Playford Trust

Playford Trust scholarships and awards aim to help students make the most of their studies, achieve their potential and contribute to South Australia’s knowledge, skills and research base. Playford Trust are thrilled to announce new partnerships and even more scholarships: 

Since releasing the Playford Trust’s university scholarships for 2026, we are thrilled to announce new partnerships and even more scholarships.

  • University residential college Aquinas has joined us in offering a first-year residential scholarship for rural and regional students studying STEM subjects in Adelaide.
  • The Commonwealth Hill Trust is providing four scholarships of $5000 each to students from rural and regional South Australia entering their first year of university. Applicants with an interest in the various areas of primary production and supporting technologies/sciences are particularly encouraged to apply.
  • A new Dean Brown agricultural scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding first-year student from either the metropolitan area, regional or rural South Australia who has enrolled in Agricultural Science, Agribusiness or a comparable discipline at the Adelaide University.
  • The Show Society Foundation will now support three second or third-year students studying a science-related degree in subjects contributing to the advancement of agriculture in South Australia.
  • A new Resources Engineering Scholarship is being offered to students ready to commence a third or fourth-year Engineering degree in any core engineering discipline, specialising in mining or energy resources at Adelaide University or Flinders University. Ten scholarships valued at $10,000 each are now available. Our partners for 2026 are BHP, Hillgrove Resources, Iluka Resources, Peak Iron Mines, Santos and the South Australian Government through the Department of Energy and Mining.
  • Seeley International is offering a $10,000 scholarship for an outstanding student enrolled in Honours or Masters by Research in various engineering disciplines, artificial intelligence or computer science with a focus on innovative air-conditioning.

Application Guidelines

  • You must apply through the Online Playford Trust Scholarships and Awards Platform.
  • Create an individual user ID and password to access the platform and submit your application.
  • You can save and edit your application as you go for later completion and submission. If necessary, you can also edit your application after you submit it, up to the closing date.
  • You may apply for more than one scholarship or award, provided you meet the selection criteria. However, the Playford Trust will only award a single scholarship or award to any one applicant.

University Scholarships

  • You will need to upload your transcript, or for first-year scholarship applicants, your Record of Achievement and your Tertiary Entrance Statement.
  • As part of the application process, it is essential that the Trust receives your academic reference before the closing date for applications.
  • Once you have submitted your application, we will contact your referee asking for a statement. Your academic referee must be your current supervisor or a senior academic, such as the dean of school or senior lecturer. If applying for a first-year scholarship, a suitable referee would be your school principal, an assistant principal, or a relevant senior member of staff. They will be required to provide supporting comments about your achievements, character and leadership potential.
  • You will be prompted to contact the academic referee you are nominating before you submit your application. Make sure you let them know, in advance, to expect an email from the Playford Trust. Also suggest they check their junk mail.

TAFE SA Awards

  • It is essential that we receive your referee contact details, but references will only be sought for finalists.

The Trust has many other funding opportunities on offer. Applications for more than 70 University scholarships are now open and will close on Friday 16 January 2026. Visit our Scholarships page to see the full list. We look forward to receiving your application.