Out-of-home care is a statutory care arrangement for children under 18 who can’t live safely at home with their birth families.

The state government becomes their legal guardian and places the child with an alternate caregiver: a foster carer, relative, or someone in their social network. They might also live in a residential building under the care of paid staff, or independently in a private rental situation.

Almost 47,000 young Australians are in out-of-home care, with around 11,600 transitioning out every year. Government assistance for this group has traditionally stopped at 18.

The Home Stretch campaign, which the Foundation supported, was recently successful in calling for all state and territory governments to provide an option where the provision of care can be extended to age 21.

Missing out on university or other tertiary studies further excludes a vulnerable cohort from the lifetime rewards brought by higher education, from improved employment opportunities and earning potential to mental wellbeing and community connectedness.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation believes that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Young people who have the opportunity to study because of the generosity of our donors then go on to become active and engaged members of our community.

Past and current scholarship recipients have attended the following universities:

• Australian Catholic University
• Australian National University
• Deakin University
• Flinders University
• James Cook University
• Macquarie University
• RMIT
• University of Canberra
• University of Newcastle
• University of Notre Dame, Fremantle
• University of Notre Dame, Sydney
• University of Queensland
• University of South Australia
• University of Sydney
• University of Tasmania
• University of Technology Sydney
• UNSW
• Western Sydney University

TAFEs:

• TAFE Granville College
• TAFE Meadowbank
• TAFE Mt Druitt
• TAFE NSW
• TAFE NSW Randwick
• TAFE NSW Wollongong
• TAFE Online
• TAFE Qld
• TAFE SA
• TAFE The Gordon
• TAFE Ultimo
• TAS TAFE

Other:

• Academy of Film, Theatre and Television, Ultimo
• AFTRS
• Longerenong College

Please contact Program Development Manager Estelle Muller at estelle.muller@sistersofcharityfoundation.org.au for information about the Tertiary Scholarship Program.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation offers a university scholarship valued at up to $30,000 over the duration of your course, and a TAFE scholarship valued at $5,000 per year for the duration of your course. To be eligible to apply for the Tertiary Scholarship Program, applicants must:

• be Australian citizens or permanent residents;
• be enrolled, or intending to enrol, at a tertiary institution;
• currently be in out-of-home care, or have previously been in out-of-home care;
• demonstrate that they are experiencing educational disadvantage and financial hardship; demonstrate academic achievements, commitment and motivation to study and to successfully complete the course to gain employment;
• correctly and fully complete the appropriate application form, submitting it by the closing date;
• include a personal statement in support of their application, that indicates how they believe the scholarship will assist them with their studies and in their future career. This statement should give a sufficient explanation of the applicant’s background and current circumstances, enabling the Sisters of Charity Foundation to judge their eligibility, need, and merit;
• be willing to provide the Foundation with reports on their progress. These may include a written report once a year, a survey and informal conversations throughout the year.