The AIS Athlete Education Scholarship (AES), in partnership with the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, provides up to $5000 in funding to high-performance athletes pursuing elite sport alongside study. The program supports holistic athlete development by helping athletes not only prepare for life after sport but also enhance their performance whilst still competing.
Since 2020, the AIS Athlete Education Scholarship program has supported 278 athletes with more than $850,000 towards their education. La Trobe students Gall and Kurzman are amongst a cohort of 51 athletes spanning 22 universities and TAFEs across the country representing 22 national sporting organisations to have received a scholarship in 2026.
For Bendigo Strikers netballer Gall, receiving the AIS Athlete Education Scholarship is another positive step forward in her emerging career. The 20-year-old Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) student was this year made a training partner with the Melbourne Vixens and made a successful return to the court for the Strikers this year in the Victorian Netball League after an ACL injury sidelined her in 2025.
“The (AIS Athlete Education) scholarship will be a huge help to allow me to balance both uni and netball, and allow me to worry less about working to support myself as I have relocated to Melbourne this year and currently support my living expenses independently,” Gall said.
“The financial assistance will give me stability to put more time into my studies and netball commitments so I am fully engaged and can perform at my best both academically and in sport.”
For bowls athlete Kurzman, the scholarship will assist with her Master of Physiotherapy Practice degree as she works to become a high-level sports physiotherapist.
It will also help the Emerging Jackaroo continue to balance her bowls commitments with her studies, particularly as she regularly commutes between Melbourne and Ballarat.
“I am very fortunate to be a recipient of the AIS Education Scholarship,” Kurzman said.
“This scholarship will help me immensely, as I can put it toward my education, and relieve myself of some worry about trying to finance my future career. I’m grateful to the AIS and everyone who has made this possible for me.”
To learn more about the AIS Athlete Education Scholarship, visit the Australian Institute of Sport website.
