Establishing your Eligibility
Your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage is something that is personal to you.
You do not need a document to identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, however to access specific programs, services or opportunities available to Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons within the University, applicants will need to establish Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander eligibility, affirming they meet the Commonwealth’s three-part definition. These are:
- being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
- identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- being accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.
Upon establishing your eligibility, you will have access to the full range of programs, services and support through Murrup Barak and the Wilin Centre.
Undergraduate students
- Entry to the University via the equity entry scheme, Access Melbourne. Access Melbourne can help you enter an undergraduate course even if your ATAR is below the minimum published ATAR
- Consideration for the Narrm Scholarship
- Access to the Bachelor of Science (Extended)
- Access to other Indigenous-specific scholarships including Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships, Indigenous Bursaries, Indigenous Accommodation Grant and the Melbourne Chancellor’s Scholarship
Graduate and research students
- The Graduate Access Melbourne (GAM) entry scheme, which can assist with your admission into a course, a Commonwealth Supported Place, and consideration for the Melbourne Graduate Access Bursary
- Access to the Melbourne Indigenous Merit Scholarship which is based on academic merit in the previous tertiary study (coursework students only).
- Access to other Indigenous-specific scholarships including Indigenous Bursaries and Indigenous Accommodation Grant.
- Some faculties also offer alternative entry pathways for their courses, such as the Melbourne Law School or the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences which includes the Doctor of Medicine. You can find out more about alternative pathways on our graduate courses page.
Accepted documents
Establishing eligibility at the University requires applicants to first, declare they meet the Commonwealth's three part definition, and secondly, provide documentation to prove Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
Statutory declarations will no longer be accepted by the University to affirm students' eligibility for Indigenous-identified programs and services, reflecting a shift toward culturally grounded, community-affirmed documentation such as a Confirmation of Aboriginality or a University Community Declaration, supported by a Personal Declaration Statement.
We will accept the following documentation to establish your Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander eligibility.
Confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
A properly executed confirmation document or letter from an incorporated Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation in your name which affirms you meet the three criteria.
If you are in the process of getting a Confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, please submit a University of Melbourne Community Declaration Form or Statutory Declaration until you have received official documentation.
University of Melbourne Community Declaration Form
If you are unable to provide a Confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, we will accept a completed University of Melbourne Community Declaration Form, which must be signed by an approved Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community member who affirms you meet the three criteria.
The University may request further information and/or documentation where it determines further verification is required or uncertainty exists.
How do I establish eligibility?
Please ensure you have submitted an application to study at the University of Melbourne prior to submitting your eligibility request.
If you are ready to upload one of the required documents, please use the form below to submit your eligibility request.
Submit your eligibility by December 15 for timely application outcomes.
Contact us
Please direct any enquiries about establishing eligibility to the Coordinator, Access and Participation
Featured content
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Equity entry schemes
The University has three special entry access schemes available for undergraduate and graduate applicants.
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Faculty resources and initiatives
Some faculties have services similar to Murrup Barak, run programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Contact us
If you would like to discuss applying to the University of Melbourne please reach out to our Outreach team.