

The University is also required to notify the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIICCSRTE) about the suspected offence. This includes sharing the student’s application and any other relevant documents requested by the department. 

Confidentiality

All information provided in scholarship applications is treated as confidential under the University’s Privacy Policy. Your personal details will only be shared if required by law or if you give permission.

If your application is unsuccessful, your information will be securely destroyed 60 days after scholarships are awarded for the year. 

Ongoing recipient reviews

Adelaide University will undertake a process to review and verify the scholarship holder's ongoing eligibility for the Commonwealth Scholarships each scholarship period (twice a year: at the beginning and middle of the calendar year).

Your eligibility for a Commonwealth Scholarship is reviewed twice a year, after census dates in Study Periods 2 and 5.

To keep your scholarship, you must:

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (as per the University’s assessment policies).

• Stay enrolled full-time (minimum 75% load), unless approved for exceptional circumstances.

• Continue to meet all basic and specific eligibility criteria for your scholarship.

• Notify the Scholarships Office of any changes to your circumstances before the relevant census date by emailing Scholarships.Prizes@unisa.edu.au.

If you don’t meet these requirements, your scholarship may be terminated. Past enrolment load won’t carry forward, and late enrolments won’t be back-paid.