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Financial support
- Overview
- General bursaries
- Interest-free loans
- Advertised bursaries
- Financial support vouchers
Advertised bursaries
Advertised bursaries provide financial support for domestic students who are experiencing financial hardship due to specific challenges or personal circumstances. You may be eligible based on your faculty, your year of study, if you come from a regional/rural area, if you’re registered with Inclusion and Disability, or if you identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student. There are bursaries open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Your academic performance will be considered when you apply for this assistance.
Your application will be recorded against your student record for auditing and compliance purposes only and will be treated confidentially. Any personal or sensitive information submitted as part of your application will be managed carefully by the University as per our Privacy Policy (pdf, 219KB).
Applying
Semester 1 advertised bursary applications will be open from Monday, 9 March and close Sunday, 5 April 2026. Note that the application period has been reduced from 6 weeks to 4 weeks to ensure eligible students can receive funds sooner.
To be considered for an advertised bursary, you will need to submit an application in Sydney Student along with the relevant supporting documents.
After applications close, the assessment process takes up to 8 weeks. You will be notified of the outcome by Friday, 22 May 2026.
If you are in immediate financial need, you can submit an application for other types of financial support. General bursaries, interest-free loans and financial support vouchers are available all year.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for a bursary if you are:
- a domestic student currently enrolled at the University of Sydney
- studying full time
- currently residing in Australia
- making satisfactory academic progress (generally, a WAM above 50)
- experiencing financial difficulty.
In addition to the above, you must also meet any specific eligibility requirements for each bursary you apply for.
Part-time students
Availability is limited for part-time students. However, you may be eligible if:
- you are studying part-time due to a disability and receive the Disability Support Pension (DSP), you can apply for a bursary if you meet the other eligibility criteria.
- you can’t study full-time due to a disability, but are not receiving the DSP, you may be eligible to apply for the Chancellor's Committee Disability Bursary (Anthony Howson Disability Bursary).
Maintaining eligibility
You must continue to meet the eligibility criteria at the time your application is assessed, and the bursary is awarded. If you graduate, suspend or withdraw from your studies before receiving a bursary, you will no longer be eligible.
How to apply
Supporting documents
When applying for an advertised bursary through Sydney Student, you must provide the following supporting documents:
- all your bank account statements (including everyday spending, savings, credit, investment, mortgage, etc) for the past 30 days
- proof of Centrelink (if relevant)
- any additional supporting documents required for the specific bursary you are applying for.
Your bank statements must include:
- the official header of your financial institution (e.g. bank name, logo)
- your full name
- your address
- the account number.
Screenshots, photos or CSV files of bank statements will not be accepted.
You don’t need to provide your academic transcript.
Before starting your application, make sure you have gathered all required documents. You will need to attach these documents at the end before submitting, and you cannot update your application once it's been submitted. Applications submitted without all the required supporting documents will be assessed as ineligible.
Some advertised bursaries require specific supporting documents, which are listed under the available bursaries section. If you are applying for multiple advertised bursaries at once, make sure you submit all supporting documents required for each bursary.
Protecting your own information
The University takes privacy and the safety of your personal information very seriously. When uploading supporting documents, you should only provide sufficient information to demonstrate your circumstances, and not include any sensitive information beyond what’s requested.
Logging in to apply
You will need to submit your application for an advertised bursary by the due date via Sydney Student.
You can only submit one application, but you may apply for multiple bursaries within that single application.
Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make any updates, so make sure you have included everything required, as listed in the supporting documents section, as well as any additional documents needed for specific bursaries.
Complete your online application and upload your supporting documents to Sydney Student. Go to ‘My finance’, ‘Scholarships, prizes, bursaries and loans’, then ‘Advertised bursary application’.
If you are currently enrolled in two faculties, only bursaries for one of your faculties will display on your application. If you would like to apply for a bursary from the other faculty, use the ‘Personal statement’ area to list the bursary and provide a statement outlining your eligibility. Contact us through the financial support enquiry form, if you need more advice.
What happens next
We will notify you through Sydney Student about the outcome of your application after eight weeks from the closing date.
If successful, follow the prompts in the message to accept your bursary.
Payments will be made to your nominated bank account within 4 to 10 working days. Make sure your bank details are correct in Sydney Student (go to ‘My finance’, ‘Your finances’, then ‘Bank details’).
