Deakin offers new scholarship

A NEW scholarship from the Dawn Wade Foundation offered through Deakin University aims to open the world of tertiary education to Geelong and regional high school students experiencing barriers to further study, including those who are the first in their family to attend university.

The $2.8 million gift from Darrell and Anna Wade through the Dawn Wade Foundation will enable the largest equity scholarships ever offered by the university, supporting 30 students over the next four years and valued at up to $26,800 per year per student.

The Dawn Wade Foundation Scholarships will be offered for the first time in 2026, and will support students choosing to complete a full-time undergraduate degree at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds or Waterfront campuses, covering essential costs including accommodation, wellbeing and other living expenses.

They are named after Dawn Wade, who started a family and several businesses in Geelong and established the family foundation in 1985.

She felt it was important to give back to the place that had given her and her husband John so much.

Dawn’s son Darrell and wife Anna have continued the family legacy, broadening the foundation’s focus on Geelong to include education.

“This particular gift to Deakin recognises that there are many families in Geelong that for various reasons have difficulty accessing tertiary education, especially recent migrant families and the disadvantaged,” Darrell said.

“Education remains the key to enable people to live better lives, so equitable access to tertiary education is an absolute game changer for many people. The scholarships for first-in-family access to university will not only change the recipients’ lives and their families but also contribute to the development of the Geelong region and Australia more broadly.

“More than anything else, education is the intergenerational game changer – so it is critical that quality education like Deakin is available to as many people as possible.”

Drawing on the foundation’s legacy of nearly 40 years of philanthropic support, the scholarship program aligns with Deakin’s commitment to enhancing access to education, helping recipients transition to university and supporting their academic and personal success throughout their studies and beyond.

“Being the first person in your family to go to university can often make it seem out of reach, but gifts like this one can make that goal a reality for students who would not have been able to attend otherwise,” Deakin vice-chancellor Professor Iain Martin said.

The Dawn Wade scholarship is open to students who live within the City of Greater Geelong or are relocating from a rural or regional location.

For more information, head to deakin.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/dawn-wade-foundation-scholarship