Sydney Access Scholarship

Highlights

How to apply

Apply Here when applications are open and if you are a domestic student looking to commence undergraduate studies in Semester 1, 2026.

Benefits and Duration

• The Scholarship is valued at $8,500 p.a. and is tenable for the duration of the agreed undergraduate degree (single or combined) up to a maximum of 5 years full-time. 
• The Scholarship annual value will be paid in two equal instalments after the census date of each semester. 
• The scholarship does not cover appended Honours degrees.
• The scholarship does not cover any postgraduate studies, such as a Master of Nursing or Doctor of Medicine, even if taken as part of a vertically integrated combined degree.

Eligibility Requirements

You must:

• be a domestic student as defined in the University Coursework Policy​
• have applied for an undergraduate degree admission through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
• not hold a current enrolment in an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney.
• not have been enrolled in an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney in the preceding year of your current admission application via UAC.
• not be eligible to receive a MySydney Entry and Scholarship.
• meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • reside in a regional or remote area,*
  • be a recent school leaver who attended a regional or remote school based on the details you provide to UAC,*
  • be facing financial hardship, as demonstrated through the UAC Educational Access Scheme (EAS),
  • reside in an area listed in the bottom 25 percent of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD),**based on the address they provide to UAC.

*Classified as meeting one of the following Australian Statistical Geography Standards (ASGS): Remoteness Area Values must be ASGSI = Inner Regional, ASGSO = Outer Regional, ASGSR = Remote, or, ASGSV = Very Remote. The ASGS utilises geocoding technology to assign each school and individual street address an Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Area Value.

**The low socioeconomic status (low SES) is based on assigning students' address, as they have entered it into UAC to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) SA1, with the SES value derived from the ABSs' Socio Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) for SA1 areas. This address is geocoded to the appropriate SA1. SA1s in the bottom 25% of the population are classified as low SES.

For scholarship retention, you are required to:

• meet the progression requirements for your course in each relevant teaching period
• achieve a Satisfied Requirements grade (SR) where the learning outcomes for the unit of study are reported by grade only

Enrolment Requirements

Selection Criteria

• The scholarship is awarded by the Scholarships Office to students who meet the Eligibility Requirements and receive an unconditional admission offer to the University of Sydney.
• Preference will be given to students who meet a combination of:
  • resides in a regional or remote area,* or, is a recent school leaver who attended a regional or remote school based on the details they provide to UAC,* and;
  • is facing financial hardship, as demonstrated through the UAC Educational Access Scheme (EAS) or, resides in an area listed in the bottom 25 percent of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD),**based on the address they provide to UAC.

Scholarship Funding

This scholarship is funded by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) unit at the University of Sydney.

This scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funds.

Terms and Conditions

For new scholarships awarded for the year commencing 2026 onwards, please refer to the Coursework Scholarships Terms and Conditions.  

For recipients of this scholarship awarded prior to 2026, where your scholarship payments commenced before 2026, please refer to the terms and conditions issued and agreed to at the time of your acceptance. 

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