Every RSL and ESO Scholarship via AVCAT

Twenty-four RSL branches, TPI associations, Vietnam Veterans' groups, War Widows guilds, and specialist veteran organisations fund scholarships through AVCAT - the Australian Veterans' Children Assistance Trust. Most are worth $4,000 to $6,000 a year, for up to three years, to a total of $18,000. All 24 are accessed through one application.

Every application has three components:

Essential requirements - the demographic gates every entry in this directory shares.
Circumstances - AVCAT's financial hardship test.
Your Digger's story - the part most applicants underinvest in, and where applications are won.

This is a competitive process. That's not a reason to hold back, it's the reason to build all three components properly. This guide walks through each one, then the full state-by-state directory and the application itself.

1. Essential requirements

You must meet all three. Every one of the 24 scholarships below shares this base.

Requirement	The rule
Descendant of a veteran	Child or grandchild of an ex-serving veteran, with either operational service (deployment to a conflict, peacekeeping operation, or designated area) or 3+ years of continuous full-time service in the ADF.
Age	No age limit.
Study	Enrolled in or commencing tertiary study at a recognised Australian institution - a university degree, TAFE course, or VET diploma/advanced diploma.

Individual entries in the directory narrow the field further. Most add a state you need to live or study in. The three TPI associations add one more requirement: the veteran parent or grandparent must be formally assessed as Totally and Permanently Incapacitated. Those extra criteria are listed against each entry below.

For the full picture of how the single AVCAT form works - including the Long Tan Bursaries it also covers - see the AVCAT Sponsored Scholarships complete guide.

2. Circumstances

AVCAT's test is financial hardship, assessed on income and assets. There's no published dollar threshold - AVCAT looks at your family's full financial picture, not a single figure.

If your family receives Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Austudy, VCES, or MRCAETS, that's strong evidence of financial need, and it's worth stating plainly in your application.

Don't rule yourself out

This is the point where good applicants talk themselves out of applying, and it's worth pausing on.

An unpublished threshold cuts both ways. AVCAT isn't checking your circumstances against a fixed income line and disqualifying you for being a dollar over it - assessors weigh the whole picture of your income and assets against the real cost of you studying. Families who assume they "probably don't qualify" are often exactly who AVCAT wants to hear from.

The worst outcome of applying? A no. The worst outcome of not applying? A guaranteed no.

Be honest and specific in your financial documentation. The assessors are there to weigh a case, not to catch you out.

Will it cut your Centrelink Youth Allowance?

No. Merit and equity scholarships are exempt income up to $10,306 a year (2026, indexed annually) - so a $4,000-$6,000 scholarship from any sponsor in this directory doesn't touch your payment. Source: Services Australia.

3. Digger details and knowledge

This is the purpose behind every Digger scholarship - and the part most applicants underinvest in.

A key purpose of these scholarships is to preserve the memory of the Anzacs in younger generations. The assessors are looking for an applicant who fully understands their ancestor's service, can speak to it, and will be a good ambassador for the organisation awarding it. It's also where the competition is won - a single line like "my grandfather served" doesn't compete with an applicant who can say where their Digger served, what they lived through, and why it still matters.

The AVCAT application also has to prove operational service or 3+ years of continuous full-time service, and the record itself is the obstacle - a raw National Archives service file is full of abbreviations, unit codes, and date formats that aren't obvious to a civilian reader. That's where Decode My Digger comes in: it takes the war record and decodes it into a story told in today's language, anchored to the key events - think Australian Story, for your family's service record. Here's Banjo Paterson's decode as an example.

A decoded record also names the veteran's service branch and unit clearly - which matters here, because a handful of sponsors in this directory (Ad Astra Foundation for RAAF, Certa Cito Foundation for Signals, Commando Welfare Trust for special forces) have a connection to that branch worth flagging in your application.

For the statement prompts themselves, use the same set that guides every Digger scholarship application - see Your statement - where to start.

The directory

Twenty-four scholarships, one AVCAT application. You don't apply to each sponsor individually - AVCAT matches you automatically to every one you're eligible for, based on your location, your veteran's service, and your circumstances. Grouped below by the type of organisation funding them.

