A new partnership between The Snow Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Foundation will distribute up to $100,000 per year for five years in scholarships so young care leavers in Canberra and surrounding areas can afford to study at university or TAFE. 

The scholarships are available to young people with an out-of-home care background (including foster care, residential care, kinship care, and/or being a ward of the State) who are living or wishing to study in Canberra and its surrounds – including the Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla, Yass, Braidwood, Goulburn, and Snowy Monaro regions. 

Nationally, approximately 46,200 children are in out-of-home care, with 690 of those based in the ACT. The numbers of care leavers accessing tertiary education are dismal with only around 1% of care leavers pursuing university in their lifetimes, compared to 40% of their peers. 

“The scholarship program was established to support the 99% of young people with out-of-home care backgrounds that are missing out on going to university, and getting a degree that can change the trajectory of their lives,” said Louise Burton, Sisters of Charity Foundation CEO. 

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“Our scholarships provide practical support for recipients, who have all experienced complex and challenging childhoods; often experiencing feelings of abandonment, low self-esteem, neglect, abuse and having grown up in multiple homes with multiple carers or parental incarceration.” 

Georgina Byron, The Snow Foundation CEO expressed their excitement on this partnership by highlighted that bridging this gap means that young adults achieve their goals for further education.  

“We are excited to expand our scholarship offering for 2024 and thrilled to partner with the Sisters of Charity Foundation, making tertiary education accessible for young people with out-of-home care backgrounds.” 

“Scholarships are an important focus for The Snow Foundation in Canberra and the surrounding regions, and a particular passion for our founder, Terry Snow,” added Byron.