Advertised bursaries available
Remember to attach the required supporting documents for each bursary when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Burdekin Bursary
Established in 1876 by a gift of £1000 by Mrs Burdekin for the foundation of a bursary.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate student
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- from a regional/rural area
- residing in University affiliated accommodation
- a young male.
Additional supporting documents:
- evidence you are from a regional/rural area
- evidence you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- evidence you are a resident of University affiliated accommodation (for example an invoice or receipt).
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Marie Bashir Chancellor’s Committee Postgraduate Merit Award
Established in 2012 with funding provided by The University of Sydney Chancellors Committee to support further postgraduate coursework (Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters by coursework) study by students who come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- a student who has completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney
- enrolled in a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters by coursework.
Preference will be given to students who were in receipt of a University of Sydney Access Scholarship, while undertaking their undergraduate studies.
Academic merit will be a factor in the assessment of award.
The value of the bursary is up to $5000 and is a one-off payment.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
You'll also need to provide documents as outlined in the Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity Policy (pdf, 81KB) to establish that you are an Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander person. If you need assistance with this, please submit a financial support enquiry.
Bernard Lee Scholarship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Established in 2004 by a bequest of $816,000 from Mr Bernard Lee, who died in 1997, to provide assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- undergraduate student
- 35 years old or younger.
The value of the bursary is up to $3000 and is a one-off payment.
Chancellor's Committee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students Bursary
Established in 1999 by the Chancellor's Committee of the University of Sydney to provide financial assistance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate or undergraduate diploma student.
The value of the bursary is up to $3000 and is a one-off payment.
Robert Floyd Marshall and Esen Marshall Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2005 by a bequest from Esen Marshall to provide assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
Successful applicants accepting this award are also acknowledging "that it is the wish of the benefactors that, should the benefits received assist me to succeed in life, I will endeavour to assist other financially under-privileged persons in similar fashion".
The value of the bursary is up to $3000 and is a one-off payment.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Robert Campbell Scholarship
Established in 1922 by a bequest of £2000 from Lt-Col. Francis Selwyn Campbell is to establish a scholarship for commencing students in financial need in memory of his parents.
The Robert Campbell and Ann Sophia Campbell Scholarship is open to:
- undergraduate students commencing the first year of their degree
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Anthony Howson Disability Bursary
Established in 2014, and renamed in 2018, in honour of the late Anthony Howson. The Anthony Howson Disability Bursary is funded by the Chancellor’s Committee to support undergraduate and postgraduate students who are:
- registered with Inclusion and Disability Services at the University of Sydney
- studying part time or full time.
The value of the bursary is up to $3000 and is a one-off payment.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Ann Carswell Bursary
Established in 1943 by a bequest of £1000 from Ann Carswell.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate student
- commencing your first year in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Badham Bursaries
Established in 1886 by a gift of £1000 from subscribers to the Badham Memorial Fund for the foundation of a bursary in memory of Professor Charles Badham, Professor of Classics, and the University’s last Resident Principal.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate student
- enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Engineering and computer science advertised bursary will not be offered in this semester.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Sydney Medical School
Esma May Harris Scholarship
Established in 1989 by a bequest from Albert Langmead Harris in memory of his wife, Esma May Harris.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student
- enrolled in the Sydney Medical School.
Assessment to determine the successful applicant will be conducted jointly between the Financial Support Service and the Sydney Medical School.
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Lily Lonnie Boot Bursary
Established in 1995 by a bequest from Miss Lily Lonnie Boot, a 1935 Science graduate.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student
- enrolled in the Faculty of Science or the Sydney Medical School
- self-supporting.
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Llewellyn-Smith Bursary
Established in 1987 by a gift of $7000 from Joy Llewyn-Smith.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine Program.
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Remember to attach the required supporting documents when you apply, otherwise your application will be assessed as ineligible.
Lily Lonnie Boot Bursary
Established in 1995 by a bequest from Miss Lily Lonnie Boot, a 1935 Science graduate.
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student
- enrolled in the Faculty of Science or the Sydney Medical School
- self-supporting.
The value of the bursary is up to $1000 and is a one-off payment.
Last updated: 06 March 2026