VCES and MRCAETS are Department of Veterans' Affairs education schemes - not scholarships, but legislative entitlements - for children and dependants of ADF personnel who have died or been severely injured as a direct result of their service. Support runs from primary school through to university.
Update - from 1 July 2026 there is one scheme, not two: under the VETS Act 2025, VCES has been consolidated into MRCAETS. DVA states that anyone accessing VCES transfers to MRCAETS automatically, with no need to reapply for the current study year. The support itself continues - it just runs under one scheme now.
If you're researching general descendant-of-veteran scholarships instead, the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund and AVCAT are the right starting points. VCES and MRCAETS exist for a narrower, more serious set of circumstances.
Every application rests on three components:
- Essential requirements - the service-connection gate.
- Circumstances - who these schemes actually exist for.
- Your Digger's story - understanding your veteran's full service history, which supports the DVA claim itself.
1. Essential requirements
| Requirement | The rule |
|---|---|
| Service-related death or injury | The veteran must have died, or been severely injured, as a direct result of their ADF service. The connection must be formally accepted by DVA. |
| Relationship | You are a child or dependant of that veteran. |
| Education level | Primary school, secondary school, or full-time tertiary study. |
| Age (tertiary) | Up to age 25 for full-time tertiary study. |
| Which scheme applies | Since 1 July 2026: MRCAETS is the single scheme (the VETS Act 2025 consolidated VCES into it). Former VCES recipients transferred automatically. DVA manages this as part of the claims process - you don't need to choose anything. |
VCES and MRCAETS are not general descendant-of-veteran schemes. Many families researching veteran scholarships assume these DVA programs work like the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund or AVCAT - broad programs open to any descendant of someone who served. They don't. A veteran who served and later passed away from unrelated causes doesn't meet the criteria, and nor does a veteran injured in a way unconnected to their service. The death or severe injury must be a direct result of service.
That narrowness cuts the other way too: because the bar is higher than AVCAT (operational service or 3+ years full-time) or the GSF (any conflict, WWI to present), what VCES and MRCAETS provide in return is far more comprehensive - ongoing, multi-category support rather than a single scholarship payment.
2. Circumstances
Unlike scholarships that ask you to demonstrate financial or personal hardship, VCES and MRCAETS aren't means-tested. The "circumstances" here are the eligibility itself: a parent's death or severe injury as a direct result of their service. There's no income test and no separate hardship case to build - the qualifying circumstance is the service-related loss or injury your family has already lived through.
What that does mean is proving the service connection, and that happens through DVA's claims process, not through the education scheme application on its own.
If the connection has already been accepted by DVA - for example, the veteran's death is recorded as war-caused, or an injury is accepted as service-related - the education scheme application is simpler. If it hasn't yet been formally established, you'll need to go through DVA's claims process first, and DVA can guide you through what that involves.
What the schemes cover
Because these are ongoing entitlements rather than a single payment, the support is broad:
- Education allowances through primary, secondary, and tertiary study
- Additional tutoring where it's needed
- Counselling support
- Rent assistance and fares allowance
- Start-up and relocation scholarships
- Special assistance of up to $3,000 for specific education-related needs
3. Digger details and knowledge
A key purpose behind Digger scholarships and schemes alike is preserving the memory of the Anzacs in younger generations. For VCES and MRCAETS specifically, understanding your veteran's full service record does double duty: it supports the DVA claims process that establishes the service connection your application depends on, and it gives you the detail to speak to their service accurately when DVA, and later your own family, ask about it.
The obstacle is the one every veteran family runs into. Original service records - especially older ones - are dense pages of faded handwriting, abbreviations, and army shorthand. Decode My Digger takes the war records held by the National Archives and decodes them into a story told in today's language, anchored to the key events. Here's Banjo Paterson's decode as an example.
A decoded record doesn't establish the medical or causal link DVA needs for a claim - but it lays out the where, when, and what of your veteran's service, which is the context that supports a claim. If you're also applying to the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund or AVCAT, it's the same material their personal statement prompts ask for.
How to apply
Dates and method
VCES and MRCAETS have no fixed application deadline. Applications are accepted year-round through DVA - different from the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund (1 January to 28 February) and AVCAT (18 August to 31 October), which run to specific windows.
Apply through the Department of Veterans' Affairs:
- DVA website: dva.gov.au - education schemes
- DVA general enquiries: 1800 555 254
- MyService portal: my.dva.gov.au
What you'll need
- Evidence of the veteran's service and service-related death or injury. DVA will typically require that the death or severe injury has been formally accepted as service-related. If this determination hasn't yet been made, DVA can guide you through the claims process.
