Santa Singh and Balwant Kaur Humanitarian Scholarship

Prospective candidates should ensure they meet all criteria before submitting their application.

To be eligible you must:

• be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa
• identify as female
• have been born in Afghanistan and arrived in Australia as a refugee (either self or parent)
• be a commencing student enrolled full time in Trimester/Semester 1 2024 in one of the following degrees:
  • an undergraduate bachelor or honours degree
  • a graduate certificate or graduate diploma
  • a masters by coursework degree.

As a scholarship recipient, you must:

• write an introduction statement about your goals for study and what it means to receive the scholarship
• provide a completion statement at the conclusion of your studies
• maintain a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 50 for the duration of the scholarship.

Application tips

Applying for a scholarship isn’t just about meeting the eligibility criteria.

It’s a good idea to think about why you want a scholarship, how it will help you and what you have to offer the Deakin community.

Read our 5 top tips on applying for a scholarship

Apply directly to Deakin

You can apply for this scholarship directly to Deakin through our Scholarship Application Portal.

When applying direct to Deakin for this scholarship, select either the 'Undergraduate Scholarship Application Tri/Sem 1 2024' or the 'Postgraduate Scholarship Application Tri/Sem 1 2024' option and, if eligible, your application will automatically be considered for this scholarship.

This reduces the number of scholarships you have to apply for and increases your chances of receiving a Deakin scholarship.

Apply for this scholarship

The scholarship application process is highly competitive with a limited number of scholarships available. Unfortunately, not all eligible applicants will receive one.

Your application will be assessed and ranked based on the details you provide and your supporting documentation.

If you are successful, you will be contacted by the email address you nominated within your application portal account, unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted.

You'll find out if you were successful usually within six weeks of the application closing date. If you have not received an offer by this time, you have been unsuccessful. You can view the status of your application via your scholarship application portal account.

Written in the words of our donor Pretam Kaur.

"My father Santa Singh and my mother Balwant Kaur were born in British India in Punjab. They came to British Malaya before 1940 as illiterate, starving poor coolie labour. I was born in Malaya in 1945 when bombs were falling. In 1951, my mother wanted to send to me to English school like my two older brothers. The Sikh community opposed my parents and shamed and ostracized them. English schools were meant for boys; the Punjabi school was enough for girls.

My parents fought the community and sent me to English school with love and devotion, even when they had no money. In 1965, I went to university, my brothers didn’t. My parents’ gift of education changed my life. The story of their courage and support defined me. The scholarships for Afghan women come from my parents to you, colonised and impoverished as they were, to connect with the oldest culture, and join with your dreaming."

This scholarship is yet to be confirmed for any future offering periods. Please check back at this page at a later date for any updates.