Indigenous Students

Aboriginal graduates all around Australia are working as teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, and managers in government, business and Aboriginal organisations ...

Join the growing numbers of Aboriginal people from Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Kempsey, Taree, Forster and many other areas, doing university degrees or following a TAFE / Uni pathway. Many are the first in their family to take on tertiary study.

A TAFE diploma or university degree will help you get a rewarding job or promotion. It will give you the skills to make a difference to the lives of your family and community.

Hear real students stories (below) - read on below to discover that:

• Going to uni IS easier than you think and you'll get lots of support
• The choice is yours to study locally or move away

Going to Uni is easier than you think

You may have left school early. Maybe you have a TAFE certificate. Either way, support is freely available to help you complete a degree or follow a TAFE/uni pathway.
All unis and TAFE offer special programs and support for Aboriginal students. You may be able to enter uni with a reduced score. As an Aboriginal person you may be able apply to directly to the uni and by-pass UAC (University Admissions Centre), depending on your circumstances and the course you’re interested in.
For advice on special entry and financial support, tutoring, mentoring, plus information about friendly meeting places for Indigenous students and staff, contact:

• Charles Sturt Uni – Indigenous Student Services
• Uni of Newcastle – Wollotuka Institute
• Uni of NSW – Nura Gili Indigenous Programs
• Uni of New England – Oorala Aboriginal Centre
• Uni of Sydney – The Koori Centre
• North Coast TAFE – North Coast Aboriginal Learning Partnerships

Listen to Sarah's story in the video (below) about the great support she and other Aboriginal students get from Nura Gili at UNSW.

If you still think that uni is not for you, check out Why go to university?

The choice is yours to study locally or move away

If you stay locally you can:

• Study a Nursing or Primary Teaching degree at the Uni of Newcastle’s Port Macquarie Campus. Make sure that you contact the local Wollotuka Institute contact who is on hand to help you. Call 6581 6294 or email anthony.baxter@newcastle.edu.au 
• Complete a TAFE certificate or diploma at your local TAFE campus first. You could get between 6 and 24 months credit towards a degree with most of our partner universities. This will reduce your uni fees and your time away at uni or studying by distance.  Read more about TAFE/ Uni Pathways. Or you can phone 131601 or visit your local TAFE campus.
• Study by distance or online. Universities help Aboriginal students who are studying by distance to join with each other in local study groups with support from a local tutor.

Also follow these links for more information that will make it easier for you to get into uni and get support when you're there:

• Special entry schemes
• Financial assistance for Uni students including Abstudy
• Scholarships for Indigenous, rural, regional, disadvantaged and other students
• Aboriginal Allied Health Cadetships offered through NSW Department of Health
• Mentoring support
   

Generation One - be part of the change in this generation. Generation One provides information relating to indigenous education, scholarships and employment possibilities.

UNSW Indigenous Winter School 

The UNSW Indigenous Winter School is a week–long residential program designed to provide
Indigenous students in years 10, 11 and 12 with an opportunity to experience university life. The
program is coordinated by Nura Gili and is sponsored by UBS who generously cover the costs for all
participants. Applications close in April each year. Take a look at what the Winter School offers. 

Real stories