The Harding Miller Education Foundation is an Australian charity that offers scholarships to girls experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. Our mission is to create a positive social impact by lifting educational outcomes of high potential Australian girls currently experiencing hardship. We believe that by supporting female scholars, we are investing in the future of Australia. “When women are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous” Michelle Obaba.
Girls and young women face many challenges in getting an education that boys and men do not. Just some of the barriers faced by girls include pregnancy, domestic and care responsibilities, and outdated perceptions that educating girls is not as valuable an investment as educating boys. However, there is indisputable evidence that educating women results in stronger economies, reduced poverty for children and families and that it can have a real impact in reducing the gender pay gap that exists in Australia.
What the Harding Miller Education Scholarship involves
A scholarship from Harding Miller is designed to support a female scholar over a four-year period. During that time, these students will be provided with a dedicated, personal coach who is able to support and guide them through the program.
Because the girls we support come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, we believe it is important to provide them with the right learning tools they need to succeed in their education. For example, in some households, it may be difficult for parents to afford a laptop or even school uniforms for their children. This can place significant barriers to education. For that reason, the Harding Miller Education Scholarship includes such essential items as:
- A high-quality laptop in the first year
- High-speed internet
- Remote IT support
- $2,500 worth of online face-to-face tutoring
- Online homework help
- Prepaid expense cards for items such as uniforms, textbooks and school excursions.
Eligibility criteria for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship
If you are wondering how to apply for a scholarship in Australia, there are some eligibility criteria you must meet.
To be eligible to apply for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a female student who attends a public high school in Australia
- You must currently be in year 8, going into year 9 in the upcoming year
- You must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident
- You should be able to demonstrate high academic results or the potential to achieve high results
- You must show that you are looking to continue on to tertiary education
- You must be experiencing low socioeconomic circumstances.
If you believe that you meet these criteria, then we encourage you to apply for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, we do not recommend that you apply for the Harding Miller Education Scholarship. However, don’t lose heart — there are other scholarships that exist outside of our Foundation. There may be a different scholarship available that is more suited to your circumstances and your needs. For example, if you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident but are wondering ‘how can I get a scholarship to study in Australia?’, then there are a number of government scholarships that you could look into.
How to apply for a scholarship in Australia
Applying for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship is simple and straightforward. Applications are open every year during Term 3. Once you have ascertained that you meet the eligibility criteria, you can begin the application process.
After registering an account with the Harding Miller Education Foundation, you can begin the application process and submit your application online. You must ensure that you submit the following documents with your application:
- Two school reports (year 7 semester 2 and year 8 semester 1)
- Your NAPLAN report
- Signed parental/guardian consent
- A reference from your principal
Once you have these documents, you will be able to submit your application for the scholarship.
Making your application stand out
Because we receive so many applications, it is very important to know that we award scholarships to girls who can prove that they are absolutely committed to making the most of a four-year scholarship.
You can only apply once for the Harding Miller Education Scholarship. With this in mind, it is important that you make your application stand out from the crowd and include as much information and supporting documentation as possible.
Our number one tip for how to get a scholarship is to make your application as detailed as possible and to ensure you include all the necessary information. This will ensure that you cover every aspect of the selection criteria, and nothing is left out.
Part of the eligibility criteria is showing that you are committed to continuing onto higher education. This is something that is highly regarded during the selection process. You could demonstrate your motivation to continue tertiary education in a number of ways, including your personal participation in extracurricular activities, school events and volunteering activities.
The selection process also involves assessing an applicant’s academic potential. If you are able to provide a record of strong academic performance in previous years and can demonstrate that our scholarship can help you gain high academic results in the future, your application is more likely to be considered by the Harding Miller Education Foundation. In addition, letters of recommendation from your teachers as well as your high school principal will provide further evidence of your commitment, performance and potential.
Apply for a Harding Miller Education Foundation Scholarship
The Harding Miller Education Foundation was established to support female students in achieving their full potential. Our program enables young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to build a solid educational future that can help them open up pathways to higher education. Since 2016, we are proud to have awarded more than 600 scholarships across Australia.
You can apply for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship through our website. The process is straightforward, however, you should make sure that you are definitely eligible to apply first.
If you have any questions about our scholarship, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and to help you decide if applying for a Harding Miller Education Scholarship is the right pathway for you.