RSL branches

RSL Australia

Scope: National Value: $5,000 a year for up to 3 years (total $15,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of veterans in necessitous circumstances

The national RSL's scholarship. At $5,000 a year with a fixed amount (rather than the $4,000-$6,000 range most sponsors use), it provides predictable funding. Open to descendants of veterans from any conflict, anywhere in Australia.

RSL Queensland

Scope: Queensland Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ADF members, Queensland-based

RSL Queensland funds multiple scholarships a year, making it one of the more accessible state-level sponsors. If you're based in Queensland, you're in contention for both this scholarship and the national RSL Australia scholarship through the same application.

RSL Victoria

Scope: Victoria Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, Victoria-based

RSL Chatswood Sub-Branch

Scope: NSW Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW-based

RSL Blacktown City Sub-Branch

Scope: NSW Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW-based

New sponsor for 2026. New sponsors can sometimes mean less competition in the first year as awareness builds.

RSL Joondalup City Sub-Branch

Scope: Western Australia Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, WA-based

Currently the only WA-specific RSL sub-branch sponsor in the AVCAT network. WA-based applicants are also eligible for all national sponsors.

RSL Nowra Sub-Branch

Scope: NSW Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW-based

Nowra is home to HMAS Albatross, the Royal Australian Navy's primary aviation base. The Nowra RSL's involvement in AVCAT reflects the area's deep connection to military service.

RSL Rooty Hill Sub-Branch

Scope: NSW Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW-based

TPI associations

TPI stands for Totally and Permanently Incapacitated. TPI associations represent veterans who have been assessed as unable to work due to service-related injuries or conditions. Three state TPI associations fund scholarships through AVCAT.

TPI NSW

Scope: NSW Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated veterans, NSW-based

TPI SA

Scope: South Australia Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated veterans, SA-based

TPI QLD

Scope: Queensland Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated veterans, QLD-based

A note on TPI scholarships: if your veteran parent or grandparent has been classified as TPI, you may also be eligible for DVA education schemes (VCES/MRCAETS), which provide separate, government-funded education support. These can stack with AVCAT scholarships.

Vietnam Veterans' associations

Three Vietnam Veterans' associations fund scholarships through AVCAT - founded by and for veterans who served in Vietnam, as part of their commitment to supporting the next generation.

VVPPAA (Vietnam Veterans Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association of Australia)

Scope: NSW (Granville-based) Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW-based

VVAA Far North Coast

Scope: NSW (Far North Coast region) Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, NSW Far North Coast

The Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia, Far North Coast branch. If you're from the Lismore, Byron Bay, Tweed Heads, or surrounding areas, this sponsor is targeted at your region.

VVAA Victorian Branch

Scope: Victoria Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, Victoria-based

The Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia, Victorian branch.

Important note: while these scholarships are funded by Vietnam Veterans' associations, the AVCAT Sponsored Scholarships program is open to descendants of all ex-serving veterans - not just Vietnam. These sponsors fund the scholarships, and AVCAT determines eligibility. If you're a Vietnam veteran descendant specifically, also look at the AVCAT Long Tan Bursaries, a separate, DVA-funded program.

War Widows guilds

War Widows guilds provide support and advocacy for the partners of deceased veterans. Two state guilds fund scholarships through AVCAT.

Australian War Widows QLD

Scope: Queensland Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, QLD-based

Australian War Widows SA

Scope: South Australia Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans, SA-based

National specialist organisations

These operate nationally and support the broader veteran community. Their scholarships are open to applicants from any state.

Legacy Australia (via AVCAT)

Scope: National Value: $4,000-$6,000 a year for up to 3 years (total up to $18,000) Eligibility: Children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans in necessitous circumstances

This is Legacy's scholarship through AVCAT - separate from Legacy's own direct education support program. Legacy operates two pathways for education funding: this AVCAT-sponsored scholarship, and Legacy's own direct program covering tertiary scholarships, VET scholarships, school costs, uniforms, laptops, and mentorship - see the Legacy Australia Education Support guide. If you're eligible, you could potentially be considered for both.