How to Apply for a University Scholarship (And All the Reasons You Should)

There's plenty to apply for, so here's how to do it right! 👨‍🎓

This article is presented in partnership with Curtin University.

The benefits of a uni scholarship aren’t just limited to financial savings.

A scholarship can help to turn your career dreams into reality. It can connect you with opportunities to develop your leadership skills, engage with industry pros and reach your job goals.

So, you’ll wanna put your best foot forward when it comes to your application. And it is scholarship application szn right now!

Curtin University has a range of scholarships on offer. If you're a high achiever, you could be up for the Curtin ATAR Achievement Scholarship, Curtin Excellence Scholarship or John Curtin Scholarship Program. Or if you need a little extra financial support, there's the Harry Perkins Memorial Scholarship or the Curtin STAR Scholarship. You can see all the application dates and deadlines here.

If you’re gonna apply (and you should!), here’s how to give it your best shot.

1. Get your application in early.

We get it — the application process can be daunting, and you might wanna put it off until the night before submissions close. But this ain’t the way to do it.

You should allow as much time as you can to both thoughtfully answer the application questions, and not stress out about any technical difficulties when you go to submit it.

You do not want to go through that level of pain and heartbreak.

2. Don’t wing it — get in touch with the university!

If you have burning questions, don't let them go unanswered.

For support with your application, get in touch with the Curtin Connect team. You can give them a call or submit your question online and they will help you find the answers you need.

The Jobs and Skills WA website also provides advice, workshops, and other assistance for all scholarship applicants. You can find the relevant government website for your state.

Don’t go at this alone! There’s a whole team out there to help you.

3. Research your scholarship provider.

Here’s the thing: most scholarships are funded by companies, and often even individuals.

The scholarship will usually be somewhat related to that company or individual’s specialisation. For example, the Julia Gillard Women in Leadership Scholarship offered at Curtin University aims to encourage and support women in developing the skills to become leaders in their field.

If you are applying for the scholarship, it’s probably a good idea to have some idea who Julia Gillard is (google ‘misogyny speech’ right now) and totally understand what the scholarship is all about.

4. Apply for as many scholarships you are eligible for as possible.

Broaden your chances, or go for the double whammy!

The more scholarships you apply for, the more chance you have at landing one — obviously. But did you know that it is possible to hold more than one scholarship at a time?

For example, you could be allowed to hold an industry funded scholarship, a Curtin University funded scholarship and other one-off scholarships at the same time.

Money-wise — you may not land the big dog scholarship, but if you’ve applied for a couple of smaller ones, they might add up to the amount you were hoping for.

Besides, all scholarships have a unique set of opportunities, so you won’t be wasting your time applying for ‘em.

And guess what? There's a small range of scholarships that you don't even need to apply for. The Curtin Excellence Scholarship is automatically awarded to you if achieve achieve an ATAR over 96.

Deadlines are approaching — get your applications in so you don’t regret it!