Scholarships

What are Private School Scholarships?

Independent and Catholic School Scholarships entitle students to a full or partial remission of tuition fees for the duration of their schooling. Competition for these scholarships is extremely tough as there are only around 23 schools in Adelaide offering only a few scholarships each. Scholarships are generally for those in Year 6 seeking entry to the first year of secondary schooling in the next year, but some schools offer scholarships for other year levels as well. Academic merit is the most important selection criteria. However, private schools place as much emphasis on co-curricular activities, which means scholarships are offered to students who are high achievers not only in academics but also in other activities such as music and sports. Students who are offered a scholarship are expected to maintain their level of high academic achievement throughout high school.

How do I apply for Scholarships?

Firstly, find out a little about the schools which you would like your child to attend. Scholarship application forms are usually available mid October every year, but a few schools hold the scholarship test in Year 5 for Year 6 entry so it is advisable to ring the school well in advance to find out exactly when the test will be held. Once you have selected the schools to which you would like to apply, ring the schools directly. The school will take down your details and send you a Scholarship Application Form and usually a school prospectus as well. Make sure the form is filled out and sent to the school with appropriate payment before the closing date. The school will then contact you regarding details such as the exam venue, etc.

What is involved in the test?

The testing takes just over 2 hours. Students are given Mathematics, English and Creative Writing components in the test. The test format may vary slightly from school to school. Many schools participate in the ACEP cooperative exam. This exam is set by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) and is taken by participating schools at the same time on the same date.

What happens after the test?

After having sat for the test, all applicants are sent a response indicating whether they were successful or not. Some schools will select students based on information provided on the application form and the results of the test. Other schools will shortlist students and then select successful students following an interview with the student and his/her parents.

Should I apply even if my child does not do very well at school?

There is no harm in applying. However, unless the child has a realistic chance of being offered a scholarship, preparing for the exam and waiting for the results may place unnecessary pressure on the student. Each child is different, so if parents consider that a negative outcome will not be detrimental to their child in any way, then there is no reason not to give it a try.

Scholarship Test Preparation Course

We offer a very successful private school scholarship course for students who have just finished Year 4 or 5. So far this course has helped our students save more than 13.6 million dollars in school fees. Find out more about the Private School Scholarship Course.

2024/2025 Scholarship and IGNITE Preparation Course

This special course will be held during the December 2024 and January 2025 break. Current 2024 Tuitionworks Year 4 and 5 students are eligible to enrol. Please book to reserve your place.

The program is designed to for our students to demonstrate a set of skills such as the ability to interpret, infer, deduce and think critically.  They are not curriculum based and do not test the ability to retrieve learned knowledge.