Merit-based Scholarships - Southern Cross University

Merit-based scholarships are awarded to high performing school leavers.

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Supporting academic excellence in the Southern Cross community

At Southern Cross University, we believe in fostering the next generation of brilliant minds and bold leaders to reach their full potential. Generous merit scholarships are awarded every year to new students who have performed exceptionally well in their school studies, supporting their academic journey throughout university.

Scholarships can make an enormous difference to study. They enable students to focus more on their studies and might mean the difference between just passing and achieving exceptional academic results. Scholarships can also assist students to pursue extracurricular and community activities that may enhance their studies with a competitive edge once they graduate.

Portrait of Vice Chancellor Tyrone Carlin

“We foster a culture of academic excellence where our best talent is supported to achieve its full potential.”

Scholarships on offer

Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship: $50,000

This scholarship is awarded to the top 10 students with an ATAR of 95 or above.

A female student wearing glasses using a laptop.

The Vice Chancellor’s Regional Leadership Scholarship: $50,000

This scholarship is awarded to the top 10 regional students with an ATAR of 90 or above.

Students interacting and using the Coffs Harbour campus library and Learning Centre facilities

Southern Cross University High Achiever Scholarship: $36,000

This scholarship is awarded to 15 students with an ATAR of 85 or above and not in receipt of a higher-value scholarship.

Southern Cross University Resilience Merit Scholarship: $36,000

This scholarship is awarded to 15 students with an ATAR of 80 or above and demonstrable financial disadvantage and/or educational barriers. Students cannot be in receipt of a higher-value Scholarship.

Scholarship details

Students do not have to apply for Merit-based Scholarships, with the exception of the Southern Cross University Resilience Merit Scholarship. Scholarships will be awarded to 2024 school leavers achieving the ATAR or equivalent outlined above, and who are enrolled in a Bachelor degree program in 2025.

The Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship: there are 10 available at $50,000 paid over three years at the rate of $2,000 per 12 credit points

The Vice Chancellor’s Regional Leadership Scholarship: there are 10 available at $50,000 paid over three years at the rate of $2,000 per 12 credit points

The High Achiever Scholarship: there are 15 available at $36,000 paid over three years at the rate of $1,500 per 12 credit points.

Southern Cross University Resilience Merit Scholarship: there are 15 available at $36,000 paid over three years at the rate of $1,500 per 12 credit points

Recipients for Merit-based Scholarships will be:

an Australian citizens, New Zealand Citizen, permanent residents or holders of a permanent humanitarian visa.
1. Vice Chancellor’s Regional Leadership Scholarship also accepts International Onshore students studying their Year 12 qualification locally (as per Item 2) and who are able to demonstrate they meet appropriate visa requirements for continued university study with Southern Cross University.
Merit based scholarship recipients will attend Southern Cross University from across Australia.
1. The Vice Chancellor’s Regional Leadership Scholarship recipients’ permanent address, prior to admission, must be located within the local government areas of Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca.
Have completed Year 12 studies in 2024 and achieved the required ATAR minimum.
1. Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, the ATAR will be 95 and above
2. Vice Chancellor’s Regional Leadership Scholarship, the ATAR will be 90 and above
3. Southern Cross University High Achiever Scholarship, the ATAR will be 85 and above
4. Southern Cross University Resilience Merit Scholarship, the ATAR will be 80 and above.
The number of places on offer for each scholarship is limited (see Value for details). Allocation of a scholarship will be to the first to achieve the eligibility criteria. Re-allocations may occur up to the commencement of Term 1 studies. Re-allocated offers will be made to the most eligible student at that point in time.
Have qualified for admission in 2025 into a full-time Bachelor degree on campus at Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Gold Coast and NMSC or online.
The Southern Cross University Resilience Merit Scholarship requires students to demonstrate educational barriers in one of the following:

Have an assessed application for a Southern Cross University Equity Scholarship
Have an accepted registration with Southern Cross University Inclusion Support
Have provided meritorious responses to questions relating to hardship on their Southern Cross University Scholarship application

Commencing in an undergraduate Bachelor program. Studying on-campus at either Coffs Harbour, Lismore, the Gold Coast, National Marine Science Centre or Online.

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