Only education can deliver the outcomes needed for an equitable society. Here we have a strategy which is making a real impact. Shalom Gamarada is showing what Indigenous students and graduates can achieve when they are given the chance.” – David Gonski AC, Chancellor of UNSW

What is the Shalom Gamarada Indigenous Scholarship Program?

The Shalom Gamarada Indigenous Scholarship Program contributes to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, by increasing the number of Indigenous professionals through higher education.  

The scholarship provides:

  • accommodation and meals at Shalom College on the UNSW campus
  • a supportive community of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
  • study, common and recreation rooms
  • six tutors who provide academic support
  • sporting, cultural and community-building activities
  • a family environment celebrating cultural diversity and encouraging academic excellence.

Who is the Shalom Gamarada Indigenous Scholarship Program for?

The program is for Indigenous Australians needing support to pursue higher education.


What else you need to know about the Shalom Gamarada Indigenous Scholarship …


Ilona Lee AM (then President of Shalom) and Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver AM (then Chair of Indigenous Health, UNSW) are the founders of the Indigenous scholarship program.  To date, a total of 112 Aboriginal students have been assisted.  Shalom College currently offers 20 scholarships and accommodates approximately ten other Indigenous students.  

51 Indigenous scholarship students have graduated so far, including 23 doctors.  The majority of our students are passing each year which is higher than non-Indigenous students in long and difficult courses like Medicine and Law.

The program has won the Pauline McLeod Reconciliation Award, issued by the Local Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Forum, and the LIME  Award – for being a model of best practice in the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal medical students.

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