The Australian National University (ANU) has launched a new flagship scholarship program designed to help overcome barriers to higher education and support students from across Australia to study and succeed at the national university.
The ANU Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program will support approximately 150 commencing undergraduate students and up to 75 postgraduate coursework students in Semester 1, 2027.
The Program brings together undergraduate and postgraduate access scholarships into a single University-wide offering, combining financial assistance with accommodation, relocation and transition support, and coordinated support throughout students' studies.
The initiative is a key reflection of the ambitions of ANU by 2030, supporting the University's commitment to widening access, strengthening the student experience and ensuring students from across Australia have the opportunity to choose ANU.
This Scholarship would not be possible without the ongoing contribution of our donors, alumni and staff, and the University is committed to working with our community to grow the program over time.
Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown said the Program reflected the University's role as Australia's national university.
"Talent and potential exist in every community, but opportunity does not," Professor Brown said.
"For some students, the cost of university, relocating to Canberra, securing accommodation or simply knowing that support will be available can determine whether ANU feels possible.
"The Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program is about removing those barriers and ensuring students with the capability to succeed at ANU have the opportunity to do so.
"This is a significant investment in students and in the future of Australia's national university. It is also a tangible expression of the ambitions of ANU by 2030 - to strengthen the student experience, widen participation and ensure talented people from across the nation can contribute to the University community."
Undergraduate Vice-Chancellor Scholars will receive up to $65,000 in scholarship support over their time at ANU, together with up to $1,500 in relocation and transition assistance.
Depending on their individual circumstances, eligible undergraduate students will also receive either fully funded on-campus accommodation for up to four years or a guarantee of suitable accommodation.
The postgraduate coursework stream will provide eligible students with a Commonwealth Supported Place, a $1,500 transition or relocation bursary and access to the Program's coordinated student support.
Eligible domestic applicants will be automatically considered through the admissions process, with no separate scholarship application required.
The Scholarship will build on the successful model of the Kambri Scholars Program. The undergraduate Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program will prioritise students experiencing significant financial hardship or multiple barriers to higher education.
The Scholarship is designed to strengthen participation, retention, progression and completion for students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Academic standards and existing adjustment factors for admission to ANU will remain unchanged.
The ANU Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program recognises that financial assistance alone does not overcome all barriers to university participation.
Scholars will have access to coordinated support throughout their studies, as well as transition and relocation support, recognising that commencing university can bring additional costs and challenges, whether students are from Canberra or elsewhere in Australia.
The first offers to undergraduate Vice-Chancellor Scholars will be made as part of the University's early offer release on 3 September 2026, ahead of the program commencing in Semester 1, 2027.
As Australia's national university, ANU has a unique responsibility to ensure financial or personal circumstances do not limit who can access and succeed in higher education.
The Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program is part of that commitment - investing in the students who will help shape Australia's future.
