Assistance Offered

Overview
AVCAT administers many different educational financial assistance schemes. Donations to AVCAT are gift deductible. The Governor General is our patron.

AVCAT schemes help the children and grandchildren in need of those who have served in the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force in peace or war, with the costs of full-time, tertiary education.

The objective is to assist those selected to get qualifications needed, appropriate to their abilities, to enter their chosen rewarding career. Selection is of the most deserving candidates of merit, who, without our help, would be unable to start or complete studies without financial difficulty.

The schemes share common features and general eligibility rules, with some minor variations. They are all targeted at youth and initial employment. All are means tested and support full-time university study. Most also support TAFE and vocational studies.

Most require service in Vietnam, but a few include other operational service and specified continuous full-time service. All grants but one allow those in later years of study to apply. Most continue payments for later years of study but some are for one year only. Some schemes are for applicants permanently resident in specific areas, or require membership of a named organisation, or specified studies.

Service with the Armed forces of other nations or service as a merchant mariner, or as civilian in Vietnam or elsewhere, is not acceptable for any AVCAT schemes.

Studies outside Australia are not eligible. None of the schemes accept applications from those planning higher degrees or post graduate courses or second degrees, unless a first degree is a pre-requisite for entry to a professional degree; eg medicine at some universities.

The same application form is used for all schemes. Applicants are considered for any schemes for which they might be eligible.

His Excellency the Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC with one of the recipients of an AVCAT grant, Heather Haines and her parents, after he presented her Certificate of Award at Admiralty House, Sydney in May 2004.

Eligibility
To apply for any of the schemes (see exception below) you must be:

• The child, adopted child or grandchild of a person with operational service, or three or more years continuous full-time other service, as a member of the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force.
• Under the age of 25 when applying unless exceptional circumstances, related to the veteran's service, exist.
• Enrolled in (or planning to enrol in) a full-time undergraduate, tertiary course of one or more academic years duration by attendance in Australia.
• Eligible on income and assets grounds for Youth Allowance full-time educational benefits, at the time of application if currently in full-time education.

Stepchildren and foster children are eligible, if they have resided with or been financially supported by the veteran step parent or foster parent, for five of the last ten years.

One scheme, the RSL Captain Reg Saunders Memorial scholarship, is for indigenous students doing prescribed studies. It has no age limit and does not require an applicant to be the child or grandchild of a veteran.