Sponsor a Student
Opportunity starts with education
Help a young Indigenous person access quality education and reach their full potential.
Every year, Yalari partners with Indigenous families across Australia to provide full boarding school scholarships for young people from regional, rural and remote communities.
Your support helps create opportunities for students to learn, grow and build futures filled with choice.
Why sponsor a student?
A Yalari scholarship is about more than a place at school. Students receive access to quality secondary education, alongside the support they need throughout their journey. This includes:
- Boarding and tuition at one of Yalari’s partner schools
- Ongoing support from Yalari’s Student Support team
- Wellbeing and mentoring programs
- Leadership development opportunities
- Camps, workshops and connection with the wider Yalari community
Together, these supports help students thrive at school and beyond.
How Sponsoring a Student Works
For many Indigenous families in regional, rural and remote Australia, access to quality secondary education can be limited by geography and opportunity. A scholarship helps remove those barriers, giving a young person the chance to pursue their goals while remaining connected to their identity, family and community.
Simple Steps to Get Started
Yalari works with individuals, businesses and philanthropic partners who want to help fund a student’s education journey. Sponsors work directly with Yalari’s Philanthropy team to understand the scholarship program and explore sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorship helps fund a full boarding school scholarship, including the educational, wellbeing and cultural support students receive throughout their secondary schooling.
Through this partnership, sponsors play a role in creating opportunities for Indigenous young people from regional, rural and remote communities to access quality education and pursue their aspirations.
The impact of a scholarship
Alumna Taneale Lawton returned to her home community to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services. Today, Yalari’s alumni network includes more than 600 young Indigenous leaders contributing to communities and industries across Australia.
“None of this would have been possible without Yalari. Through scholarships, leadership workshops and cultural camps, I gained the confidence, resilience and leadership skills that shaped my career.”
– Taneale Lawton Yalari Alumna | Charleville, QLD
Why this matters
For many Indigenous families in regional, rural and remote Australia, access to quality secondary education can be limited by geography and opportunity. A scholarship helps remove those barriers — giving a young person the chance to pursue their goals while remaining connected to their identity, family and community.
Marnie’s Journey of Giving Back
When Marnie Jones received her Yalari scholarship, she saw it as a chance to dream beyond her small hometown in Lightning Ridge. That opportunity led her to become a paediatric occupational therapist, a PhD candidate, and a mentor for the next generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to sponsor a Yalari student?
Sponsoring a Yalari student means funding a full scholarship — covering boarding and tuition at one of Yalari’s partner schools from Year 7 to Year 12 — plus the wellbeing, mentoring and cultural support a student needs to complete their education. Most Yalari scholarships are awarded through the Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship, named after the teacher who helped secure Yalari’s first scholarship in 1979.
What is the Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship?
It’s Yalari’s core scholarship program, offering more than 50 Indigenous students a year full boarding and tuition support from Year 7 to Year 12 at one of Yalari’s 20 partner schools. Read the full story behind the scholarship
Who is eligible for a Yalari scholarship?
Who is eligible for a Yalari scholarship?
Scholarships are open to Indigenous children entering Year 7 from regional or remote communities across Australia, limited to two children per family. Full eligibility details are on the Rosemary Bishop Scholarship page.
How do I apply to sponsor a student?
Sponsorship isn’t a self-serve donation – our philanthropy team works with you directly to match your support to a student, school or program. Get in touch or call (07) 5665 8688 to start the conversation.
Is my sponsorship tax-deductible?
Yes. Yalari is a registered DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) charity, so gifts to sponsor a student are fully tax-deductible.
How is sponsoring a student different from workplace giving?
Sponsorship is a direct, ongoing commitment — typically from an individual or business — to fund a student’s scholarship. Workplace giving is a small, regular pre-tax payroll donation from staff, often matched by employers. See how workplace giving works
