BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship Program
This scholarship aims to increase the opportunities available to people who are blind or vision impaired to participate in tertiary and further education.
This scholarship is open to anyone currently enrolled in, or planning on enrolling in, a post-secondary study program. Scholarship amounts of up to $5,000 are awarded to support students in their studies.
Applications for this round of scholarships have closed.
On this page you can find more information about:
- 2026 Recipients
- Eligibility criteria
- Application assessment
- Scholarship award details
- Preparing your application
- More about the program
- Contact details for more information
This program is proudly funded by the Jeffrey Blyth Foundation.
2026 Scholarship Recipients
- Eric Seery
- Kateryn O’Toole
- Maria Siddiquee
- Will Short
Comments from the 2026 scholarship recipients:
“This scholarship is incredibly meaningful to me as a blind student studying psychology while also pursuing training in nutrition and fitness. My goal is to combine these fields to help people build healthier, more sustainable lifestyles while advocating for greater accessibility and inclusion. This support helps ease financial pressure and allows me to stay focused on creating a positive impact in the community.”
“I am incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship, which will allow me to purchase a new laptop and communication equipment to support my Bachelor of Counselling studies. This support gives me the confidence to achieve my goals, gain valuable skills and in turn, give back to the life of BCA.”
“This scholarship ensures I can balance both my academic and athletic goals to pursue my career and complete my Deacon University exercise and sports science degree.”
“Being awarded this scholarship strengthens my capacity to continue my university studies with purpose and momentum, allowing me to turn my lived experience and academic learning into meaningful advocacy for our blind and low vision community.”
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for consideration for the scholarship recipients must:
- Be a full member of BCA (membership forms available here).
- Provide evidence of enrolment or an acceptance letter for a post-secondary educational program that results in a recognised qualification (Internship and Graduate Program applicants may apply while waiting for confirmation of acceptance; with Scholarship awarded on successful application).
- Not be a current BCA staff member or Director (board member).
Application assessment
Applications will be assessed by the following criteria:
- The course of study is a logical trajectory for the student’s skills, interests, and goals.
- The potential of the scholarship is to enhance the ability to successfully complete the program of study.
Scholarship recipients will receive:
- Recognition of personal ambition, promoted and celebrated through organisational channels
- Alumni network of support
- BCA support and/or advocacy as appropriate to ensure their study is accessible to them
- Support for their place of study to further develop its institutional accessibility and inclusion by utilising BCA’s expertise, advice and/or resources
- Pathway to BCA leadership and/or committee roles
- Access to BCA programs to support their study and skills development
- Financial support up to $5000 to assist with study-related expenses.
Preparing Your Application
All applications must be submitted using the BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship application form. This form will be made available when applications open on the 21st of January 2026.
Please note that for your application to be complete, you must also do the following:
- Upload a signed Authority to Release / Exchange Information form to confirm your enrolment with your place of study,
- Upload at least two references, and
- Prepare answers to open-ended questions.
You can review the application guidelines via the scholarship pre-application guidance document
Please Note: This document is for preparation work only; we will only accept final applications made via the BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship application form, which will be emailed to you once your eligibility has been confirmed.
About the BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship Program
This program is funded by the Jeffrey Blyth Foundation, Each scholarship is for educational expenses of up to $5000.
Each semester will have a separate application and awarding process. Scholarship recipients will be funded for one semester only.
Program Objectives
The BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarships Program has two key objectives:
- To increase the opportunities available to people who are blind or vision impaired to participate in tertiary/further education, by offering financial assistance.
- To raise the awareness of mainstream education providers of the valuable contributions and unique perspectives people who are blind or vision impaired offer to education and training.
Blind Citizens Australia, (BCA) is strongly committed to ensuring people who are blind or vision impaired have opportunities to develop skills that equip them to contribute to the social, economic, and cultural life of Australian communities.
Need more information?
For more information, please contact Layal Hage via email at layal.hage@bca.org.au or by calling 1800 033 660.