In partnership with Victoria's Chief Mental Health Nurse, the Department of Health is providing postgraduate scholarships to mental health nurses employed (or commencing employment) in Victorian public mental health services who are commencing an eligible course in Semester 1, 2024.
The scholarship covers the full cost of course fees of one of a:
- Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing
- Master of Mental Health Nursing or
- Master in Advanced Nursing Practice (Mental Health Nursing).
Purpose and scope
The department is implementing all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, including recommendation 7 of the interim report, which required 140 postgraduate nursing scholarships to be awarded annually.
This initiative aims to:
- incentivise and support nurses to undertake specialist mental health qualifications
- help build Victoria's mental health nurses' skills, knowledge, and capabilities to deliver high quality, evidence-based and consumer-centred care.
Scholarships are paid directly to individual recipients, not their employers, the education provider or the Australian Taxation Office.
To promote a diverse workforce as envisioned by the Royal Commission and Victoria’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy 2021-2024, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTIQA+, workers with disabilities and culturally diverse workers are strongly encouraged to apply. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants will be given additional weighting in the application process. This is to assist in promoting a diverse workforce as recommended by the Royal Commission.
Find out more about the other mental health nurse scholarships and grants included in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Scholarship Program.
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Information session
03 October
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Substantive questions close
13 October
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Information session
17 October
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Information session
31 October
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Information session
14 November
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Applications close
Late January 2024
Guidelines
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An application guide is available to support the application process. All applicants should read the application guide before applying.
Full Course Fee Postgraduate Health Nurse Scholarship Program application guidelinesFull Course Fee Postgraduate Health Nurse Scholarship Program application guidelines -
For more information on the eligibility criteria, please see the Australian College of .
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The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) administers the scholarships on behalf of the Victorian Department of Health.
To apply, see the ACN’s .
For more information, please contact the ACN on 1800 117 262 or scholarships@acn.edu.au.
Please note, the ACN does not evaluate scholarship recipients.
Reviewed 14 September 2023