Supporting a Year 12 student into nursing or midwifery study
Overview of Scholarship
Nurses and Midwives Health was established in 2016 by Teachers Health to give nurses and midwives a health fund of their own. As a not-for-profit, industry-based fund, it focuses on the health and wellbeing of its members, reinvesting surplus funds to benefit them through lower premiums, increased benefits and additional services, and works closely with nursing and midwifery unions in a spirit of cooperation and partnership.
That same commitment to the professions is behind this scholarship. Nurses and Midwives Health wants to see the next generation of nurses and midwives make it into training and through it, particularly students with the ability and the drive who are facing hardship that could otherwise stop them.
The Nurses and Midwives Health National Tertiary Scholarship supports a student in Year 12 at a public high school anywhere in Australia in 2026 who intends to study an NMBA-approved nursing or midwifery course at a public university or TAFE after completing their Higher School Certificate or equivalent. It helps with the move into study and with the years that follow, for up to three years.
Is this scholarship for you? If you are in Year 12 in 2026 at an Australian public school, you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you are committed to studying nursing or midwifery at a public university or TAFE from 2027, this scholarship is open to you. If that isn’t quite you, complete PEF’s Eligibility Quiz to find the scholarships that are.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply, a nominee must:
- Attend a public high school in Australia
- Be in Year 12 in 2026
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Nominees born outside Australia must supply a copy of their residency visa or citizenship certificate
- Be committed to studying an NMBA-approved nursing or midwifery course through a public university or TAFE in Australia, commencing in 2027
- Have sufficient proficiency in English to meet the IELTS requirements for university entry into a nursing or midwifery degree, or the English language requirements for entry into a nursing diploma through TAFE
- Have the support of their school principal, who must complete a statement of support before the application can be submitted
A nominee can hold only one Public Education Foundation scholarship at a time. If you are eligible for more than one, you are welcome to apply for each, but you can only accept one.
Before applying, please read PEF’s Scholarship Terms and Conditions.
Selection Process
A selection panel reviews every application and assesses it against the selection criteria. The panel includes representatives of the Public Education Foundation, a representative of Nurses and Midwives Health, and independent experts. After considering all applications, the panel recommends the selected nominees for approval by the Public Education Foundation Board.
Reviewers are looking for:
- A strongly articulated commitment to a career in nursing or midwifery
- Evidence that current study, academic record or work experience is appropriate to the nominated tertiary study
- Hardship that may otherwise prevent a successful transition into post-school study or training
- A positive attitude towards schooling
- Participation in school life
- Contribution to the community and/or extracurricular activities
Applicants are notified of the outcome in December 2026. If successful, the scholar’s school principal is also notified directly.
Funding and Assistance
The scholarship provides an annual payment of up to $3,000, paid at the start of each academic year, for up to three years.
For a scholar relocating from a rural or remote area to study, an additional one-off payment of up to $3,000 may be provided to help with initial relocation expenses.
Funds are released only on confirmation of enrolment in full-time study in an appropriate nursing or midwifery degree or diploma. At the end of each academic year, the scholar must provide the Public Education Foundation with evidence of satisfactory progress in the form of an academic transcript. Where a scholar is not progressing satisfactorily, the Public Education Foundation reserves the right to terminate the scholarship.
If a scholar discontinues studying nursing or midwifery, they are no longer eligible for the scholarship and any unspent funds must be refunded to the Public Education Foundation.
Acceptable Use of Scholarship Funds
The scholarship is intended to cover the costs of study, including:
- Course fees
- Necessary equipment
- Stationery and books
- A laptop or device
- Face-to-face or online tutoring
Application Form
Applications are made online through PEF-Apply. Before you start, gather the following.
Your details
- Full name, gender, date of birth, phone number, address and email
- Residence status, with a copy of your residency visa or citizenship certificate if you were born outside Australia
- Parent or guardian details (at least one, up to two)
- School and principal details
- A school point of contact – the person at your school you would like correspondence sent to, with their name, phone number and email
Background information about you and your family
- Whether you are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or Pacific or South Sea Islander, and your mob, family, traditional owner or language group
- Whether you are from a non-English speaking background, your and your parents’ country of origin, and the languages you speak and that are spoken at home
- How many adults live in your home, how many of them are working, and who the primary caregiver is
- How many other school-aged or younger children live in your home
- The highest education qualification held by your immediate family
- Whether you have a diagnosed disability or learning difficulty
- Whether you have been in out-of-home care
- Your socio-economic background
- How you found out about the scholarship
Your study plans
- Your university or TAFE course preferences, including the name of the institution, the name of the degree or course, and course fees. At least one preference is required and you can enter up to three
Written components
- A statement outlining why you are a suitable candidate and how you meet each of the selection criteria (max. 400 words)
- A brief outline of how your current studies, including subject selection, and any work experience support your planned studies (max. 250 words)
- A brief outline of your commitment to a career in nursing or midwifery (max. 250 words)
- A brief explanation of the barriers you see for your future studies (max. 250 words)
Attachments and references
- A copy of your most recent school report, ready to upload in PDF or Word format
- A personal reference in PDF or Word format (max. 400 words). Please let your referee know that our panels cannot contact them for further information, so the reference should include everything they think is relevant
- A supporting statement from your principal addressing the selection criteria. You initiate this through PEF-Apply, which emails your principal and asks them to complete the statement online. Your application cannot be submitted until your principal has completed it
Note for principals
- Your statement is a critical part of the application and carries considerable weight in panel deliberations. Panels are looking for more than confirmation that the nominee attends your school. Please tell us what you see in this student, their potential in nursing or midwifery, and the circumstances the panel should understand
- The statement is completed online through PEF-Apply
- Generic or copied responses are discouraged
How to Apply
Not sure which scholarships you are eligible for? Complete PEF’s Eligibility Quiz first to see everything that may apply to you.
To apply for this scholarship, go to PEF-Apply and sign up to access the application form. You will need to create an account before you can start.
All sections of the application must be completed before it can be submitted, including your principal’s statement of support, so start your application in good time and request the principal’s statement early.
Submitting Your Application
Applications open on Monday 29 June 2026 and close at 5:00pm AEST on Friday 4 September 2026.
Once you have finalised your application and every element is complete, including references, you can submit it for review. Late applications cannot be accepted.
If you are offered the scholarship, you must provide confirmed evidence of your enrolment before any payment can be made.
At the end of each year of study, and on completion of your course, you are asked to provide an update to the Public Education Foundation and Nurses and Midwives Health on how you have benefited from the scholarship and how your studies are progressing.
Further Information and Contact Details
Call the Public Education Foundation on 02 7814 2806 or email scholarships@publiceducationfoundation.org.au.
