The John Curtin Scholarship Program invests in future leaders who intend to use their abilities and passion to lead positive change in the community. Scholars receive a high level of financial support over the duration of their undergraduate studies. More importantly, the program provides opportunities for scholars to develop the personal qualities to become future leaders with the capability to inspire change.

Scholarships within the Program:

• John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship
• Julia Gillard Women in Leadership Scholarship

Academically gifted students who display John Curtin's qualities of vision, leadership and community service are eligible to be nominated for the John Curtin Scholarship Program.

Students selected as John Curtin Scholars will have excelled in a wide range of endeavours, and have lent their talents and energies to the community around them.

Female nominees are also eligible to be nominated for the Julia Gillard Women in Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support women in developing the skills needed to become leaders in their field. Both scholarships can be applied for in the same online application form.

Please note:

The Nominator Form must be completed by a professional educator who can verify/support your academic excellence. Professional educators include school principals, TAFE lecturers, etc. The Nominator Form will need to be attached to your online application. 

• Future Students

• Centre for Aboriginal Studies
• Faculty of Business and Law
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Science courses
  • Engineering courses
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

• Undergraduate

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

• Merit Based

The John Curtin Scholarship Program will provide the following:

Comprehensive financial support

• Course fees for the duration of the undergraduate degree (excluding the SSAF)
• Cash stipend of $2,000 per annum to assist with living expenses

Scholars may opt to receive a cash stipend of $8,000 per annum in place of the fee and stipend payment. 

International study experience

• A one-off cash payment of up to $6,000 to contribute towards an eligible international study experience where the scholar can immerse themselves in another culture and learn about their field of study in a global context.

Funding for this experience will be conditional on:

You are required to undertake an approved international experience, which must commence before the penultimate study period. 

• You may receive up to $6,000 toward the international experience as a one-off payment once it has been approved by the school/faculty or the Scholarships Office. If the budget to undertake the experience is less than $6,000, you will forfeit the difference. 
• If you receive any other grants or funding for your international experience, this must be included in your travel budget.

For more information on how to plan your international study experience and to access the funding, please refer to the John Curtin and Don Watts Travel Grant - Student Guide ADD LINK

For more details on how to plan your international study experience and to access the funding, please refer to the John Curtin and Don Watts Travel Grant - Student Guide provided in the Terms and Conditions upon scholarship offer.

Leadership opportunities

Scholars are encouraged to engage in projects that will give them real world leadership experience. Through these experiences, the program enables scholars to build their leadership skills, facilitate positive change and create a meaningful impact with their discipline of study.

Mentoring and alumni network

• Scholars will be paired with a current JCSP scholar to mentor them throughout their degree

The John Curtin Scholar Alumni are closely connected with the current scholar group and have attained numerous achievements across the public and private sectors, and in further study. Alumni provide ongoing inspiration and mentorship to current scholars, serving as an invaluable resource.

All undergraduate degrees

Nominees must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for the scholarships within the John Curtin Scholarship Program:

SCHOOL LEAVERS

School-leaver applicants are those who will be completing Year 12 in this current academic year that the scholarship closes in.

• Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian permanent humanitarian or New Zealand citizen
• Current year 12 student in the top 5% of their high school's graduating year and be nominated by a professional educator (and endorsed by high school principal)
• Selected Curtin University as first preference through TISC to undertake an undergraduate degree by the scholarship closing date
  • Preferences must be confirmed by the closing date of this scholarship application, and remain unchanged until the scholarship is awarded
  • It is the nominees responsibility to ensure that they have completed the declaration and finalised the payment to TISC to ensure that their preferences are valid by the deadline stipulated. Nominees should familiarise themselves with TISC processes, deadlines and timelines for preferences to be available to institutions.
• Able to demonstrate leadership qualities and engagement in community service
• Commencing an undergraduate degree in semester 1, 2026

NON SCHOOL LEAVERS

• Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian permanent humanitarian or New Zealand citizen
• Apply direct to Curtin by the scholarship closing date
• Able to demonstrate leadership qualities and engagement in community service
• Must be nominated by a registered professional educator who can verify and support their academic excellence
• Must have completed final year of high school within the past two years (e.g. completed high school in 2023 or after)
• Commencing an undergraduate degree in semester 1, 2026

Nominees for the Julia Gillard Women in Leadership must also meet the following criteria in addition to the above:

• Identify as female

Please note this scholarship is not deferrable - recipients must commence their course in semester 1, 2026.

Step 1: Access online application form

• Download and complete the Nominator Form (top right-hand side of this page) - Nominee's will need to provide this completed form as part of the online application
• Applications are to be submitted using the online application portal. Access the form by clicking on the ‘Apply Online’ button on the top right-hand side of this page
  • You will also need to attach your completed Nominator Form to your online application (please also ensure that any required documentation is merged with the Nominator Form in one single PDF document)

Step 2: Complete

• Nominee to complete the online application and attach the completed Nominator Form as part of the online application
• Nominees must have selected Curtin University as a first preference through TISC or submitted a direct application to undertake an undergraduate degree at Curtin University by the scholarship closing date
• Application can be saved at any point of the process
• John Curtin Scholarship Program Guidelines can be found under the Applying for scholarships link (Application guidelines - scroll down) on the scholarships website

Step 3: Submit

• Closing date is listed at the top of the page
• Incomplete applications will not be assessed
• Once submitted, application status will change to submitted

Step 4: Receipt

• Application receipt will be sent to the email address provided when you created your Curtin account once your application has been submitted

Step 5: Assessment

• Applications will be assessed by an assessment panel using the following criteria:
  • Academic excellence
  • Demonstrated leadership skills (within and outside of school parameters)
  • Demonstrated community involvement (within and outside of school parameters)
  • Nominee's essay
  • Nominator's statement
  • Relative to opportunity
• Julia Gillard Women in Leadership Scholarship Applicants will be assessed on leadership statement

Step 6: Outcome

• Outcome will be sent via the email address listed through TISC or email (if applicant applied to Curtin University directly) in early December 2025 (all successful and unsuccessful nominees will be notified)
  • Successful applicants will be made a conditional scholarship offer based on meeting course offer conditions
• Nominators of successful recipients will be notified via email in early-December

Step 7: Acceptance

• Successful applicants must return acceptance documents by mid-January 2026
• Deferral of this scholarship is not permitted

Please note:

• Scholarship will be awarded if there are applicants of sufficient merit
• Scholarship will commence from first semester of study
• Scholarship is not transferable to another university

Recipients must meet all of the following:

• Maintain a full-time study load of at least 75 credits each study period at Curtin University
• Maintain a course weighted average (CWA) of at least 70
• Complete a minimum of 24 hours community service each six-month period (January-June and July-December)
• Complete an International Experience
• Attend JCSP Professional Development sessions

Scholarships Office

E: scholarships@curtin.edu.au

T: 1300 222 888

Frequently Asked questions: https://askcurtin.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/kw/scholarship

For further information about applying for scholarships including important dates and tips for preparing your application, utilise the resources available on the Applying for Scholarships webpage.