Scholarships matched
every full Shaping Futures Scholarship donated will be matched dollar for dollar.1
78
shaping Futures Scholarships are available to support students this year
681
eligible students in need applied for a Shaping Futures Scholarship in 2023
SHAPING FUTURES SCHOLARSHIPS
Please donate today to fund new scholarships so inspiring students like Nikayla don’t lose their chance at a better future.
Nikayla’s childhood was deeply traumatic. She and her seven siblings bounced between social housing, caravan parks and women’s shelters. They often went to school hungry.
Throughout her “very dark” upbringing, Nikayla dreamed of tertiary study – but she really doubted this dream could come true.
Rising costs–of–living are making it even harder for young people like Nikayla to access higher education. It’s putting their dreams out of reach.
Your tax-deductible donation today will make a huge difference for someone who simply wouldn’t be able to study without financial support.
Nikayla’s story shows the enormous impact your donation can have. The instability, abuse and neglect of her childhood led her to leave school in Year 8 – but she never gave up.
After years of putting herself through alternative pathway programs to gain the qualifications to access tertiary education, at the age of 27 Nikayla was accepted to study a Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of Newcastle.
At first, she struggled. “In first year, I had panic attacks. I felt like an outsider, an imposter, different from everyone else,” Nikayla says. Her mental health wasn’t helped by the long hours she had to work to cover her living expenses.
The pressure eased when Nikayla successfully applied for a Shaping Futures Scholarship. “When I received the scholarship, my sister and I were just jumping around, screaming in each other”s arms,” Nikayla says. “The scholarship has changed my life,” she added.
Equity in access to education is vital for a healthy society. Diverse voices, experiences, backgrounds and views are the threads that weave a strong social fabric. With more than 22 percent of our undergraduate students coming from low socio–economic backgrounds, high above the sector average, your support is life changing.
1. Matching funds for donations of full Shaping Futures Scholarships of $5,000 and over only. Matched donations are capped at $50,000, ending 30 June 2023.