Supporting documentation
In most cases you need to provide supporting documentation to substantiate your claims when applying for an equity (disadvantage) scholarship. If you're not sure which category applies to you, refer to our equity definitions. Please note that unless you are applying as a recent refugee or asylum seeker, you must be a domestic student to be eligible to apply under these categories.
All supporting documentation must be dated within 6 months of application closing date, or 3 months for financial disadvantage.
Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement
The Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement is used to support claims you make when applying for equity (educational disadvantage) scholarships. This form can be used to support claims related to financial disadvantage (not required if eligibility is based on Centrelink benefits), disability or medical conditions, or a variety of difficult circumstances which have impacted on your education.
One Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement is to be used per application. The one statement may cover a combination of educational disadvantage considerations (i.e. medical condition and difficult circumstances combined).
How you complete this statement
- Write in your own words. Don't get someone else to write for you. We simply want to know your story from your point of view.
- Keep to the key points and within the character limits.
- Allow time to draft so you are confident you have explained the circumstance and their impact on your education.
Confidential Statement of Support
The Confidential Statement of Support is completed by a relevant and responsible person to substantiate claims made by you for equity (educational disadvantage) scholarships. This form can be used to substantiate claims related to financial disadvantage, disability or medical conditions, or a variety of difficult circumstances which have impacted on your education or daily life.
Only one equity category can be addressed per form. If you are applying for more than one equity category that requires a Confidential Statement of Support, you will need to provide separate support forms for each category.
Who is a relevant and responsible person?
A relevant and responsible person:
- is 21 years of age or older
- has known you for at least 12 months or for the entire duration of the circumstance(s), whichever is shorter
- is not related to you by birth, marriage, de facto relationship or other personal relationship, and
- does not live with you
- has knowledge of your situation and can comment on the impact of these circumstances on your education or daily life
For statements of support related to a disability or medical condition, a responsible person is defined as a health practitioner who also meets the criteria outlined above.
Indigenous Australian background
To be eligible you must provide a Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Heritage certificate or a certified Statutory Declaration form to the William Cooper Institute. This can be emailed to wci-study@monash.edu. If you have any queries please contact the William Cooper Institute on 9902 4972.
Disadvantaged financial background
If you receive a Centrelink benefit in your name
If you have a Customer Access Number (CAN) or Customer Reference Number (CRN) in your name, and therefore receive benefits into your own bank account, we can obtain your financial details directly from Centrelink. The CAN or CRN must be in the same name as your Monash student record, and is provided directly in your scholarship application.
Your application for this category will be ineligible if you provide incorrect CRN or CAN or if the number is allocated to your parent, guardian or partner and not the name on the application.
If your parent or guardian receives a Centrelink benefit or the Family Tax Benefit
If you don’t receive Centrelink benefits, but you are a dependent of someone who receives a Centrelink benefit or the Family Tax Benefit you will need to upload the following documents with your scholarship application:
- a copy of your parent's or guardian's Centrelink Statement of Benefit or Family Tax Benefit statement
- indicate the relationship you have with the person named on the document (e.g. mother, father, grandmother), and
- ensure your evidence is no older than 3 months at the time that scholarship applications open.
Bank statements or screenshots of your Centrelink benefit payments will not constitute proof.
If you are not receiving Centrelink benefits
If you are experiencing financial disadvantage but don't receive any Centrelink benefits you must provide your Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement and a Confidential Statement of Support from a relevant and responsible person who has knowledge of your situation and can comment on the impact of these circumstances on your education or daily life.
Disability or medical condition
You must provide your Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement and a Confidential Statement of Support completed by a health practitioner who also meets the criteria of a relevant and responsible person as outlined above.
The health practitioner needs to be able to confirm an official diagnosis. This includes, but is not limited to, physiotherapists, psychologists and counsellors. A diagnosis from a general practitioner is acceptable, where a specialist is unavailable.
If you're a current Monash student and are already registered with Disability Support Services, you are not required to submit supporting documentation for this category.
Difficult circumstances
Circumstances already claimed in any other category cannot also be used for consideration in this category.
You must provide your Description of Circumstances and Impact Statement and a Confidential Statement of Support from a relevant and responsible person who has knowledge of your situation and can comment on the impact of these circumstances on your education or daily life.
Refugee or Asylum Seekers
If you are a person who is in Australia and currently on one of the below visas, you don’t need to provide a Confidential Statement of Support. You must instead provide a copy of your visa information as supporting evidence in this category.
- Temporary Humanitarian Stay visa (Subclass 449)
- Temporary Protection visa (Subclass 785)
- Temporary Humanitarian Concern visa (Subclass 786)
- Safe Haven Enterprise visa (Subclass 790)
- Bridging visa A (Subclass 010) or Bridging visa E (Subclass 050 and 051) (inactive visas included) AND have applied for a Permanent Protection visa
Difficult circumstances relating to sexual assault, homelessness, family violence, or formal out-of-home care
If you are applying in relation to any of the above circumstances, you may provide a letter from an official government or community organisation in place of the Confidential Statement of Support. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Anglicare
- Berry Street
- Brotherhood of St Laurence
- Child Protection, Placement and Family Services
- Community Legal Centres
- Domestic Violence Victoria
- Royal Women's Hospital
- Safe Steps
- Salvation Army
- The Smith Family
- Victoria Legal Aid
- Victoria Police