Friends of Zainab Scholarship

The Friends of Zainab Scholarship is a scholarship to support refugee students in public schools through the critical two years of their HSC. It aims to encourage the students to seek entrance to university or further training. The Scholarship also supports refugee students in their first two years at university.

The Public Education Foundation is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing life-changing scholarships to young people in public education.

We focus on removing the barriers to achievement created by social and economic disadvantage or discrimination, and on helping particularly talented students to succeed.

Why are we collecting funds?

Education has the power to change lives. Just under 70 percent of young people attend public schools in Australia. Of the students attending public schools in NSW:

• 30 per cent have a language background other than English
• 5.4 per cent are Indigenous
• 4.5 per cent have a disability

These students, their teachers and their families are potential beneficiaries of the Foundation's Scholarships. Studies show that even small interventions such as providing school books or mentoring programs can have life-changing effects.

Key Areas of Expenditure

Our scholarship programs are only limited by the donations we receive. We develop evidence-based scholarship programs to meet the needs of both donors and scholarship recipients. As an example they include helping:

• Talented musicians attend the Conservatorium High School;
• Retention of female students in year 11 and 12 science courses;
• Increase attendance and graduation rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders;
• Fund programs to decrease the isolation experienced by young people in remote areas.

• Give a one-off donation online
• Give a regular donation online