About the Harding Miller Education Foundation's life-changing scholarships
We support high potential but socio-economically disadvantaged girls across Australia.
Who is eligible for a HMEF scholarship?
The Harding Miller Education Foundation Scholarship Program provides practical support to lift the educational and career aspirations of high potential Australian girls who are facing socio-economic hardship.
Our scholarships are only for girls in Australian secondary public high schools and are not open to primary or tertiary education.
Basic scholarship eligibility requirements:
Girl currently in Year 8 who are entering Year 9 in the following year
Attends an Australian public school only
Australian citizen or permanent resident
Applications for 2021 HMEF Scholarships have closed and applications for 2022 scholarships will open in July 2021.
What's included in a full 4 year HMEF scholarship (valued at $20,000)?
The scholarship includes a high-quality laptop (Toshiba Dynabook) in the first year as well as four years of;
• IT support
• High speed internet
• $2500 worth of online of face to face tutoring
• Online homework help (www.studiosity.com)
• Prepaid expense cards for essential school needs such as uniforms, textbooks, and school excursions
Each scholar is also allocated a personal coach who supports and guides them through the four years of the program. We have over 80 volunteer coaches working with us, many who have educational experiences and all with a deep passion to help the girls excel.
We also have a growing enrichment program for the scholars that introducing them to a range of career experiences to broaden their horizons about what is on offer with tertiary education. Some of our partners include Google, NAB, 3M, Mastercard, USYD, UNSW, the University of New England, EY, Baker McKenzie to name a few.
Scholarship Eligibility FAQs
Women continue to be over represented in areas of disadvantage and underrepresented in positions of power and influence. We know that investing in women build stronger families. communities and economies. Harnessing the potential of women would increase the Australian GDP by 11% according to Goldman Sachs estimates the pay gap between men and women currently costs the Australian economy $93 billion every year.
In Australia. women earn 83c in the dollar compared to men. Women in Australia are two and a halftimes more likely to live in poverty in their old age than men. In 2014. Australia was the worst performing country in the OECD for women at work. according to the WC Women in Work Index. The percentage of women on boards is now at 16.1% according to the Australian Institute of Companies Directors. Women work 66% of the world‘s working hours yet earn only 10% of the world‘s income. On average women reinvest 90% of their wages into the family while men reinvest 30-40%.
The HMEF scholarship program takes a holistic approach to student academic potential – considering all elements of the student’s’ educational life. Naturally these include school report grades, class participation and attendance as well as results from students Year 7 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). There is also considerable weighting placed on other elements of the student’s’ application including the principal’s reference and the personal statement that the student writes in her application. Involvement in school supported activities and community engagement are highly regarded as are evidence of drive, motivation and focus.
For more information please call our scholarship team on 1300 103 896.
A range of factors contribute to disadvantage. In our experience we generally see this manifesting in an inter-connected combination of the following factors:
Students suffering misfortune or destitution
Very low income or experiencing financial hardship
Family violence or dysfunction
Students living in Out Of Home Care
Students or their family member living with a disability
Parents with an immigrant. asylum or refugee background
Identification as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Identification as a Pacific or South Sea Islander
Geographic isolation
Low parental or carer academic achievement.
We convene a ‘board of experts‘ who meet, review and approve each application to ensure that they meet the selection criteria. Our panel composition is typically:o
Current serving Principal
Education Expert
Independent
Harding Miller Representative
As part of the application process and prior to receipt of any assistance from the Foundation, we gather information about the student from:
the student‘s School Principal:
the student themselves:
the student‘s parent or carer: and
the student‘s referee.
This combination of sources allows us to obtain a full and independently verified picture of their circumstances. thereby ensuring that the student is necessitous and disadvantaged and meets the selection criteria.
Girls entering Year 9 in the following year
Attends an Australian Public School
Australian citizen or permanent resident
Evidence of high academic potential
Experiencing of socioeconomic disadvantage
Demonstrated motivation to achieve academically and professionally. including an intention to carry on to tertiary education
Demonstrated interest in extracurricular. community or leadership activities will be considered favourably.
Terms and Conditions
Please download our Terms & Conditions and review prior to applying for a scholarship. They contain information about scholarship eligibility and more.
Application Guidelines
Please download and read the HMEF Application Guidelines prior to applying for a scholarship to learn about scholarship eligibility, selection criteria and the selection process.
