Secondary schooling scholarships

To be eligible, students must:

• be Australian citizens or permanent residents
• attend a public school (in most cases)
• meet the specific eligibility requirements of the scholarship they apply for.

Depending on the individual scholarship, applications are accepted for students who are currently in Years 6 to 11 and will be attending secondary school the following year.

To prepare for applications, review the eligibility requirements for the scholarship(s) you are applying for.

When applications open, you will be asked for:

• a written reference from the principal (or their representative)
• your child’s student number (this is an 8-digit number that typically begins with a 3 or 4. You can usually find it on school reports)
• your child’s most recent semester 1 report, as a PDF
• evidence to meet scholarship eligibility requirements, for example:
  • financial need (such as payslips, Centrelink statements, Australian Taxation Office Notice of Assessment)
  • proof of residence (such as a passport or birth certificate).

Applications can be lodged by a parent or carer, a teacher or a student. Parents or carers must verify financial information and provide consent if the application is completed by a teacher or student. You will receive an automatic confirmation email once the application is submitted.

The principal's reference is a statement from the principal, or their representative, which must be submitted on school letterhead and should:

• confirm the student's current enrolment at the school
• confirm the student's intended enrolment at a Western Australian public school the following year
• comment on the student's academic achievement, attitude to learning and engagement with school
• endorse the student as a worthy recipient of the scholarship.

• The scholarship assessment process starts in Term 1, when applications are assessed by a selection committee. 
• Most of our scholarships are for families in financial need, so this is the key criterion.
• Behaviour, attitude to schooling, attendance and academic progress are also considered.
• No information on the progress of submissions can be shared until the process is complete.
• If your income or contact details change after lodging an application, email your updated details to SecondarySchoolingScholarships@education.wa.edu.au. Please make sure the email subject line includes the name of the scholarship.

• All applicants are notified of the outcome in Term 2.
• Cheques are mailed during Term 2 to the successful applicants.
• If you applied for more than one scholarship and they are both successful, your child will be awarded the scholarship with the highest value.
• Funds can be used for any aspect of secondary schooling, such as:
  • school excursions
  • equipment
  • textbooks
  • tutoring
  • school fees
  • uniforms
  • residential college fees.
• A change of school can affect eligibility if the awarded scholarship is tied to a school or location. In these cases, if a change of school or location occurs, the scholarship is forfeited. If you change schools, notify the scholarship coordinators by emailing SecondarySchoolingScholarships@education.wa.edu.au.

• Value: $1,000
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must:

• be in Year 10 or Year 11 and under 18 years of age when they apply
• demonstrate above-average academic ability
• intend to complete Year 12
• be enrolled at one of the following schools:
  • Kent Street Senior High School
  • Como Secondary College
  • Cannington Community College
  • Sevenoaks Senior College.

This scholarship may be renewed for a second year, providing academic and other assessment criteria have been met and the student remains enrolled at one of the eligible schools.

Students from regional and remote Western Australia, applying for enrolment at Bob Hawke College through the Gifted and Talented Academic Program, are eligible to apply for a scholarship to meet the cost of boarding at the Department of Education’s City Beach Residential College.

Scholarships are awarded to the 2 highest-ranking students annually for entry into the Gifted and Talented program at Year 7 level for the duration of their enrolment at Bob Hawke College.

Eligible families will be contacted directly. To find out more about this scholarship, refer to Gifted and Talented scholarships.

• Value: $1,000
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must:

• be enrolled in Year 10 in the year of applying for the scholarship.
• intend to complete their schooling in Year 11 and 12 at a public school
• demonstrate above-average academic ability
• be experiencing financial hardship or family disadvantage. 

This scholarship may be renewed for a second year, providing satisfactory academic achievement and other assessment criteria have been met.

• Value: $1,000
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must:

• live in the Fremantle electoral division or City of Fremantle local government area
• be enrolled in Year 10 in the year of applying for the scholarship
• intend to complete Year 12
• be experiencing financial hardship

The prize is a one-off payment at the start of Year 11 for study in any recognised secondary school in Western Australia (public school or non-government school).

• Value: $1,000 (minimum)
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must be:

• enrolled at a regional public school in Western Australia
• in Years 6 to 11 to apply
• experiencing financial hardship.

The Laurence Armstrong Trust offers 4 different scholarships for students attending Northam Senior High School. Applications open on Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must be: 

• in Year 6 or Year 10 in the year they apply for the scholarship and intending to complete Year 12 
• enrolled or enrolling at Northam Senior High School for the following year
• experiencing financial hardship.

Great Beginnings Scholarship

• Value up to $9,000:
  • $1,000 per year for Years 7 to 10.
  • $2,000 per year for Years 11 and 12.

This scholarship is awarded to at least 2 students starting Year 7 at Northam Senior High School. It continues each year the recipient remains enrolled at the school.

Applicants must:

• be currently enrolled in Year 6
• intend to start Year 7 at Northam Senior High School the following year.

