Cedar Pacific UniLodge Royal Melbourne Accommodation Scholarship

In 2025 the scholarship will be paid as a rental subsidy for a standard studio at UniLodge Royal Melbourne.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:

• be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a permanent humanitarian visa holder
• be from an interstate or rural/regional area and moving/moved to Melbourne to study at RMIT
• be enrolling full-time in semester 1 2025 in a certificate IV, diploma, undergraduate degree or postgraduate by coursework program at RMIT (Brunswick or City campus)
• not already be committed to a student accommodation provider under a lease agreement in 2025
• be able to demonstrate circumstance/s which impact your ability to study such as:
  • receiving a government tested low income benefit or having a Centrelink Health Care Card
  • living with a disability, long-term medical condition or identify as neurodiverse
  • experiencing personal/family/social difficulties
  • have previously/are currently living in foster/kinship care or are a ward of the state
  • be from an under-represented background such as
    • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
    • were born overseas, are from a non-English background and recently migrated to Australia
    • current or former refugee
    • completed secondary school at a School Network Access Program school
• have not commenced or completed a program at the same level of study or higher

If you are a certificate IV or diploma student you must:

• not be in an apprenticeship or traineeship program

Successful recipients who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander will be required to register with RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Centre in order to receive this scholarship.

Preference will be given to students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and those commencing a program at RMIT for the first time.

It is preferred that you apply direct to RMIT for this scholarship.

Direct to RMIT applications

The link to the application form will be provided here once applications open.

VTAC applications

Apply online through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) website (www.vtac.edu.au).

Supporting documentation

Depending on your circumstances, you will need to provide different types of evidence and material to support your scholarship application. Applications without supporting documents will not be considered.

If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you will need:

• to confirm your Indigenous eligibility with RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Centre prior to the application close date

If you cannot provide the required confirmation documentation by the scholarship application due date, you will be considered an "Access and Equity" applicant rather than an "Access and Equity - Indigenous" applicant, and you will have a different scholarship value.

Please visit Supporting Your Application for more information.

Find out more about applying for scholarships.

Applications are now closed.

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

This scholarship will next be offered for Semester 1 2026, with applications opening August 2025.

View the Coursework Scholarships Office’s terms and conditions (PDF, 698KB).

Additional charges

Bond: Students will be required to pay a bond equal to 4 weeks rent in line with the requirements of the Rental Tenancies Act (Vic.) 1997 and sign a residential tenancy agreement with UniLodge Royal Melbourne prior to moving in .The bond amount is calculated using the full rate of the room and not the scholarship rate (e.g. $469 per week x 52 weeks / 12 months = $2,032.33). The bond must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). The RTBA will hold the bond in trust until the end of the lease. This will be refunded at the end of the tenancy agreement following an apartment inspection and clearance of all relevant payments to the accommodation provider.

Security deposit: Students are required to pay a security deposit equivalent to two week's rent at the full rate (e.g. $469 per week x 2 weeks = $938.00). This will then be deducted from your rental costs.

Departure Cleaning Fee: Recipients will be charged a departure cleaning fee at the end of their tenancy.

If a recipient chooses to terminate their Residential Tenancy Agreement prior to the lease end date, they must continue to pay all rent charges until a new resident can be secured or the Residential Tenancy Agreement ends, whichever comes first.

What is included in rent?

• Residential Life Program Membership
• Water usage
• Electricity usage
• Unlimited Wi-Fi Internet

What is not included in my weekly rent?

• Departure Cleaning Fee
• Food
• Study materials
• Bed linen and kitchen equipment.

Refer to RMIT's Moving to Melbourne website for information on lifestyle and culture, public transport, employment and the cost of living.

Quotes from past recipients:

'The scholarship has had a positive impact on my studies/life. With this scholarship, I was able to complete/attend tertiary education. Therefore, gaining this scholarship has provided me with financial support to minimise financial burden whilst providing me with a safe, comfortable environment. Thus, this positively impacted my health and wellbeing' - 2023 recipient

'I want to say thank you for all your support over the last year. This scholarship has helped me in many ways, especially the transition of making Melbourne a second home. I am very grateful for receiving this scholarship.' - 2022 recipient

'I was extremely grateful to be awarded this scholarship as it opened up the opportunity for me to study at my first choice of university. It has made my transition so smooth and easy, and everyone I have been in contact with has been so friendly'. - 2022 recipient

'Moving to Melbourne would have been impossible without your support. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to move away from my small town and gain lots of new knowledge. I’m forever thankful.' - 2021 recipient

Coursework Scholarships Office or Ngarara Willim.