Western Chances scholarships are awarded to high achieving and motivated young people in Melbourne’s west and the City of Greater Geelong, who have been recognised by their nominators, teachers and the wider community.

You’re on the way to supporting a young, committed person achieve their dreams. If you work with or teach a young person that meets the eligibility criteria, we encourage you to become a nominator to give them access to financial support that will help them reach their potential. A step-by-step guide follows that will assist you through the application process.

 

Step 1

Register for our schools portal

Step 2

Identify Eligible Students

Learn how to identify potential scholarship recipients, by reading our guide in our school portal.

Step 3

Collect supporting documents

Read the application form and our program guides carefully before submitting an application.

Step 4

Submit an application and help change the life of a young person

The ‘renewal’ round is now open and will close at 5.00pm on Monday, 17th August 2025.

Scholarship Rounds

The ‘renewal’ round for recipients who have previously received a Western Chances scholarship is now open and closes at 5.00pm on Monday, 17th March.

Please contact the Programs team if you require support.

New Nominators

If you are new to our program, please register here for our schools portal

Existing Nominators

If you are an existing nominator, please click the link below to access our scholarship portal

Read our top Frequently Asked Questions below.

  • A Western Chances scholarship can support a variety of items including, but not limited to:
    Calculators, Computers, devices & software, Educational subscriptions, Headphones (up to $250), Home internet fees (up to $450), Lecture & Study notes, MYKI, Specialist course specific equipment and/or uniform, tools, musical instruments, art materials etc directly relating to education pathway (up to $350), Specialist study programs, Stationery, printing & photocopying (up to $250), Study desk/chair (up to $200 each), Tertiary Application fees, Textbooks, Tutoring, Year 12 specific jacket/top

  • Secondary Students must be nominated by someone who has a professional relationship with the candidate. This person could be a school Principal, teacher, welfare coordinator, career guidance counsellor, music, dance or drama instructor, or a professional from a community or welfare organisation.

    Parents, guardians, family, or friends do not qualify as nominators for Western Chances scholarships.

  • Renewal scholarships open in early Term 1 for 5 weeks and are paid in June/July.

    New scholarships open in early Term 3 for 5 weeks and are awarded and paid in November.

  • All applications must be accompanied by supporting documentation that addresses the talents and motivation of each student, as this is used to validate each application.
    Supporting documents will be provided in our scholarships portal.

  • Application forms are submitted online via the Western Chances scholarship portal.
    Secondary students - Applications will need to be submitted by a nominator

  • If you still have any questions or require assistance with the scholarship process do not hesitate to contact the programs team:

    Email the Programs Team