The AIS Athlete Education Scholarship (AES), in partnership with the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, is open to all categorised athletes with a total of $200,000 available to support high performance athletes with their education costs. $50,000 of this fund is available specifically for Para-athletes thanks to the Australian Government's record investment in High Performance sport.

"The combination of sport and study is a winning mix"

AIS Director, Matti Clements

2025 Program recipients and outcomes

The 2025 AES program has awarded scholarships to 65 athletes, 50 able-bodied and 15 para-athletes, representing 22 National Sporting Organisations and 27 tertiary institutions

The benefit of studying whilst a high performance athlete are:

• committing yourself to pursuits that benefit you for life following your athlete career
• providing for the ability to advance your knowledge in a particular field, either as an interest or for future career options
• contributing to your professional development
• providing an alternate experience to accompany your daily training environment and participation in competitions
• providing the ability to inspire and share study experience for the benefit of others, including other athletes

Funding amounts and timeframe

A total funding pool of $200,000 is available for allocation through the Athlete Education Scholarship Program. $150,000 is available to all applicants, with a further $50,000 available to eligible Para-athletes only. The maximum scholarship amount available to any individual is $5,000. Scholarship amounts will be determined by the AIS as part of the assessment process. The amounts may vary between applicants and may not be the full amount applied for.

The unit or course of study for which a Scholarship is awarded, must be successfully completed by 31 December 2025.

Guidelines

Further information

If you have any questions regarding the Athlete Education Scholarship program, please email AthleteEducationScholarship@ausport.gov.au.