References and personal statements

You may need to provide references or a personal statement as part of your scholarship application.

References

References are a common requirement when applying for a scholarship. When you apply online, you can nominate a referee and they will get sent an email request. They will then have the ability to securely upload the reference back to the system.

Choose referees who will provide the right kind of information about you, meaning information the selection panel will need to know about. For example, if they need to know about your research capabilities, ensure the referee has supervised your research work before, or has some other knowledge of your capabilities.

Communicate with your referee about all scholarships you have applied for so they can provide an appropriate reference relevant to each scholarship.

Referee’s statements are required at the scholarship's closing date.

Personal statements

Some scholarships require a personal statement from the applicant. Always read the scholarship criteria carefully before you write your statement so you gain a sense of what the panel are looking for.

If the scholarship doesn't specify what type of information to include, consider the following:

• Your study goals and/or career aspirations.
• Your work or personal experience.
• Any barriers that might be relevant to the scholarship, such as financial barriers.
• Any personal characteristics, such as leadership, that will strengthen your application.