An International House scholarship can open doors for students of talent and promise, helping them to achieve their potential regardless of financial hardship.
Without support, many young students go without essentials or work long hours to fund their living costs. Others simply are unable to pursue a university education. The cost of education and accommodation in Melbourne has made the decision to move here a financially difficult one for many students and their families.
A scholarship to support a student from a rural, indigenous, international or disadvantaged background will ease the financial burden of moving away from home, and help talented young minds to pursue a Melbourne education. Students who live at International House have found the transition from school to university, from rural to urban living and from their country to Australia much easier, primarily due to the supportive atmosphere that exists at International House.
A scholarship at International House will enable a student to have the freedom they need to learn and develop into global leaders of the future. Read about some of our scholarship recipients and the journey they have taken.
Origin: Cobbanah, Victoria Course: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) Scholars Program, Monash University Scholarship: Dr Jane Munro Entrance Bursary
How has being granted a scholarship helped you?
Without a scholarship, I wouldn't have been able to live at International House, and I probably wouldn't have been able to attend university. In February 2014, there was a bushfire at home which destroyed the house and the farm. My parents aren't in a position to support me at university. Thanks to this scholarship, I'm able to attend university and live in an incredible environment at the same time. The scholarship is what enabled me to live at International House, and for that I'm extraordinarily thankful. International House is a great place to live, with great people, and a fantastic support network.
If you weren't given a scholarship, where would you be now?
It's difficult to say where I would be without the scholarship, but I most definitely would be struggling financially. I would have either been forced to take a gap year, or be working far too many hours to support myself while I was studying at university. This in turn would impact on the amount of study I could do, and thus my success at university, as well as the amount of friends I could make. University wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as I'm finding it now.
If you could meet your donor or family of the trustee what would you like to say to him/her/them?
The biggest thing I would say over and over is thank you! It's wonderful to know that there are people out there willing to give students who would otherwise struggle, a chance. Without this scholarship I wouldn't be where I am today, and enjoying university as much as I am.
Thank you for offering this opportunity not only to me, but other struggling students in the future. It means more than I can express. So again, thank you for giving me the option of living in such a wonderful environment, and giving me the opportunity to enjoy university to the fullest, without constantly worrying about how I'm going to pay the bills.
Origin: Traralgon, Victoria Course: Bachelor of Commerce, The University of Melbourne Scholarship: Dawn Wade Scholarship
How has being granted a scholarship helped you?
Being granted a scholarship took a lot of the stress out of making a very stressful, life-changing decision. As a regional student, the options are either attending one of a couple of regional universities or moving to the city. While my family has never been severely financially disadvantaged, moving to Melbourne (let alone interstate) would have put my parents under an awful lot of financial pressure. Finding out that my application had been successful was an unbelievable relief for me, as it meant that I could go to one of the best universities in the country and my top preference without burdening my family, which is very important to me.
If you weren't given a scholarship, where would you be now?
Without my scholarship, I would be attending Federation University and living at home. While Federation is totally fine as a tertiary education institution, nothing compares to Melbourne and the University – the sheer wealth of opportunity is staggering. There are too many subjects I'd like to take, and it seems like every day there are a dozen things I want to do, or lectures I want to hear, or people I want to meet. Although I'm only half way through my first semester of my first year, I already feel like I've 100% made the right decision.
If you could meet your donor or family of the trustee what would you like to say to him/her/them?
Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to meet part of my donor's family, and I used it to thank them and talk about International House. The Wade family has a very strong connection to International House, and it was a very valuable (and entertaining) experience to hear all about it. No permutation of 'thank you' can really cover the amazing opportunity they have afforded me, and I just hope I can get as much out of it as they themselves have.
Origin: Myanmar (Burma) Course: Master of Public Health, The University of Melbourne Scholarship: Kathleen Mary Wyatt Scholarship
How has being granted a scholarship helped you?
It has helped me to gain a unique graduate experience in a safe and nurturing environment. It is my home away from home, where I can develop strong friendships with other students from around the world. It gave me a chance to live in quality accommodation with academic support and inclusive utilities, making it easier to survive in a new country.
I am really thankful to my donor for helping me to enjoy the best of both worlds - a chance to meet and mingle with students from a wide range of disciplines and an academically focused and stress free environment.
If you weren't given a scholarship, where would you be now?
If I didn't get this scholarship, I suppose I wouldn't be able to live at International House. I might instead need to work part-time to cover my accommodation fees, and this would be a little bit tough, especially during my first year as I struggle to fit into a new country for the first time living abroad. I would need to choose a cheaper rental in the suburbs, thereby sacrificing the residential college experience that I have had such a strong desire for.
If you could meet your donor or family of the trustee what would you like to say to him/her/them?
Thank you very much! I can't describe in enough words just how thankful I am for the opportunity you have provided me with. I would ask them what inspired them to give such a helpful scholarship to needy students like me, who are otherwise complete strangers from a different country.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years' time?
I would like to be a public health professional, where my work and research is improving the primary health sector for people living in Myanmar. I would like to imagine that my time studying at The University of Melbourne and living at International House will be a common conversation topic amongst my colleagues, friends, family and junior students in Myanmar.
