Australian Indigenous Education Foundation

The Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) is a private sector led non-profit organisation focused on empowering Indigenous children in financial need to build a future through quality education and careers.

 

AIEF is a product of strong partnership between the Australian Government and the private sector and has deep and broad support from all layers of the Australian community.

 

At AIEF, we believe that marginalised Indigenous children in financial need should have access to some of the leading schools and universities and pursue productive and fulfilling career opportunities with some of the leading companies in the country.

 

Our goal is to support the education of over 2,000 Indigenous children to empower them to realise their potential, break the cycle of poverty, take responsibility for their own future, and become leaders and role models to serve their communities and the common good. 

 

We make this happen through our two interconnected and innovative core strategies:

 

The AIEF Scholarship Program  –  a joint venture with individual, philanthropic and corporate supporters, with matched funding from the Australian Government, to provide boarding school and residential college scholarships for Indigenous students in financial need. This program enables Indigenous children to attend some of the leading schools and universities in the country, which offer a world-class education to equip students for life in the 21st century; and

 

The AIEF Pathways Program  –  working with AIEF’s major corporate partners and others to assist well-educated Indigenous school leavers move from school to tertiary study and leading companies for meaningful careers.

 

The Australian Government has committed $22 million to the AIEF Scholarship Program to match another $22 million raised by AIEF from individual, philanthropic and corporate investors, to create a $44 million scholarship fund which is being invested and distributed for Indigenous scholarships over a 20 year period.  The AIEF Pathways Program is also supported by the Australian Government in collaboration with the private sector.