Trinity College grounds on a beautiful sunny day

Our expanded scholarship program will transform lives

By Natalie van Wetering

We want talented students who are experiencing moderate to extreme financial hardship to have the opportunity to join the College and benefit from Trinity’s lifechanging collegiate experience. 

Trinity College Warden, Professor Ken Hinchcliff, says that the scholarship program is one of the most powerful and exciting aspects of the College’s ambitious strategy. ‘We are on track to invest almost $8 million per annum by 2023. Next year, we will award more than $2.4 million across the three divisions of the College, literally transforming young people’s lives,’ he says.  

So, what difference does a scholarship really make?

  • Imagine you’re a farmer’s daughter from country Victoria living on a once thriving property that no longer makes a profit due to falling milk prices and land ravaged by drought. You want to study agricultural science to learn how to future-proof farms like yours, but what you always assumed would be your pathway is no longer affordable. A scholarship re-ignites that dream to positively impact rural communities.
  • Picture yourself trying to study while working 25 hours-plus each week across two jobs to make ends meet. A scholarship can take the pressure off, giving you a place to live while also making friends, playing sport, volunteering, pursuing new interests and focusing on study without the stress and distraction of a demanding work life.  
  • Imagine being blessed with a mind for science and a passion for medicine but not knowing how to realise your dreams, having grown up in rural Indonesia with parents who make a meagre living selling vegetables at a local market. Despite shining academically, further study doesn’t remotely seem like an option.  A scholarship to join Trinity’s Foundation Studies program before progressing to the University of Melbourne and living in our residential college can transform your life, along with the lives of your family and community members.  

These are real stories. They show that real people benefit from our scholarships. And we hear many more stories like this every day. 

If you know of a student planning to study at the University of Melbourne or the University of Divinity through our Theological School, encourage them to explore the scholarships on our website to see what assistance is available to them, particularly if such financial support might make the difference between attending Trinity or not.  

If you have the means, please also consider making a donation to our scholarship program, as, to these students, every dollar counts. 

We extend sincere thanks to the hundreds of Trinity community members who have made contributions to our scholarship program over the years.  Thanks to you, our vision to make higher education more accessible is becoming a reality.