The Australian Indigenous Education foundation: Supporting Indigenous young people through access to quality education and career support

The Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) was established in 2008 to remove financial barriers hindering Indigenous students and their families from choosing a quality boarding school education. Under a family and school-led model, AIEF provides co-funding to enable Indigenous students to complete Year 12 or tertiary studies at an AIEF Partner School.

Consistent with the principle of self-determination, AIEF responds to self-generated demand from Indigenous families. Families choose a school themselves, initiate the enrolment application process and financially contribute to the school fees. The rationale for AIEF’s existence is to empower Indigenous families and communities to make key decisions affecting their own family, including how and where their children are educated.

Backed by some of Australia’s most influential business, media, philanthropic and community leaders, AIEF has grown from one scholarship student in 2008 to now supporting over 1,500 young Indigenous people from over 400 communities in every state and territory of Australia.

AIEF’s impact is reflected in the consistently strong outcomes achieved by students and alumni. Each year, more than 90 per cent of AIEF Scholarship Students successfully complete Year 12 or tertiary studies. In addition, since inception over 90 per cent of AIEF Alumni have transitioned into productive career pathways after finishing secondary school or university. These results underscore AIEF’s enduring commitment to support young Indigenous Australians with opportunities to shape a brighter future for themselves and for our nation.

Our approach
Bringing together the government and private sector, AIEF provides scholarship funding for Indigenous students to complete Year 12 or tertiary studies, with career support to help them make a successful transition to employment.

The AIEF Scholarship Program provides financial support through scholarship funding for Indigenous students to pursue their education at leading Australian boarding schools and universities.

AIEF Pathways complements the AIEF Scholarship Program by providing career development support to enable AIEF Scholarship Students to make a successful transition from school or university to further studies or employment.

Community demand
AIEF provides scholarship funding to enable Partner Schools to respond to the increasing demand from Indigenous families and increase the number of Indigenous boarders at their schools.

Most boarding schools in Australia with Indigenous education programs had been engaged in this field for many years before AIEF was established. These boarding schools identified that expansion was constrained, and a scholarship provider was critical for growing their programs. This was due to difficulties in accessing external funds to pay for their Indigenous education programs and the financial cost already being absorbed by schools themselves.

AIEF sought to address this issue and support schools to increase the number of Indigenous boarders to help address scholarship demand from Indigenous families and communities.

Almost 20 years on, with overwhelming unmet demand for scholarship places from families across the country, AIEF works to expand networks and advocate for more sustainable funding solutions to increase the number of scholarships available.

Educational partners
Each AIEF Partner School’s Indigenous education program is led and run autonomously by the school itself, and they enrol Indigenous students through a variety of different programs, organisations and funding arrangements. This approach to Indigenous education is what AIEF calls a “family and school-led” model. This acknowledges that each Partner School is independent, with differences in culture, local context, historical origins, values, beliefs, teaching styles, leadership, ethos and approaches to Indigenous culture, education, pastoral care, parental engagement and student support.

Through hard work, determination and commitment, AIEF Scholarship Students achieve magnificent results. Behind every student’s success is a network of parents, families, teachers, boarding teams and school staff who not only care for students but believe in them.

Career support
AIEF has a focus on supporting Indigenous students to not only achieve exceptional outcomes in education and complete Year 12, but to also equip students and alumni with the skills and networks needed to navigate the transition from school to further studies or the job market.

Whether a student is interested in continuing onto university education, pursuing an apprenticeship, or directly entering the workforce, through participation in AIEF Pathways they are given the tools and support needed to make informed, confident choices.

Working with alumni and Major Corporate Partners, AIEF facilitates site visits, work placements, internships, mentoring, guest speakers and interactions with senior leaders, among other activities, to provide exposure to the changing world of work and assist in building knowledge, skills and attitudes.

External evaluation
Using a substantial amount of data collected over a decade, AIEF engaged KPMG to independently evaluate its program outcomes. The evaluation report details the outcomes and impact of AIEF’s programs for individual students, their families, schools and the wider community. Key findings include:

• AIEF students are 2.3 times more likely to complete Year 12 than the overall Indigenous population.
• AIEF Year 12 graduates are four times as likely to go to university than the overall Indigenous population.
• Financial barriers insurmountable without AIEF: For the largest share of AIEF Scholarship Students’ families, household income was A$40,000 or below per year.

The report also found other positive impacts among AIEF Alumni and AIEF Partner Schools, including:

• Ripple effects within Indigenous families, as involvement in AIEF programs inspired other family members to seek out similar opportunities.
• Involvement of Indigenous families in school activities.
• Involvement of AIEF Alumni in community and leadership activities.
• Increased leadership skills and confidence among AIEF Alumni.

The report concluded that AIEF works effectively within the ecosystem of Indigenous education to broaden sources of funding and facilitate educational access to high-performing schools, improving the lifetime social and economic wellbeing of participating students and their communities.

Jerome’s story
The power of quality education is demonstrated through the achievements of some of AIEF’s earliest graduates. At 13 years old, proud Kalkadoon Man and descendant of the Waanyi, Lardil, Gangalidda and Pitta Pitta peoples, Jerome received an AIEF Scholarship to attend Marist College Ashgrove in Brisbane more than 1,800km from his home in Mount Isa.

“It moved my life in a different direction,” says Jerome. “It opened up opportunities that I might not have otherwise had.”

With the support of his family, school and AIEF, Jerome completed Year 12 in 2013. At university, he majored in Indigenous studies, graduating with a deep commitment to community-led change.

“What I want to do in life is ensure that what I’ve learned can benefit our people,” says Jerome. “I’ve always wanted to work on Indigenous policy – to have an Indigenous person helping shape policy that reflects and benefits our people.”

Over the past decade, Jerome has worked across the Federal Government, Queensland Government, and the private sector. He is now an Assistant Director at the National Indigenous Australians Agency, based in his home community of Mount Isa.

“It means a lot to be engaging with and working alongside the communities that shaped me. I want to contribute to creating systems where our people can lead and drive change in their own lives and careers.”

Jerome sees the growing power and potential of the AIEF Alumni network to support other AIEF Scholarship Students along their path.

“I’m proud to celebrate the excellence and opportunity that AIEF has created – not just for me, but for my family, my community and other First Nations students. Their support doesn’t end at school, it carries through into our careers and futures.”

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