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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are those who self-identify upon enrolment via a positive response to the question ‘Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?’
Resources and contacts that may assist attract, support and retain Indigenous students include:
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) – Fusing coaching principles and mentoring, AIME’s team of over 100 staff work with universities and businesses to engage and support Indigenous high school students so that they may finish school at the same rate as every Australian child.
Follow The Dream: Partnerships for Success – This program targets Aboriginal students with high aspirations as they commence their secondary education. Through individualised case management in the areas of academic acceleration, longitudinal subject selection, career and transition support students are encouraged to complete Year 12 and achieve results that enable entrance into tertiary studies.
Indigenous Scholarships – The Indigenous Scholarships website contains a wide range of scholarships available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Scholarships range in value from a $500 one-off payment to $100,000, paid over the duration of a student’s course. In addition to the scholarships specifically for Indigenous students, the site has other equity and merit-based scholarships for which Indigenous students are encouraged to apply.
The Aspiration Initiative (TAI) – The Aspiration Initiative is a collaboration of the Aurora Project, the University of Canberra and the Charlie Perkins Trust, and also works with the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation. TAI aims to increase opportunities and support for Indigenous Australians. We work to change the current narrative of Indigenous education, whereby outstanding achievement is seen as the exception, rather than the norm. TAI projects include international scholarships, the Aurora Indigenous Scholars International Study Tour, the Indigenous Scholarships website and TAI’s academic enrichment program for high school students.
Yarnsafe – An initiative of headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation), Yarnsafe offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing information and support.
Yarning About Disability – Based on qualitative research undertaken by Caris Jalla (Curtin University), this book shares the stories of four young Aboriginal people with different abilities, strengths and journeys.