Living Support Fund

The Living Support Fund

Support a student seeking asylum in Australia to be able to live while they study at University 

The Youth Plus Foundation is committed to providing equitable educational opportunities for young people. The Living Support Fund (LSF) is an example of how we are liberating education for asylum seekers in Australia. A holistic model of emotional and financial/material support for young asylum-seekers to gain access to tertiary scholarships in Australian Universities, the LSF provides comprehensive support, helping ensure that the human potential and social inclusion nurtured by their scholarships is realised.

Currently people who seek asylum on arrival in Australia are offered only temporary protection, even if they are assessed to be a refugee under Australia’s new truncated “fast track” refugee processing. With the United Nations Refugee Convention excised by law from this new refugee processing policy, holders of Bridging Visas (BVEs), Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs) must pay international student fees to access tertiary training and education and are not able to access student support funding from Centrelink.

This is a significant structural barrier preventing full participation in Australian society.

The Australian Human Rights Commission estimates that there are some 16,000 asylum-seeking children graduating from Australian schools each year who are unable to progress to higher education. There are also adults who fled during their studies, and those who cannot yet afford to retrain in Australia in their professional capacity.

In response to the substantial barriers preventing people seeking asylum from participating in higher education, many Australian universities have introduced fee-waiver scholarships, bursaries, and living stipends. Some have also linked part-time employment opportunities to their scholarships.

The LSF was one of the first initiatives in the country to provide a small ‘living support’ payment to students on these scholarships. 

The LSF is funded via sponsorship from our partners and donations from our supporters in the community.

SUPPORT US TODAY!

PLEASE CONTACT – Home | HOPE Co-Op (hopecoop.org.au) to find out how to provide support!

info@hopecoop.org.au
Ms. Sally Morgan
Secretary
s.morgan@hopecoop.org.au

The Shape of Hope

ALL PROCEEDS WILL SUPPORT THE LIVING SUPPORT FUND!

This very special collection of stories is a collaborative effort to share the perspectives of people involved in the beginnings of the Hope Co-Op. Many of the students who share their stories in this book have or are still being supported by the Living Support Fund.

Reading it will help you learn about the human impacts of government policy, and about what various people, including young people seeking asylum, are doing to change things. It is a book for many occasions, from just a good read through to a rich resource for schools and book groups.

You can purchase the book here Book orders: Shape of HOPE | HOPE (hopecoop.org.au)

100% of your money will go towards:

  • supplying a yearly transport card, to make sure students never have to miss classes or lectures because of transport costs.
  • helping when financial crises arise, with emergency food and living costs
  • helping with the costs of university text books
  • giving a student a small but reliable contribution towards regular rent, bills and food expenses.

 

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