Rita Leech Indigenous Scholarship

Applications open
Amount

$50,000

Number available

1

Closing date

08 February 2026

Scholarship details

Donor

Trustees of the Rita Leech Aboriginal Education Trust

Establishment

This scholarship was established by the Trustees of the Rita Leech Aboriginal Education Trust, set up under Rita Leech's will.

Rita was born and bred in the Netherlands, coming from a large happy family. As a teenager she knew war and occupation, cold, fear and near starvation. She moved to Australia in the fifties. It was not always easy, but she became a real Aussie. With her quick mind she found suitable employment. She decided later in life to go to university, with majors in French and German and gained high distinctions and honours.

Rita was in the Central Coast Reconciliation Group; she hated discrimination and injustice, and she knew the importance of education. She put her beliefs into practice by making provision for an Indigenous Scholarship.

For more information on this scholarship, please review the full Terms and Conditions.

Applicable to: Central Coast campus, Indigenous students, equity, financial disadvantage, disability, regional and remote.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, you will need to:

  • Be enrolled in any year of any undergraduate degree at the University of Newcastle.
  • Be enrolled at a Central Coast campus.
  • Be intending to study on a full-time basis (minimum 60 units per year).
  • Establish your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status per the process outlined on the Wollotuka Institute's study with us page.
  • Demonstrate the impact of educational disadvantage such as carer and sole parent responsibilities, financial hardship, long-term medical condition, a disability, the ongoing effects of abuse, and regional/remote disadvantage.
  • Demonstrate academic progress by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or equivalent required for entry for commencing students, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 for continuing students (evidence not required for current UON students).
  • Not be the recipient of another University of Newcastle donor-funded or sponsored scholarship concurrently.

Required Documentation

Required documents will be listed on the ‘Your Documents’ page of your application. The application portal accepts PDF only. A maximum of 3 PDF smaller than 5 MB can be added per document type upload field.

  • A personal statement (approx. 1 A4 page) outlining your academic achievements, career aspirations in the relevant area of study, and how this scholarship would assist you. This statement will cover all scholarships you are submitting for.
  • You may be required to provide documents to support your educational challenges and personal circumstances. These will be identified when you apply based on your individual application responses.

Benefit

This scholarship provides a total benefit of $50,000 up to a maximum 5-year tenure, provided ongoing eligibility is met. The scholarship provides $10,000 annually paid as $5000 in each semester.

Payments are typically received 2–3 weeks after the semester census date, or 2–3 weeks after you accept your offer if the census date has already passed.

Selection

Selection is a competitive process and will be based on assessment of the scholarship application and any required supporting documents, with reference to the eligibility criteria.

Selection will be made by the Indigenous Selection Panel which will consist of a minimum of three members chosen by the Pro Vice-Chancellor – Indigenous Strategy and Leadership.

Scholarship outcomes will be communicated via email around 6 weeks from scholarship application close date.

College

Contact Details

Scholarships
Student and Academic Services
University of Newcastle
University Drive
CALLAGHAN NSW 2308

Phone: +61 2 4921 5000
Email: scholarships@newcastle.edu.au