'Scholarships kept me alive': Indigenous student support, scholarships and completion, Final Report

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students are often less prepared to participate in higher education than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Contributing factors include the need to move from Country, higher incidences of financial and health difficulties, and being the first in their family to attend university. Higher levels of education correlate with lower levels of poverty and unemployment. Therefore, universities have a vital role in facilitating improved social mobility, which can bring better financial, health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities. Project aim This project aimed to understand Student Support Services for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate students at CQUniversity, with a particular focus on why the uptake of scholarship applications by these students is low. By examining low scholarship uptake, the project sought to explore students’ perspectives of ways the institution may be able to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students to reach completion. The project considered whether Indigenous students view scholarships as a priority in assisting them with completion, their reasons for not applying for a scholarship, and what other institutional support could assist them with completion. The research addresses two key questions: 1) What are some of the issues and/or reasons that influence low uptake of scholarships by Indigenous undergraduate students at CQUniversity? 2) From a student perspective, what institutional support mechanisms, other than scholarships, could assist Indigenous students to reach completion of their program of study? Methods Firstly, a literature review was undertaken to provide a background to the project. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected during April and May 2018 through an online survey emailed to all Indigenous students at CQUniversity. Participants were recruited via emails from the Student Life and Wellbeing Centre. The survey included an option to participate in an interview. Questions for both the structured online survey and the semi-structured interviews sought students’ views about Student Support Services and the things that influenced their decisions to apply (or not apply) for a scholarship. The voices of participants and their direct quotations are used in this report wherever possible. Key findings The findings provided strategies designed to improve scholarship uptake, including alerting potential students about scholarships prior to enrolment, normalising the process of applying for a scholarship, and dispelling preconceived ideas surrounding scholarships in relation to a) eligibility criteria, b) GPA requirements, c) income testing guidelines and d) the perceived difficulty of scholarship application processes. Other support that assisted students towards completion included the cultural and emotional support provided by the Indigenous Student Support team (for both internal and external support), ITAS tutorial support and, for those who received scholarships, the subsequent financial support. The data gathered through this study informed a model of Indigenous student support, scholarships and completion (Figure 19). The need for adequate cultural support is the overarching theme of the model. Recommendations Recommendations for CQUniversity arising from this research include: 1. Develop an effective communication strategy that includes innovative ways of informing potential students about scholarships prior to enrolment and raises awareness of Student Support Services, ISS, ITAS and scholarships. 2. Normalise the process of scholarship application. 3. Manage preconceived ideas around scholarship application processes. 4. Increase access to cultural and emotional support. 5. Increase awareness/visibility of Student Support Services. Implications and future research The findings of this research offer insights into Indigenous student support, scholarships and completion which can be useful for the Indigenous and broader higher education sectors seeking to improve policy and practice for Indigenous Australians. Continued improvement in communication, scholarship application processes, social and cultural support, and support services promotion is vital for changing future participation and completion rates of Indigenous students in higher education. Future research could involve several universities within Australia or be extended to include Indigenous peoples from other nations.