Scholarships for Senior Education

QATSIF recognises the vital role that successful completion of schooling and the availability of opportunities through higher education have in building a foundation for employment and better quality of life. However, it is equally aware that the costs of senior education continue to increase significantly.

It is vital that the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people achieving the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)* (for students with a disability) equates with their non-Indigenous counterparts. 

COAG strategies to increase Year 12 retention are being supported by the QATSIF Scholarship Scheme.

Under our Scholarship Program, QATSIF provides two-year scholarship funding to support students commencing in Year 11. QATSIF funds successful schools which then provide scholarships to individual students. The intention of the funding is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander student retention in Years 11 and 12 rather than simply sustain existing retention rates, and funding has to be used to complement and build on existing school and community programmes and support for individual students.

Key Facts

• The QATSIF Scholarship Programs first intake of students commenced in 2010.

• In 2026, QATSIF launched its 16th Round of Scholarships.

• QATSIF currently supports around 4300 Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 11 and 12 students with their QCE, IB, QCIA (For students with a verified disability) and VET studies (for students in Alternate Education and Flexi Schools).

• To date, the number of Queensland secondary schools involved in QATSIF stands at over 400.

• These schools have administered scholarships to over 21,300 students.

• Around 9% of all Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population have received a QATSIF Scholarship.