New Government initiative offers scholarships for young carers

The Young Carer Bursary Program, funded by the Department of Social Services, offers $3000 scholarships over a 12 month period to 333 young carers who are balancing study and care responsibilities.

The program aims to help relieve financial and emotional pressure on young carers who often need to balance part-time work with caring and educational responsibilities, with the scholarship to help cover expenses relating to education, including school fees, uniforms, transport, accommodation, technology and more.

Young carers are those aged between 12-25 who provide ‘care for a person or people who are experiencing; a disability, a mental health condition, an addiction problem, a chronic illness or is frail aged’. They often provide physical and emotional support to their recipient, assisting them in things such as cleaning, taking medicine or spending time with them.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the recipient must be aged between 12-25, identify as a young carer, an Australian citizen or permanent resident and be studying at secondary school through to an Undergraduate degree, provided you are not already qualified with an Undergraduate degree or turn 26 while receiving the funding.

Applications for the 2019 bursary are open online now and close 5 September, 2018 at 5pm.

For more information, or to apply for the program, visit the Young Carers website.

For more information on disability support and services, please visit DisabilitySupportGuide.com.au