Scholarships at St Catherine’s College: opening doors to opportunity
St Catherine’s College offers residential scholarships for students living at its UWA campus in Perth. Today’s scholarship program continues a much longer St Catherine’s tradition: creating opportunities for talented people to participate fully in university and College life.
Colin Ferreira, UWA Fogarty Scholar, Ali Wardak, St Catherine’s Residential Scholarship recipient, Beazley Medallist Elena Latchem and Fogarty Foundation CEO and alumna Elizabeth Knight at the 2026 St Catherine’s Scholars’ Reception.
Access has been part of our story from the beginning
The story of St Catherine’s began with access. In 1928, the Women’s College Fund Committee began a campaign to establish a residence for women attending The University of Western Australia. Its purpose addressed a very practical barrier to higher education: access to university depended not only on the opportunity to study, but on having somewhere to live and participate in university life.
Women across Western Australia supported the cause, organising bake sales, fetes and garden parties to raise funds for a women’s residence. Plans developed in the 1930s reflected the conviction that women deserved equal access to higher education, although the proposed building did not proceed after government funding was withdrawn.
On 6 March 1946, that ambition became a reality when the University Women’s College opened with its first 32 residents, following almost two decades of work to establish accommodation for women studying at UWA.
The first residents of the University Women’s College in 1946. Eighty years later, the commitment to expanding opportunity continues at St Catherine’s College.
From access to opportunity
St Catherine’s has changed enormously since those first residents arrived. The College is now co-educational, but the idea at the heart of its beginnings remains relevant: talent and potential should be given every opportunity.
Scholarships are one way St Catherine’s puts that idea into practice. The College’s honour boards provide a tangible record of its scholarship tradition. The M.E. Wood Scholarship and Enid Russell Scholarship record recipients from 1981, with other boards recognising recipients of the Graduate Women WA, Jean Rogerson and Joyce Riley Scholarships.
While the scholarships and the community have evolved, the underlying purpose remains: recognising ability, expanding opportunity and helping residents make the most of university life.
Scholarships at St Catherine’s today
Today, St Catherine’s offers a range of residential scholarships recognising academic achievement, leadership and potential for excellence across a range of areas.
Applicants complete one St Catherine’s scholarship application and are considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible. Scholarships vary in value and are awarded as reductions to College fees.
Current and recent scholarship pathways have included St Catherine’s Residential Scholarships alongside Fogarty Residential Scholarships, Residential BPhil Scholarships, Winthrop Residential Scholarships, Graduate Women WA Scholarships and other named scholarships.
St Catherine’s Residential Scholarship recipient Gabriel Yannarakis, who studies a Bachelor of Commerce and Engineering at UWA, at the Scholars’ Reception.
Scholarships are not simply recognition of what someone has already achieved. They can reduce financial barriers to residential college. They can recognise exceptional potential. And they can give residents greater access to the academic, professional and personal opportunities that come from living within an ambitious university community.
An academically ambitious community
Scholarship support sits within a broader culture of academic achievement at St Catherine’s. The College’s annual Scholars’ Dinner is its premier academic event, recognising residents for outstanding academic achievement and connecting them with leaders from academia, research, government, industry, business, health and philanthropy.
In 2026, eight residents from St Catherine’s UWA and Curtin campuses received Academic Excellence Awards across disciplines including medicine, biomedical science, frontier physics, engineering, software, business and accounting.
Kingsley Dixon Award recipient Joe Noble, who studies International Relations and Applied Human Geography, with fellow St Catherine’s residents Thomas Lenette and Stefan Loghin at the Scholars’ Dinner.
The achievements of residents also extend beyond College, with recent St Catherine’s residents receiving significant university and external scholarships and pursuing further study and research in Australia and internationally.
These achievements are part of a broader academic culture: residents living alongside people studying different disciplines hear different perspectives and build connections that can influence where their studies and careers take them.
A culture of access that continues
The meaning of access has changed since the campaign for a women’s residential college began in 1928. Then, the challenge was creating a place for women to live while pursuing a university education.
Today, access can mean reducing financial barriers. It can mean recognising academic potential or leadership. It can mean making residential college possible for someone whose circumstances might otherwise put the experience beyond reach.
St Catherine’s has evolved from a college established to expand opportunities for women at UWA into a diverse, co-educational community across UWA and Curtin. But the principle connecting those different eras is remarkably consistent: opportunity should be opened to people with the potential to make something of it. Inscholarships, that tradition continues today.
2027 scholarship applications
Applications for St Catherine’s College scholarships for 2027 open on 15 September 2026.
The main scholarship round closes on 21 November 2026, with first-round offers made by 4 December 2026, subject to final ATAR results.
Applicants who receive a College offer after 21 November may apply through a later scholarship round, with applications closing 8 January 2027.
Applicants must first have received an offer to St Catherine’s College, while returning residents must have applied for readmission.
One application considers you for all St Catherine’s scholarships for which you are eligible.
Applicants should review the current Scholarship Guide for scholarship values, eligibility requirements, conditions and application information.
Frequently asked questions
What scholarships does St Catherine’s College offer?
St Catherine’s offers residential scholarships recognising academic achievement, leadership and potential for excellence across a range of areas. Scholarship opportunities and eligibility can vary from year to year, so applicants should check the current Scholarship Guide for the latest information.
Can UWA students apply for St Catherine’s scholarships?
Yes. St Catherine’s offers residential scholarships for eligible UWA residents. Eligibility varies by scholarship, so applicants should check the current Scholarship Guide to see which opportunities apply to their circumstances.
Do I need to apply separately for every St Catherine’s scholarship?
No. Applicants submit one scholarship application and are considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible.
When do St Catherine’s College scholarship applications open for 2027?
The main 2027 scholarship round opens on 15 September 2026 and closes on 21 November 2026, with first-round offers made by 4 December 2026, subject to final ATAR results. Applicants who receive a College offer after 21 November may apply in a later round, which closes on 8 January 2027.
Do I need an offer from St Catherine’s before applying for a scholarship?
Yes. New applicants must have received an offer to St Catherine’s College before applying for a scholarship. Returning residents must have applied for readmission.
What is the value of St Catherine’s College scholarships?
St Catherine’s offers some of the most substantial residential scholarship support available on UWA’s College Row. Depending on the scholarship, support can range from partial fee reductions to fully funded accommodation. For example, eligible regional UWA Fogarty Scholars can receive fully funded accommodation at St Catherine’s for the duration of their undergraduate degree, valued at approximately $30,000 per year, while metropolitan Fogarty Scholars can receive a 50% reduction in accommodation fees.
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