Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships (ICECS and ICAS)

The Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS) and Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS) aims to improve access to higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those who need to relocate from regional and remote areas, through payments to assist with education costs.

By submitting an application for Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS), you will automatically be assessed for the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS). You will be notified if you are successful in receiving one or both scholarships.

Applicants must: 

• be an Australian citizen
• confirm you are of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage by submitting a Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Heritage certificate (COA) with your scholarship application or a certified Statutory Declaration (Stat Dec) declaring that the individual applying for the scholarship is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, and/or is accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived

By submitting an application for ICECS, you will automatically be assessed for the Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS).

To be eligible for ICAS applicants must:

• have lived in a regional or remote area of Australia within the past four years and need to relocate to undertake the current study on campus. Please refer to Australian Statistical Geographical Classification – Remoteness Area to determine your geographic classification. (Click on the 'Start now' button at the link provided. Choose 'Search a Location' or 'Search the Map'. Provide your address and select Australian Statistical Geographic Standard Remoteness Areas classification option to determine your geographic classification.)

Applicants must be: 

• enrolled in any undergraduate, postgraduate (coursework) or Higher Degree by Research course offered by Swinburne University of Technology or Swinburne Online.
• a commencing or continuing Swinburne student in 2026
• enrolled full-time or part-time
• studying on-campus or online.

Applications will be assessed based on educational disadvantage.

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Provide evidence of educational disadvantage. Disadvantage(s) may include:

• financial difficulty or low-socio economic status (Centrelink statement, payslips)
• disability or medical condition
• relocation from a rural or regional area to undertake tertiary study
• first in family to attend university.

Supporting documents can include Centrelink statement or payslips. Bank statements can be used if an explanation is provided in a personal statement.

All scholarships offered by Swinburne are governed by a set of conditions. please visit our scholarship conditions page for further information.