Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships

To be considered for the scholarships, you must:

• identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, or both, and live in Western Australia
• not already be receiving a tertiary scholarship from the Western Australian Department of Education
• confirm that you are interested in working as a secondary teacher in a Western Australian public school, upon completion of the teaching qualification
• not already be a qualified teacher
• confirm and provide proof you either:
  • intend to enrol in an accredited secondary teaching qualification at a recognised Australian tertiary institution by closure of 2025 enrolments
  • are enrolled in an accredited teaching qualification at a recognised Australian tertiary institution and have completed no more than one year of full-time study towards that qualification.

Please visit the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships website for more information.

As part of your application, you will need to prepare a written response to the selection criteria. The written response needs to: 

• be no more than 1 page 
• address the following criteria for the scholarship you are applying for. 

Undergraduate scholarship selection criteria:

1. Demonstrated and relevant personal attributes that positively influence students, staff, families and communities.
2. As a future teacher, articulate your personal and lived experiences (for example, family and community relationships) that would support the wellbeing, engagement and achievement of Aboriginal students in a classroom.
3. Your leadership vision to strengthen and create opportunities for all students to contribute to and benefit from reconciliation.

Postgraduate scholarship selection criteria:

1. Personal and social attributes that demonstrate you will contribute to strengthening the future wellbeing, engagement and achievement of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in schools.
2. Your future vision as a teacher in the public school system, that draws on the strengths of your Aboriginal identity and experiences to lead and influence culturally responsive approaches across a school.
3. Demonstrated leadership in creating opportunities for all students to strengthen, contribute to and benefit from reconciliation.

Please visit the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships website for more information.

About the scholarships

We offer 2 scholarships each year.

Our undergraduate scholarship is valued at up to $30,000 and includes a total of $28,000 to support you to complete a Bachelor of Education (Secondary). This will be an amount of $7,000 for each year of full‑time study, or equivalent.

Our postgraduate scholarship is valued at up to $16,000 and includes a total of $14,000 to support you to complete a Master of Teaching (Secondary). This will be an amount of $7,000 for each year of full‑time study, or equivalent.

Both scholarships include a $2,000 appointment allowance if you start full-time employment as a teacher in a Western Australian public school within 12 months of completing the teaching course.

If you have any questions about the scholarships, phone us at 9264 4576 or email us at AboriginalTeacherScholarship@education.wa.edu.au visit the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships website for more information.

Please visit the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships website for more information.

Please visit the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships website for more information.

Department of Education - Government of Western Australia