We know there are many great young rural Victorians looking for work or opportunities to train further and build their skills. We also know there are often many barriers to achieving these goals. To address these issues, Youthrive Victoria and its supporters have created Rural Chances Scholarships.
Rural Chances can help if you:
- Have to travel long distances or move away from home to gain qualifications, or
- Struggle with the many expenses associated with training and building your skills, and
- Would like mentoring and networking opportunities.
The online application process for Rural Chances scholarships is really simple, and requires you to submit either a written application or a video application. Check out the ‘How to apply‘ section below for more info. If you’ve got any questions and can’t find the answer here, please contact us.
Rural Chances scholarships are the vision of a regional philanthropist who has worked closely with Youthrive Victoria to design the scholarships. The aim is to meet the needs of rural communities by providing a skilled and flexible workforce.
What do you get with a Rural Chances Scholarship?
Scholarships valued at $5000 assist young people to meet costs associated with vocational training including tools of trade, moving out/accommodation and extensive travel required to complete training qualifications. Rural Chances scholarship recipients will receive extra care from a mentor along with leadership and networking opportunities.
Key Dates for Rural Chances Scholarships
Rural Chances - Eligibility Criteria
Who are these scholarships for?
Rural Chances scholarships are for young rural Victorians who are facing financial or social challenges, who have career aspirations and want to/or are studying at TAFE or undertaking an apprenticeship.
To meet the eligibility criteria applicants will need to:
- Be 16-24 years of age.
- Hold a current Centrelink health care card, or can provide evidence of financial hardship.
- Identify a TAFE qualification (Certificate III or above) they would like to enrol in or are enrolled in OR an apprenticeship they would like to undertake.
- DO NOT live at a home address classified as Major Cities of Australia (Remoteness Area 1).
- Be willing to be accountable for the use of scholarship funds.
- Be willing to participate in publicity/promotional material and research.
Where can I find more information about TAFE courses and fees?
To find out what TAFE courses are available you can look at the individual TAFE websites.
- To get general information about training in Victoria visit - https://www.skills.vic.gov.au/
- To get information about free TAFE courses in Victoria visit - https://www.vic.gov.au/freetafe/free-tafe.html
Rural Chances - How to Apply
- Check to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria, which are listed above.
- Click the ‘Apply now!’ button at the bottom of the page to open the application form (hidden when applications are closed).
- Enter your details into the required spaces and answer the application questions (you can choose to answer in writing or with a short video – instructions are provided on the form).
- You’ll also need to provide one written reference to support your application.
- Once you’ve entered your details and responses to the application questions, just click ‘Submit’, and you’re all done!
- You should receive a confirmation email to let you know your application has been received.
- Your application will be assessed by our assessment panel. You may be called to an interview. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application.
You’ll need to provide one written reference to support your application. This reference is a general personal reference from someone who knows you well. This reference should provide details of your personal qualities, your potential and your genuine need. The referee can be a teacher, employer, family friend, family member or someone else who knows you well.
You’ll be required to submit your reference and referee details at the time of your application, so it’s important to have this information ready to go before you begin your application. You will be asked to copy and paste this reference into the application form, so make sure it’s in a format that allows you to do this.