Teacher Education Scholarship - Aboriginal

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for a Teacher Education Scholarship - Aboriginal, an applicant must:

1. be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.
2. identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
3. be accepted as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which they live or have lived.
4. provide confirmation of their Aboriginality to the department as outlined in the Confirmation of Aboriginality and/or Tores Strait Islander descent procedures.
5. be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
6. be continuing or entering an initial teacher education program (including initial integrated teacher education programs), or an undergraduate degree followed by an initial teacher education program, from Semester 1, 2026, at a recognised Australian university or tertiary institution that will lead to a qualification that meets the department's and NESA’s academic requirements for employment as a primary or secondary teacher or in special education (K – 12). Applicants must have no less than 6 months of study remaining from Semester 1, 2026 or no more than 5 years.
7. be willing to accept an appointment as a permanent full-time teacher in a NSW public school in an agreed location in line with their Scholarship Agreement on completion of their studies for a minimum period of 3 years.

Inclusive/special education eligibility criteria

There are only 3 universities that offer recognised initial teacher education programs in inclusive/special education in NSW. These are offered through the University of New England, the University of Newcastle and the Australian Catholic University.

The University of Newcastle courses require students to enter into an internship (EDUC4167) in their fourth and final year of study, to meet academic requirements as an inclusive/special education teacher.

A scholarship is only available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Education (Secondary and Special Education) or Bachelor of Education (Primary and Special Education) at the Australian Catholic University from 2021 onwards.

Agreed locations

As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to select either ‘Anywhere in the State’ or at least 5 individual school education areas where they would like to be appointed on completion of their studies.

If applicants select to be appointed ‘Anywhere in the State’, they are agreeing to be appointed to a school in one of the following school education areas: Albury, Armidale, Bankstown, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Blacktown, Bondi, Bourke, Broken Hill, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Clarence/Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Fairfield, Granville, Griffith, Hornsby, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Liverpool, Maitland, Moree, Mount Druitt, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Orange, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Jackson, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Ryde, Shellharbour, St George, Sutherland, Tamworth, Taree, Tweed Heads/Ballina, Wagga Wagga, Windsor or Wollongong.