La Trobe Care Experienced Students
Have you spent time in out-of-home care, including foster care, residential care, kinship care, or as a 'ward of the State'? La Trobe offers a range of support to students who have spent time in out-of-home care.
Support for care experienced students at La Trobe
As a Raising Expectations partner, La Trobe offers a range of support for care experienced students, as well as an award winning Higher Education for Care Leavers Strategy [PDF 881KB].
Below you will find information on how to apply to La Trobe as well as financial, accommodation, academic and personal support that is available for care leavers at La Trobe University.
Applying to La Trobe
Visit how to apply for general information on applying to La Trobe University.
Advice for people who have spent time in out-of-home care:
- Use the dedicated question in the “Difficult circumstances” section of the VTAC equity schemes (SEAS) & scholarships to advise us that you spent time in out-of-home care. This could enable bonus points to be added to your ATAR to improve your chances of being offered a place.
- Attend events such as Open Days and Choose La Trobe to find out more information about the university.
- Visit The Future Students Centre, or call 1300 135 045.
Bursaries and Scholarships
La Trobe offers a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to our current and new students. You will find the information on the scholarships website. We have a number of bursaries specifically for students who have experienced out of home care and strongly encourage you to tell us you are a care leaver in your scholarship or bursary application. This page will be regularly updated.
Financial support
A variety of financial supports are in place to assist you:
- There are many other scholarships (La Trobe specific and external opportunities) listed on our website.
- Some financial assistance is available related to specific areas of your study, including Industry Grants to assist during placements, and grants should you choose to undertake part of your study overseas.
- There is a range of financial support information and services available to help support students experiencing financial difficulties.
- The fees & money page includes links to a variety of financial considerations, information, and support.
- La Trobe also offers a financial counselling service.
- The Australian Government offers the Transition to Independent Living Allowance to eligible young people when they leave out-of-home care.
Accommodation support
Did you know that there is accommodation available at most of our campuses to suit students of any age?
Benefits of choosing on-campus accommodation include:
- Furniture, bills, utilities, and the internet are included, reducing additional expenditure.
- Being on campus reduces travel expenditure.
- Residential students at La Trobe tend to outperform non-residential students.
- A range of academic support programs are provided including a textbook borrowing scheme and specialist tutors.
- The students participate in a mentoring program, run by later year residents.
- Student leaders host tailored health and wellbeing programs focusing on healthy relationships, mental health, personal responsibility, financial fitness and physical wellbeing.
- Extensive orientation and transition programs are provided.
If you don’t want to live on-campus, we have information about off-campus accommodation options for students looking for shared or rental accommodation close to campus.
The following organisations also offer supported accommodation to disadvantaged youth engaged in study and/or training:
- Education First Youth Foyers: accommodate young people who can’t live at home. There are Education First Youth foyers at Broadmeadows, Glen Waverley and Shepparton.
- Foyer Plus: Melbourne City Mission provides long term supported housing along with services for education, training, employment and intensive casework support to young people aged 16–25 (who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless) to help them reach independence.
- Haven; Home, Safe: provides homelessness support, low-income housing assistance, and programs to help those in need.
- Other Foyers: there are other education, training and support foyers in Victoria.
Academic and personal support
Our Wellbeing Services and our Student Advisors can provide tailored support to students who are care leavers.
The Student Advising team can provide you with guidance and support as you transition to tertiary study and support you to achieve your academic goals.
We also offer a Wellbeing Service to support you in your journey at LA Trobe.
If you are interested in accessing any of these services, complete the wellbeing self referral form. This form includes a specific invitation to tell us you are a care leaver. Please make sure you answer that specific question with a “Yes”.
More resources for care leavers
Raising Expectations
The Raising Expectations Program is a collaboration between the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, TAFE and university partners, and the Victorian Government.
Raising Expectations and their partner institutions assist out-of-home care experienced students to access educational pathways, on-campus assistance and other free resources to help achieve their educational goals.
Raising Expectations also offers free online Peer Mentoring Programs led by care experienced students and graduates who can help with transitioning to university or TAFE, building key study skills, and setting goals for the future.
La Trobe University’s out-of-home care project was initially led by Associate Professor Andrew Harvey, who focused on improving data insights for care leavers during their application and enrolment process.
This increases outreach to flexible learning schools and care(r) organisations, and improves support for enrolled care-experienced students through bursaries and scholarships. It also raises awareness of the specific needs of care leavers as an equity group. This is done through the development and distribution of guidelines for university staff, and influences institutional, state, and national research and policy agendas.
Read the story of La Trobe human services and social work student Joseph Farren.
Read the story of La Trobe social work student Nicola-Jean Berry.
The CREATE Your Future website has information for young people leaving care, including: information about money, everyday living, work, study, relationships, health, and support services. CREATE have also produced 'Go Your Own Way' kits for young people preparing to transition from care.
The Young People website contains links to a variety of resources for young people who are leaving or have recently left out-of-home care.
Youth Central is the Victorian Government's website for young people aged 12-25. It is filled with great information and articles about studying, your rights at work, health and managing your money.