Australian Veterans Childrens' Assistance Trust (AVCAT)

Eligibility for a scholarship includes the following:

• Australian residency status
• Planning to enrol or enrolled in a tertiary course of study (recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework) for one or more academic years at a university, TAFE or a registered training organisation in Australia.
• Be studying or planning to study full-time, online or face-to-face. Priority is given to those who have not previously undertaken tertiary education.
• Applicants who are seeking a scholarship for a second degree, or a graduate degree, Masters or Doctorate will be given lower priority.
• If an applicant has received a Long Tan Bursary, they cannot be considered for another Long Tan Bursary.
• In receipt of, or eligible to receive, a means-tested Commonwealth educational benefit - Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Austudy, Veterans' Children Education Scheme (VCES) or Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme (MRCAETS).
• Be a child or a grandchild of an ex-serving veteran. Children include adopted children, ex-nuptial children, stepchildren and foster children. Stepchildren and foster children must have resided with, or been financially supported by, their veteran stepparent or foster parent for 5 of the last 10 years. Grandchildren are defined as the children of one's son or daughter. Step-grandchildren are not eligible.
• The veteran must be an Australian ex-serving veteran with operational service including eligible war service, war-like service and peacekeeping/peacemaking service OR 3 or more continuous years of full-time other service, as a member of the
  Australian Navy, Army or Air Force.
• People who are serving in the Reserve Forces (SERCAT 3, 4 & 5 – Rendering Service) are considered to be serving so the applicant child or grandchild is not eligible.

The same application form is used for all scholarships. Applicants will be considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible.

Applications are considered by a team of independent assessors and AVCAT’s National
Selection Committee. Each applicant is assessed on the following:

Applicants should be eligible on income and assets grounds for full-time means-tested
educational benefits like Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Austudy or an accepted means-tested
Commonwealth government payment at the time of application. In assessing the financial need,
income, household assets and liabilities are reviewed.
Applicants who have a greater degree of financial need for assistance with educational and
living costs will have a higher chance of being recommended for a scholarship.

An assessment is made about the ability of the applicant to complete the nominated course
of study and is dependent on recent academic results and an academic referee or employer
report.

The assessors consider the impacts of the applicants’ personal, health and family
circumstances. Deservedness is based how the veteran’s service in the Australian Defence
Force has impacted the family’s health and wellbeing. Applicants will need to detail the
health conditions of the veterans.