2027 Lived and Living Experience Workforce Scholarship Application

The Collective, in partnership with the VIC Department of Health, is offering scholarships of up to $13,000 to lived and living experience workers to contribute to the course fees for university qualifications.

Who can apply:

Applicants must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen;
work for a state-funded Victorian public mental health, harm reduction or AOD service, including peak bodies, training organisations and services delivered by non-profit organisations;
be employed in a designated lived or living experience role at any level or setting where lived experience of mental illness or psychological distress, AOD Challenges, harm reduction, or being a family member/carer is required;
and be enrolled or eligible to enrol in a university-level qualification for the first semester of the following year.

Instructions:

Before completing this form, please make sure you've read the Application Guide.

Please fill out the form completely before submitting. You can save your progress by selecting the "Save and complete later" option below. You'll be sent an email to remind you to complete the application.

Applications have been extended and will now close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM. No late applications will be accepted.

Need assistance?

Please contact scholarships@sharc.org.au.

Applicant Information

Given Name *

Family Name *

Email Address *

Phone number *

Home Address *

Street address *

City *

State *

Postcode *

Other term used to describe your gender

Do you identify as Aboriginial or Torres Strait Islander? *

Are you an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident or NZ citizen? *

Employment Details

How long have you worked in mental health, harm reduction and/or AOD sector(s)? Please include all roles within your career, including voluntary positions. *

Less than 1 year1-2 years2-5 yearsMore than 5 years

What best describes your primary discipline or the framework used within your current role? *

As a Harm Reduction Peer, are you a member of Harm Reduction VIC or the Fuse Network?

YesNo

Do you currently work in a designated lived and living experience role? *

Yes, Paid PositionYes, Voluntary PositionNo

What is your current position/job title? *

Employer's Name (include Organisation and Service) *

Employer Address (location of usual office preferred) *

Street address *

City *

State *

Postcode *

Supervisor/Manager Full Name *

Supervisor/Manager Email Address *

Scholarship Selection Criteria

Have you received a LLEW University Scholarship within the past 4 years? *

YesNo

Proposed Course Name (including Degree Level) *

University/Institution Name *

Please provide your answers to the Selection Criteria below.

Responses must be 200 words or below. Applications exceeding the 200-word limit will not be accepted.

Additional helpful tips:

Include examples of your personal experiences
Refer to your discipline framework found on the Collective's website.
Write your response within a separate text document and paste it below. This will allow you to easily edit your response and ensure you do not exceed the word limit.
If you need to leave this application, make sure you save the form to complete it later.

Selection Criteria 1: Please outline your volunteer and/or work experience and how it has shaped your understanding of the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) and/or Harm Reduction Sectors.

Selection Question 2: How do you demonstrate the values and principles of the lived and living experience workforce within your practice? Please provide an example of each.

Selection Question 3: As someone who is looking towards leadership roles within the mental health, harm reduction, and/or AoD sector, how would you navigate working with someone with differing world views? *

Selection Question 4: Briefly describe the course you have proposed and how it will strengthen your contribution to the Lived and Living Experience workforce. *

Selection Question 5: What are your professional goals? How do you wish to contribute to LLEW in the future? *

Evidence Submission

Required Evidence

The evidence provided in this section will verify your eligibility for the scholarship program.

Please upload the following in the appropriate fields below. Please include your name within the file name to ensure we can accurately record your eligibility.

Letter of Support from your employer [Link to template]
Current Resume or CV
Proof of Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status
- Australian-issued Birth Certificate
- Australian Passport
- Australian Citizenship Certificate
- NZ Certificate
- Foreign Passport & Visa Grant Letter

Privacy and collection of personal information

The Collective, auspiced by SHARC, collects the personal information and supporting documentation provided with this application for the purpose of assessing eligibility for, and administering, the LLEW University Scholarship Program. This includes information required to verify citizenship or permanent residency status, employment and length of service. Information will only be accessed by authorised personnel involved in administering and assessing scholarship applications and will not be used or disclosed for another purpose unless required or authorised by law. Information will be stored securely and access will be restricted. Supporting identity and eligibility documentation will be securely destroyed when it is no longer required, subject to any applicable legal, contractual or record-keeping requirements. Further information about how SHARC manages personal information is available in SHARC's Privacy Policy.

Proof of Citizenship/Permanent Residency or NZ Citizenship *

Browse

Employer Letter of Support *

Browse

Current Resume or CV *

Browse

Declaration

I declare that:

The information provided within this application to be true and correct.
The text and ideas in this submission are entirely my own. No generative artificial intelligence was used to generate or draft any portion of my responses.
I will advise The Collective, in writing, within 14 days of any change in my circumstances.

I understand that:

I am required to submit the following evidence to support my application via email to scholarships@sharc.org.au: Letter of Support from Manager/LLEW Supervisor; Proof of Australian Citizenship/Permanent Residency or NZ Citizenship; Up-to-date resume
I will be required to agree to the scholarship’s terms and conditions if my application is successful

Do you agree with the above Declaration?

I agreeI disagree

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