Public schools charge no tuition, so they rarely give scholarships themselves. Their students can win them from state governments and charities, though: usually $750 to $1,500 a year, and always for families who can show need. The one round open right now is Victoria's. The Department of Education takes applications until Monday 1 February 2027 from students who finished Years 4 to 11 in 2026 at a Victorian government school. The Public Education Foundation's student rounds for 2027 had all ended by 9 October 2026, and its next round should open mid-2027.
Correct as at 22 October 2026. Every figure was read on the funder's own page that day. Rounds change each year, so check the closing date before you start.
Key takeaways
- Victoria's round is open until Monday 1 February 2027. The Year 4 and 5 award is $750 and the Year 6 to 11 award is $1,500. Apply once your child's end-of-year results are in, not before Term 4 ends on Friday 18 December.
- Need is tested by a card. A parent or carer on a Centrelink income support payment or holding a concession card, or a student on Youth Allowance. Have the Centrelink Reference Number ready.
- For primary-age children, your state decides. All five of the Public Education Foundation's general-hardship primary programs are NSW-only. Victoria's Year 4 to 6 awards are the main exception.
- NSW has 32% of government schools and 52% of the Foundation's school-age programs (22 of 42). Queensland, WA, Tasmania and the NT have none of their own on its list.
- A scholarship is a small extra, not a plan. The Foundation's largest primary award is $1,000 a year for up to five years, and one program gives one award a year to the whole of NSW.
- Western Australia's Olive A Lewis scholarship is open for 2027. It pays $250 to $1,500 a year to students in a Gifted and Talented selective academic program.
What a Victorian government-school student can win, by year finished in 2026
Value of the Department of Education scholarships open until 1 February 2027
Year 4
Askew Primary, one year
$750
Year 5
Askew Primary, one year
$750
Year 6
Askew $1,500, plus Robertson up to $1,500 over two years (one award)
up to $3,000
Years 7 to 9
Askew Secondary, one year
$1,500
Year 10
Askew $1,500, plus Dammery $1,500
up to $3,000
Year 11
Askew Secondary, one year
$1,500
So what: Years 4 and 5 are worth half of Years 6 to 11, and Years 6 and 10 each have a second award to apply for.
Victorian Department of Education, Student Scholarships, read 22 October 2026 · aroundschools.com.au
What can a Victorian government-school student apply for now?
Which scholarship you can apply for depends on the year your child finished in 2026. The Department of Education manages these on behalf of trusts, and each lists a closing date of 1 or 2 February 2027.
| Year finished in 2026 | Scholarship | Value | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 and 5 | John and Maud Askew Primary Scholarships | $750, for one year | Mon 1 Feb 2027 |
| 6 | John and Maud Askew Primary Scholarships | $1,500, for one year | Mon 1 Feb 2027 |
| 6 | George Wilson Robertson Scholarship (one award; the student must attend a Victorian government school in Years 7 and 8) | Up to $1,500 over two years, paid as a lump sum | Mon 1 Feb 2027 |
| 7 to 11 | John and Maud Askew Secondary Scholarships | $1,500 each, for one year | Tue 2 Feb 2027 |
| 10 | Dammery Educational Trust Scholarships | $1,500, for one year | Mon 1 Feb 2027 |
| 10 | Marrung Education Scholarships (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students) | $5,000 ($2,500 a year for two years) | See the Marrung page |
| 12 | A longer list for students going on to tertiary study | $600 to $30,000 | 1 Feb 2027 |
Year 4 and 5 awards are worth half the Year 6 award. Year 6 and Year 10 are the two years with a second award to apply for, so apply for both when you fit. The Askew, Robertson, Dammery and Marrung listings are all for students at a registered Victorian government school. All but Marrung also ask for financial need and involvement in school and community activities.
Who qualifies, and what proof do you need?
The Department awards on three things: results, activities and financial need. Students must be studying in Victoria and be Australian citizens or permanent residents.
