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Harding Miller Scholarships for Girls

We support Australian girls in Australian public high schools. Our scholarship recipients have high academic potential. They are talented and dedicated. They do not currently have access to the resources that they need to make the most of their education opportunities.

The scholarship application process explained

Who is eligible for a HMEF scholarship?

If you meet all of the criteria, we invite you apply for a scholarship.

If HMEF scholarships are not for you please consider Public Education Foundation scholarships here.

 

What’s included in a full HMEF scholarship?

The scholarship includes a high-quality laptop in the first year as well as four years of;

  • Online IT support
  • High-speed internet
  • $2500 worth of online or face to face tutoring
  • Online homework help
  • Prepaid expense cards for essential school needs such as uniforms, textbooks, and school excursions

Each scholar is 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 have experience in the education sector and all of them are committed to helping the girls excel.

We also provide an enrichment program to introduce scholars to a range of career experiences and broaden their horizons about possible tertiary education pathways. Some of the organisations we work with include USYD, UNSW, Ernst and Young, Allen & Overy, ANZ Bank, HoustonKemp, John Holland Group and Mastercard to name a few.

FAQs

Yes. The scholarships are available to Australian students from all states and territories,
whether you live in a city, regional town or a rural community. To date we have
awarded over 1,200 scholarships to girls throughout Australia.

Yes, you need to be in Year 8 at the time of your application. Our criteria are:

• Be a female student enrolled at a public/government high school
• Be currently a Year 8 student entering Year 9 in 2025
• Be demonstrating high academic results and/or academic potential
• Be currently experiencing low socio-economic circumstances

You also need to demonstrate that you have the motivation to achieve academically and professionally, including an intention to undertake tertiary studies. An interest in extracurricular, community, and leadership activities will be considered favourably.

It is easy to apply. Go to hardingmillereducationfoundation.org.au during the application period and click on the APPLY NOW link.

You can start your application, save it and come back to it later. All applications must be submitted by 11.59pm AEST on 18th September 2024.

No. You can only apply once, and you must be in Year 8 when you submit your
application.

Your school grades need to be strong and show that you have academic capability and potential for high achievement. Your attitude and commitment to studying and doing well at school also need to be evident in your application.

Yes. You can still apply if you meet our criteria. We are happy for you to have more than
one scholarship.

Yes, you can still apply. Evidence of your visa status is required to be included in our application.

We receive hundreds of applications every year as more people hear about the
scholarship and are inspired by the success stories of our Harding Miller scholars.

The number of scholarships is dependent on funding. We currently support over 700
scholars in Years 9 to 12.

A range of factors contribute to disadvantage. In our experience we generally see students who experience a combination of the following factors:

• Living with very low income or experiencing financial hardship
• Having an immigrant, asylum or refugee background (personally or parents)
• Identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Living with low parental or carer academic achievement
• Living with a disability (personally or family members)
• Living in out of home care
• Living in a geographically isolated area
• Suffering misfortune or destitution
• Living with family violence or dysfunction

Yes, every scholarship is the same, for all girls, across all regions of Australia.

The Quinn scholarships are the same as the HMEF scholarships. They are financed and
supported by the Quinn Femelle Foundation which is why they are called the Quinn
scholarships for Queenslanders.

As part of the application, you need your principal to provide a reference. The reference
can be written by an assistant principal or your year coordinator but it must be signed
by the principal, and it needs to be on school letterhead.

Only girls are eligible to apply for the Harding Miller scholarship program. Our founders
believe that educating girls has the potential to create societal change by breaking the
cycle of poverty and stimulating economic growth.

If you complete Year 12 and provide us with your ATAR result, the laptop is yours to
keep.

Scholarships are valued at approximately $20,000 over the course of four years. Successful applicants will receive the following support:

• High-quality laptop and help desk support.
• 4G mobile broadband including 20GB internet per month
• $2500 of face-to-face or online tutoring each year
• Subscription to an online study help provider
• $650 pre-paid card for school expenses each year
• Mentoring from a personal coach

Scholars also receive access to the Enhanced Learning study skills program and many other career and educational enrichment opportunities.

Your application will be reviewed by a selection panel, which includes representatives from the Harding Miller Education Foundation, Departments of Education, and other independent judges.

Members of the selection panel assess each application against the selection criteria and provide their recommendations to the Harding Miller Education Foundation Board for approval.

We will send you an email to notify you of the outcome of your application in December
before the end of the school year. Your principal and parents and/or guardians will also
be notified.

Please call the Harding Miller Education Foundation on 1300 103 896 or email
[email protected]

Review Terms and Conditions

Check your eligibility and understand how the scholarship program operates.

DOWNLOAD HERE

 Check Application Guidelines

View the application guidelines before starting your scholarship application.

DOWNLOAD HERE

See Principal’s Reference Guidelines

The principal’s reference guidelines explain what to include in the student reference.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Read Frequently Asked Questions

Find out more about HMEF scholarships and how to apply.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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.
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Learn more about Scholarships

The Harding Miller Education Foundation is a registered charity in Australia, recognised as a Public Benevolent Institution advancing the cause of education. Donations are tax deductible with 100% going directly to scholarship recipients.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
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Endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Copyright © The Harding Miller Education Foundation. All rights reserved. PCI