Paterson Scholarship

Key scholarship details

Application status

Not open yet

Applications open

6 Mar 2026

Applications close

24 Mar 2026

Benefit amount

Up to $35,000

Eligible study level

Undergraduate

Eligible student type

Domestic students

Eligible study stage

Current study

Benefit duration

One or more years

Summary

The Paterson Scholarship was established in 2006 with a gift from Bob and Helen Paterson and is awarded to Australian students who are enrolled in their first year of an undergraduate degree, intend to pursue a masters degree by coursework in Engineering, and are experiencing disadvantaged circumstances.

About the donor

Bob Paterson and his wife Helen established this scholarship in 2007. Bob completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) at the University of Melbourne in 1949 and went on to have a successful career in engineering that enabled him to travel and work all around the world. The Paterson family have maintained a strong relationship with the University and endeavoured to give back something in return for their professional and personal successes and good fortune.

"Helen and I were encouraged to establish a scholarship program after the experience of a distant relative who received financial support to complete his studies as an adult. He was able to achieve his dream of becoming an engineer. It highlighted to us that there are many students who have the potential to be talented engineers but lack the financial resources and/or family support to continue their education. We hope that through this scholarship we can help some of those students fulfil their potential."

Benefits

This scholarship provides a living allowance of up to $7000 per year for up to 5 years, paid in half-yearly instalments of $3500 in April and September. The allowance will be extended by two years if you enrol in a masters degree by coursework in Engineering in the intake following the completion of your undergraduate degree.

Eligibility and selection criteria

Eligibility

To be considered for this scholarship, you must:

Be an Australian citizen
Be enrolled in the first year of an undergraduate degree with an Engineering major or breadth sequence that will lead to a masters degree by coursework in Engineering with the Faculty of Engineering and IT.

Eligible degrees are the Bachelor of Design, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Biomedicine and the Bachelor of Commerce.

Selection criteria

The scholarship is offered to the student(s) ranked highest by the selection panel based on their personal statement, 2026 FEIT Financial Assessment score, course entry score and, if shortlisted, performance at interview.

Conditions

This scholarship is subject to the Faculty of Engineering and IT Scholarship Terms and Conditions and cannot be deferred to the following year. In addition, recipients must agree to the University sharing their name and course details with the donor of their scholarship and provide a note of appreciation or a brief report on the benefits of the scholarship if requested

Application

How to apply

Students must submit the FEIT Financial Need Assessment form and an application, including a personal statement addressing their interest in Engineering and career aspirations, the impact of disadvantaged circumstances on their studies (including supporting documents), and the benefit of receiving the scholarship.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

When will I know the outcome?

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately eight weeks after the application close date. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview.

Recipient feedback

To view other scholarships please visit the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology Pre-Eng Club webpage under the Scholarships heading.

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

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