- Financial need means a parent or carer who receives a Centrelink income support payment or holds a concession card, or a student who receives Youth Allowance. The listings name the Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card and Pensioner Concession Card.
- Activities means school and community involvement, written by the student: being a captain or on the student council, coaching or mentoring, sport, music or drama, fundraising, awards. They must go beyond the regular curriculum, and community activities mean volunteering, not paid work.
- Results means end-of-year school results. Mid-year results are not accepted.
How to apply, step by step
- Register on the scholarships website. You register again every year.
- Fill in the form. It can be saved and finished later.
- Enter end-of-year results. For Years 4 to 10, convert grades to "student progress in learning": A and B are above expected standard, C is expected standard, D and E are below. On a 5 to 1 scale, 5 and 4 are above, 3 is expected, 1 and 2 are below. Year 11 uses VCAA study scores for each Unit 3 and 4 subject.
- Add the student's own activities statement.
- Submit, then check the principal verifies it. The principal must verify the results and activities by 1 March 2027. You can change the form until then, and not after.
- Wait for an email by June 2027. You can apply for more than one scholarship.
Mind the calendar. The Department says applications submitted before the end of Term 4 will not be accepted. Term 4 ends on Friday 18 December 2026 and government-school students go back on Thursday 28 January 2027. That leaves 45 days to the 1 February deadline, most of them school holidays. Register and draft everything now, submit when the results arrive, and tell your principal an application is coming. If you have no verification email by 1 March 2027, speak to the principal.
Can a primary school child win a scholarship?
Yes, in Victoria from Year 4 and in NSW from Kindergarten. Outside those two states the list is short. The Public Education Foundation (PEF) runs nine primary programs for 2027 intake, and seven are NSW-only.
| Program | State | Year in 2027 | What it gives | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vorsay | NSW | Entering Year 2 | $1,000 a year to the end of Year 6 ($5,000); one award a year | NSW public school student with strong potential and financial barriers |
| NSW Teachers Federation Primary | NSW | Starting Year 3 | Five awards, held for four continuous years to Year 6 | NSW public primary families finding everyday costs hard to meet |
| Waratah Education Foundation Primary | NSW | Entering Year 5 | $1,000 a year across Years 5 and 6; up to 25 awards | NSW public school families doing it tough |
| PEF Primary | NSW | K to 6 | Four awards for uniforms, books, a device, excursions and camps | NSW public primary families finding everyday costs hard to meet |
| NSW Primary Principals' Association | NSW | K to 6 | One year of help with uniforms, books, a device, excursions and camps | NSW public primary families finding everyday costs hard to meet |
| Una May Smith Primary | NSW | K to 6 | Six awards across all stage groups, $1,000 a year for two years | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with potential to reach university or TAFE |
| David S Ratner | NSW | K to 6 | $1,000 a year for up to five years ($5,000) | Jewish students in NSW public education facing hardship |
| AEU South Australian Primary | SA | Reception to Year 3 | $1,000 a year for up to four years | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at regional, rural or remote SA public primary schools |
| Rural and Remote Indigenous Primary | Australia-wide | K to 6 | $1,000 a year to the end of Year 6 (up to $5,000) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at rural and remote public primary schools |
Read the "who it is for" column first. Five of the nine programs are open to any NSW public-school family facing hardship, three are for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and one is for Jewish students. None of the five general-hardship programs is open outside NSW.
Who PEF's nine primary scholarships are for
Programs on the Public Education Foundation 2027 list, by who can apply
Any NSW public-school family facing hardship
Vorsay, NSW Teachers Federation, Waratah, PEF Primary, NSW Primary Principals
5 programs
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Una May Smith, AEU South Australian, Rural and Remote Indigenous
3 programs
Jewish students facing hardship
David S Ratner
1 program
So what: seven of the nine are NSW-only, and none of the five general-hardship programs is open outside NSW.