Senior School Scholarships 

Value: $2,000 per year for Years 11 and 12

This scholarship is awarded to at least 2 students continuing at Northam Senior High School for Years 11 and 12.

Applicants must:

• be currently enrolled in Year 10 at Northam Senior High School
• intend to continue their schooling in Years 11 and 12 at Northam Senior High School.

Year 11 District High School Scholarships 

Value: $2,000 per year for Years 11 and 12.

This scholarship is awarded to at least 2 students enrolling in Year 11 at Northam Senior High School from a district high school. 

Applicants must:

• be currently enrolled in Year 10 at a district high school
• intend to complete Years 11 and 12 at Northam Senior High School.

Residential Scholarships

Value: determined by out-of-pocket residential costs (once all eligible subsidies have been applied) plus $2,000 per year for Years 11 and 12.

This scholarship is awarded to at least 2 students.

Applicants must:

• be currently enrolled in Year 10
• be enrolled or enrolling at Northam Senior High School for Years 11 and 12
• intend to reside at Northam Residential College for Years 11 and 12.

• Value:
  • $750 each year for Years 7 to 10.
  • $1,000 for Years 11 and 12.
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Students currently in Years 6 to 11 can apply. Students must have a parent who:

• has sustained a spinal cord injury that resulted in paralysis, a significant limb loss, or limb paralysis
• is a financial member of Alinea, or is willing to become a member.

Alinea membership is available for an annual fee and can be purchased on the Alinea website.

Grants may be renewed in subsequent years if the recipient shows satisfactory academic progress.

These means-tested scholarships are available to students enrolled in a Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance Academic Program in a public secondary school in Years 7, 8, 9 or 10.

For scholarship details, refer to Gifted and Talented scholarships.

• Value: $1,000
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

Applicants must be:

• female
• enrolled at a public secondary school in the Perth metropolitan area
• in Year 10 or Year 11, under 18 years of age in the year they are applying for the scholarship and intending to complete Year 12
• experiencing financial hardship.

These scholarships may be renewed for a second year, provided academic and other assessment criteria have been met.

• Value up to $2,000:
  • $1,000 in Year 11
  • $1,000 in Year 12.
• Applications open: Thursday 12 November 2026.

This scholarship is a creative writing scholarship. Applicants must demonstrate:

• outstanding creative talent in poetry, short story writing or both
• outstanding academic results in English
• above-average academic results in other subjects.

Applicants must be enrolled:

• in Year 10 at a public school when they apply and intending on completing Year 12
• at a public school in Year 11 and 12 to remain eligible.

Applications must include:

• copies of the student’s Semester 2, Year 9 school report and Semester 1, Year 10 school report
• a selection of the student’s best poetry, short story writing or both
• a reference from the principal on school letterhead.

As proof of outstanding ability in creative writing, students are to submit up to 3 original pieces of poetry or short fiction (or both), with at least 2 works written during Year 10. Refer to the following submission guidelines.

Creative writing submission guidelines

Form	Submission guidelines
Poetry	3 poems, not more than 6 pages in total
Short story	2 short stories, not more than 3000 words in total
Combination	A total of no more than 3 pieces, combining poetry and short fiction, not more than 3,000 words or 6 pages combined

Writing samples must be formatted with:

• Arial font, size 12
• single spacing
• 2.54 cm margin on all sides.

The following scholarships, while not administered by the Department of Education, are available to Western Australian students to support their secondary education.

Harding Miller Education Foundation Scholarship Program

This scholarship is dedicated to empowering young women who:

• are in Year 8 in the year they apply for the scholarship
• will complete their schooling at an Australian public school
• demonstrate academic excellence
• face financial barriers
• are highly motivated to succeed at school and pursue tertiary education.

Each scholarship is valued at more than $20,000 and includes:

• a laptop, with internet access and ongoing IT support
• one-to-one tutoring
• prepaid cards to assist with educational expenses
• access to an academic support program
• access to online homework help
• a personal coach or mentor
• invitations to career experience events and activities
• access to scholarship tools and resources, and the chance to connect with fellow scholars.

Applications open mid-year. For scholarship details, refer to the Harding Miller Education Foundation.

Little Friends Scholarships

• Value: Up to $500.
• Applications open twice a year.

These scholarships are specifically for children financially impacted by family and domestic violence. Find scholarship details on the Friends with Dignity website.

MADALAH Scholarships

The MADALAH secondary student scholarships are for students who:

• are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
• can demonstrate some form of disadvantage, such as financial or geographic disadvantage (or both)
• can provide proof of offer or enrolment at a partner school
• have a good school attendance and behaviour record
• have a home location in Western Australia or the Northern Territory.

Find out more about the scholarships on the MADALAH website.

The Public Education Foundation

The Public Education Foundation (PEF) offer a range of scholarships for students in public schools, including:

• Big Picture Learning Australia Scholarship
• Friends of Zainab Secondary Scholarship for refugee students
• PEF National Secondary Scholarships
• Rural and Remote Indigenous Secondary Scholarship.

Applications open mid-year. To find out more, refer to Public Education Foundation’s website.