As a faculty of University of Melbourne, VCA Students are eligible to apply for any university wide scholarships.

External Scholarships and Grants

Further scholarships and grants can be found through philanthropic trusts, government agencies and family trusts. A selection of which are listed below as a starting point.

The 2009 Anne & Gordon SamstagInternational Visual Arts Scholarships

DEST
Fellowships, awards and other sources of funding for study and/or research available through the Higher Education Group and Australian Education International Group, DEST.

Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts


Arts Victoria
Arts Victoria is the Government body charged with advising on and implementing arts policy, developing the arts and cultural industries across the State and ensuring access for all Victorians.

Directory of Australian cultural organisations and resources

Asialink
The Asialink Centre is a non-academic department of The University of Melbourne supported by the Myer Foundation and the University of Melbourne. The Asialink Centre promotes public understanding of the countries of Asia and creates links with Asian counterparts.

The Australia Council
The Australia Council is a service organisation enriching the life of the nation by supporting and promoting the practice and enjoyment of the Arts.


The Foundation for Young Australians
The Foundation for Young Australians is a dynamic, not-for-profit organisation committed to developing innovative initiatives that support and empower the lives of young Australians aged 12 to 25.

Each year The Foundation manages a portfolio of grants totalling over $6 million for initiatives that help provide young people with opportunities to reach their full potential and make a valuable contribution to the community.

NAVA
NAVA is the peak body representing and advancing the professional interests of the Australian visual arts and craft sector. Since its establishment in 1983, NAVA has been a powerful force in bringing about policy and legislative change to encourage the growth and development of the visual arts and craft sector and to increase professionalism within the industry. It has also provided direct service to members through offering expert advice, representation and a range of other services.

Philanthropy Australia
Philanthropy Australia is the national membership organisation for grantmaking trusts and foundations. Its mission is to promote and protect the interests of family, private, corporate and community giving in Australia. Philanthropy Australia has a variety of information on its site for grantmakers, grantseekers, researchers and other interested parties.

The State Library of Victoria
The State Library of Victoria, in association with the State Government and with assistance from the AGL Shaw Foundation, awards a number of Creative Fellowships. The Creative Fellowships demonstrate the State Library of Victoria's strong commitment to original scholarship, writing and creative endeavour.

The Creative Fellowships are open to Australian residents who may be independent scholars, artists, writers, composers, academics or developers of new media across a broad range of disciplines.

Study in Australia
This government site provides international Students with accurate, reliable and searchable list of all scholarships from:Australian-based organisations, institutions and government bodies available to international students studying or planning to study in Australia on student visas, Australian university scholarships and other funding sources.

Frederick Richard O'Connell Scholarship
Frederick Richard O'Connell became the Manger of the Timber Merchant's Association (TMA) in 1940 and held the position for 18 years until he retired in 1958. In establishing the scholarship, it was the deceased's desire to promote industrial harmony in Australia and to improve relationships between employers and employees within the Timber industry.

The City of Melbourne
 The City of Melbourne art's grants program provides support for artists across a range of categories each year as well as arts orginisations.

Australian Federation of University Women
AFUW was founded in 1922 as an incorporated, voluntary, non-partisan, self-funded national organisation administered by a Federal Council. AFUW have scholarship opportunities for Honours and Postgraduate female students who can demonstrate that they have been or are experiencing disadvantage in pursuit of their studies.

Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship
NAVA - National Association for the Visual Arts is the peak body representing the professional interests of the Australian visual arts and craft sector through advocacy, representation and service provision. NAVA administers the Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for emerging artists. It is directed towards artists 30 years and under, practising broadly in the areas of painting, sculpture and photography. It provides assistance towards travel and or tuition costs for the purpose of education. Amount $5000 annually

The Glorias Fellowships
The Glorias Fellowships provide for professional actors and directors in theatre, film, and television to travel overseas to broaden their professional knowledge through either formal courses of study or by self-devised programs of observation and secondment. It is a condition of the Fellowships that the Fellows return to Australia to work in the industry and thus share their knowledge with those around them. The number of Fellowships and the level of grant will vary from year to year. The 2008 Fellowship, was to the value of approximately $10,000. Administration of the Fellowships is co-ordinated by NIDA and detailed information and application forms can be found at the NIDA website: The Glorias Fellowship

The Ian Potter Cultural Trust
The Ian Potter Cultural Trust supports emerging Australian artists to pursue further studies and nurture their careers in their chosen cultural fields. Grants to a maximum of $5,000 are provided to individuals for the support of:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art
  • community arts
  • conservation and moveable cultural heritage
  • crafts
  • design
  • literature
  • music
  • performing arts
  • radio, film, television and video
  • visual arts

Australian Veterans' Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT)
AVCAT offers students financial assistance under different scholarship or bursary schemes. All help selected necessitous or deserving children of Australian veteran community with their full time tertiary education. Values vary between $3,000 and $6,000 each. All but one, pay monthly instalments. Some schemes repeat payments for later study.

The Myer Foundation
The Myer Foundation will consider support of any activity that furthers our objectives, meets our requirements and addresses our Areas of Focus. The Myer Foundation will provide support to:

  • Ensure that Indigenous and non-indigenous artists gain access to professional training, development and mentoring
  • Develop new works by individual Australian artists and small and medium-sized organisations in the following priority areas:
    • Indigenous arts
    • Regional areas
    • Experimental and emerging art forms
  • Projects that support the humanities, especially those that contribute to defining a distinct Australian identity
    To ensure you are eligible to apply for a grant from The Myer Foundation, please visit the Myer foundation website

 

The Department of Education and Training
These scholarships are for students who are studying in Victoria (Australia) and who are citizens or permanent residents of Australia.

The Department of Education and Training administers 30 different student scholarships for this round which equates to approximately 175 scholarship awards (as some scholarships have more than the one award).

The scholarships are offered to primary, secondary and tertiary students and range in value from $250 to over $2000. They are generally awarded to students who:

  • demonstrate excellent academic achievement
  • demonstrate outstanding participation in their school and local community
  • are in financial need (determined by the parents/guardians being in receipt of the Education Maintenance Allowance or the students themselves receiving the Youth Allowance).

Ella Donald Service Fine Arts Memorial Scholarships
Ella Donald Service provided funds to support students who are either undertaking or continuing a fine arts degree or diploma. Students must be under 21 years of age and are either studying or have obtained their VCE at a Victorian government school. The scholarships are for $1000 per annum and can be awarded for one or more years of study subject to the students' satisfactory progress. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of the students' end of year results and financial need.

Financial need is determined by the students being recipients of the Youth Allowance (or equivalent Centrelink support).