Public Education Foundation, 2027 scholarships, read 22 October 2026 · aroundschools.com.au
The odds are small. The four general-hardship programs that state a number give at most 35 awards in an intake year (1 + 5 + 25 + 4) across NSW, which has 2,182 government schools in our directory. Apply to every program you fit, and plan your budget without it. PEF-Apply has an Eligibility Quiz that matches a child to every PEF scholarship they qualify for, and the answers carry across to each application.
PEF's page says its primary round ran from 3 August to 9 October 2026, and Vorsay closed at 5pm on Friday 25 September. PEF's table still shows "Apply now" on 22 October, so check the portal, but plan for the 2028 round to open mid-2027. PEF says a new website launches in November 2026, so start from the PEF home page if a link has moved.
What does PEF offer in high school?
PEF lists 33 secondary programs for 2027, and most depend on where you live or who you are. The ones open to the widest group:
| Program | Where | Years in 2027 | What it gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEU Federal Secondary | Australia-wide | 8 to 11 | Funding over two years for uniforms, subject fees, learning materials and a device, for students facing hardship |
| PEF National Secondary (Financial Hardship) | Australia-wide | 10 to 12 | Support across Years 10, 11 and 12 for students facing hardship, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and refugee students |
| VET in Schools | Australia-wide | 9 to 11 | Support for students in vocational studies who face significant hardship |
| Campbell-Carter | Australia-wide | 7 to 11 | Students at regional, rural and remote public schools facing disadvantage, with preference for students with disability |
| Waratah Education Foundation Transition | NSW | 7 and 8 | Support across the first two years of high school, with a laptop up front |
| ACT Education Directorate Secondary | ACT | 7 to 11 | Two awards a year; $1,500 a year for two years ($3,000) |
| Mrin and Prakash Nayagam | Victoria | Year 6 applicants | Six years of support for refugee and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students moving to a Victorian public secondary school |
Girls in Year 8 at an Australian public school have also been able to apply to the Harding Miller Education Foundation. PEF's page describes the award as $20,000 across four years from Year 9, but that page dates from the 2023 round, so confirm the current figure and dates with the foundation. The Smith Family's Learning for Life program helps students experiencing disadvantage with school essentials such as uniforms, textbooks, digital tools and excursions.
Where are the scholarships, and where are the schools?
New South Wales has 31.9% of Australia's government schools and 52% of PEF's school-age programs. We counted the government schools in the AroundSchools directory on 22 October 2026 (6,832 schools, primary and secondary) and counted PEF's 2027 primary and secondary programs by the state they are tied to. Another 12 programs are national and one is still being finalised.
PEF's 2027 primary and secondary programs, by state
Programs tied to one state, with that state's share of the 6,832 government schools in our directory
New South Wales
31.9% of government schools
22 programs
Victoria
23.7% of government schools
4 programs
ACT
1.4% of government schools
2 programs
South Australia
7.5% of government schools
1 program
Queensland
18.5% of government schools
National list only
Western Australia
12.0% of government schools
National list only
Tasmania
2.8% of government schools
National list only
Northern Territory
2.3% of government schools
National list only
So what: NSW has 31.9% of government schools and 52% of the programs. For Queensland, WA, Tasmania and the NT, the route is the national list and state help.
Public Education Foundation 2027 list (42 primary and secondary programs, 12 of them national) and the AroundSchools directory, both read 22 October 2026
For a family in Queensland, WA, Tasmania or the NT, PEF's own list has no program tied to the state, so the route is the national programs above, the state's own help and your school's hardship support. Browse your state's government schools from our directory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, ACT and NT.