- Proof of relationship - birth certificates or other documents establishing that the child is a dependant of the veteran.
- Education details - enrolment information, school or institution details, and the child's current education stage.
Getting help with the DVA process
The DVA claims and application process can be complex. Two kinds of organisation can help:
Legacy Australia provides DVA paperwork assistance and claims advocacy through local Legacy clubs. If you're eligible for Legacy support (veteran parent or partner died or was wounded, ill, or injured as a result of service), your Legatee can help navigate the DVA application process.
Ex-service organisations such as RSL branches, Vietnam Veterans' associations, and TPI associations often have DVA advocacy services that can assist with claims and applications.
How VCES and MRCAETS interact with other scholarships
VCES and MRCAETS are government entitlements, not scholarships. They can generally be received alongside scholarship programs, and they also unlock eligibility for others.
AVCAT Long Tan Bursaries. If you're receiving VCES or MRCAETS, you automatically satisfy the means test for the AVCAT Long Tan Bursaries - the Long Tan means test requires you to be receiving or eligible for Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Austudy, VCES, or MRCAETS. You can receive DVA education support and apply for Long Tan Bursaries ($4,000 to $6,000 a year, up to $18,000 over three years). The programs stack.
AVCAT Sponsored Scholarships. The same AVCAT application that covers Long Tan also covers all Sponsored Scholarships. If you're a descendant of a veteran who died or was severely injured in service, you're likely eligible here as well - one form, dozens of scholarships.
Gallipoli Scholarship Fund. The GSF operates independently. If you're under 25, in your first year of tertiary study, and a descendant of a veteran from any conflict, you can apply to the GSF (1 January to 28 February) in addition to receiving VCES or MRCAETS.
Legacy Australia. Legacy's education support is designed for precisely the same families as VCES and MRCAETS - those where a veteran parent has died or been injured in service. Legacy's support is complementary: scholarships, school costs, technology, activities, and ongoing mentorship from a dedicated volunteer. Contact your local Legacy club.
| Program | Can it stack with VCES/MRCAETS? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AVCAT Long Tan Bursaries | Yes | VCES/MRCAETS satisfies the means test |
| AVCAT Sponsored Scholarships | Yes | Same AVCAT application |
| Gallipoli Scholarship Fund | Yes | Separate application, separate program |
| Legacy Education Support | Yes | Contact local Legacy club |
| University-specific scholarships | Check with institution | Varies |
A family receiving VCES or MRCAETS can potentially access DVA education support, an AVCAT scholarship, a GSF scholarship, and Legacy support simultaneously. The total value across all programs can be substantial.
Comparing VCES/MRCAETS with AVCAT and GSF
| Feature | VCES/MRCAETS | AVCAT Sponsored | GSF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Government entitlement | Scholarship | Scholarship |
| Eligibility | Children of veterans who died or were severely injured in service | Descendants of veterans with operational or 3+ years FT service | Descendants of veterans from any conflict |
| Education levels | Primary, secondary, tertiary | Tertiary only | Tertiary only (first year) |
| Value | Variable (allowances, tutoring, counselling, up to $3,000 special assistance, rent, fares) | $4,000-$6,000/year | $8,000 (one year) |
| Duration | Ongoing (up to age 25 for tertiary) | Up to 3 years | 1 year |
| Application deadline | Year-round | 18 Aug - 31 Oct | 1 Jan - 28 Feb |
| Counselling included | Yes | No | No |
| Rent and fares | Yes | No | No |
VCES and MRCAETS are the most comprehensive support available - more categories of assistance across a longer timeframe than any scholarship. Their narrow eligibility reflects the severity of the circumstances they're designed to address.
Next steps
- Determine whether the veteran's death or severe injury has been accepted by DVA as service-related
- If not yet determined, contact DVA (1800 555 254) or your local Legacy club or ex-service organisation for claims advocacy assistance
- Apply to DVA for VCES or MRCAETS at dva.gov.au
- Also apply to AVCAT when applications open on 18 August - VCES/MRCAETS satisfies the Long Tan means test
- Apply to the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund when applications open on 1 January
- Contact your local Legacy club for additional support
For the full picture of every scholarship and scheme available to veteran families, see our complete application guide and searchable scholarships database.
Data sourced from the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Last verified 8 June 2026. VCES is legislated under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. MRCAETS is legislated under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. Verify all eligibility criteria and application processes directly with DVA at dva.gov.au.