State by state: where to look first
Start with your state's education department, then PEF.
| State | Where to look first |
|---|---|
| NSW | PEF's 7 primary and 15 secondary NSW programs. Apply through PEF-Apply and take its Eligibility Quiz. |
| Victoria | The Department of Education round above (Years 4 to 11), plus 4 Victorian programs on PEF's list. |
| Queensland | The Queensland Government's scholarships and awards page, which lists mostly senior awards such as Year 12 science and the TJ Ryan medals. For primary and junior secondary, use PEF's national list and ask your school about hardship support. |
| Western Australia | The Olive A Lewis scholarship, open now for 2027: $250 to $1,500 a year, means-assessed, for students in Years 7 to 10 of a Gifted and Talented selective academic program. 2028 applications open in October 2027. |
| South Australia | PEF's AEU South Australian Primary scholarship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in regional, rural and remote areas, plus the national list. |
| Tasmania | The Tasmanian Government's scholarships and awards for students page, plus the national list. |
| ACT | The ACT Education Directorate Secondary Scholarship: two awards a year of $1,500 a year for two years. The 2027 round ran from 20 July to 25 September 2026. |
| Northern Territory | PEF's national list and your school's principal. |
For help that is not a scholarship, such as school-cost payments and travel passes, see our guides to help with school costs by state and free school travel.
Is a selective school the same as a scholarship?
No. A selective government school is an entry test for a place, and the place has no tuition fee either way. Our guides cover NSW selective and OC entry and Victoria's selective exam. Scholarships to attend a private school are a different system, decided by each school, usually on a test, audition or portfolio. Start with our private school scholarships guide, and see private school bursaries for need-based fee help.
When do the next rounds open?
Plan for Victoria in October 2027 and PEF in mid-2027, and confirm each date on the funder's page.
| Round | Last dates | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Victorian Department of Education | Opened 1 Oct 2026, closes 1 Feb 2027 | Opened on 1 October this year; check from September 2027 |
| PEF primary | 3 Aug to 9 Oct 2026 | PEF's 2027 cycle opened on 29 June 2026, so expect mid-2027 |
| PEF secondary | 20 Jul to 25 Sep 2026 | Expect mid-2027 |
| WA Olive A Lewis | Open now for 2027 | October 2027, for 2028 |
| ACT Education Directorate Secondary | 20 Jul to 25 Sep 2026 | Expect mid-2027, as PEF runs it |
Frequently asked questions
Do public schools give scholarships? Rarely, and not in the private-school sense. Government schools charge Australian citizens and permanent residents no tuition. The scholarships for their students come from state education departments and charities such as PEF, and they are small, means-tested awards.
Can you get a scholarship for primary school? Yes. Victoria's Department of Education awards $750 to students finishing Year 4 or 5 and $1,500 for Year 6. PEF runs nine primary programs for 2027, seven of them in NSW. There are scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in SA and Australia-wide too.
How much is a public school scholarship worth? From the pages we read, it runs from $750 to $1,500 a year in Victoria, $1,000 a year at PEF's primary programs, and $250 to $1,500 a year for WA's Olive A Lewis. Year 12 awards in Victoria range from $600 to $30,000.
Do I need a Health Care Card? Not necessarily, but Victoria wants proof of financial need: a parent or carer who receives a Centrelink income support payment or holds a concession card, or a student on Youth Allowance. The listings name the Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card and Pensioner Concession Card.
Why do schools give scholarships? Private schools typically use scholarships to recognise a strength, such as academic results, music or sport, and bursaries to help families who could not otherwise afford fees. The public-school awards above are funded differently: the Victorian ones, for example, come from bequests that the Department of Education manages for trusts.
Can I apply for more than one? Yes. The Department says students can apply for more than one scholarship, and PEF's Eligibility Quiz matches a child to every PEF program they qualify for.
How we checked
We read the Victorian Department of Education's scholarship pages for Years 4 to 12, the Victorian Government's student scholarships page (updated 21 October 2026) and Victoria's term-dates page, PEF's 2027 scholarship page with its Vorsay, Waratah and ACT program pages, and the Western Australian Department of Education's Gifted and Talented scholarships page, all on 22 October 2026. The Tasmanian Government's page blocked our check, so we link it without quoting it. PEF counts and the share of government schools are our own tallies from PEF's table and the AroundSchools directory that day. Some PEF program pages still carry last year's closing dates, so use the program's own page for the date.
