$6m gift to UNSW opens the door for refugee students

The HMJ Sassafras Scholarship covers tuition, accommodation and living costs for students from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds.

A donation of $6 million to UNSW Sydney will fund a scholarship for young people from displaced backgrounds to access tertiary education.

The HMJ Sassafras Scholarship, established through a gift from a local retired medical practitioner, will provide full tuition, accommodation and living costs for eligible commencing undergraduate students across UNSW in any degree program.

The idea for the scholarship came after the donor read a newspaper article about Year 12 students with refugee status who wanted to go to university but couldn’t access the same funding available to other students.

UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said the scholarship not only provided students from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds with knowledge, but also dignity, belonging and the chance to build a meaningful future.

“At UNSW, we see firsthand how access to higher education changes lives. For displaced individuals, the opportunity to study is the beginning of a ripple effect that extends to their families, communities, and society,” Prof. Brungs said.

“The name of this scholarship was inspired by the resilient sassafras tree. Like the tree, which grows deep, firm roots, the HMJ Sassafras Scholarship gives students a solid foundation in their education and life, helping them flourish and achieve the goals they once thought were out of reach.”

Applications for the scholarship are open until 18 June 2026 for undergraduate studies commencing in term three of 2026.

For one UNSW student, Mahmoud Qaddorah, the opportunity to study at university once felt out of reach.

Mahmoud arrived in Australia in 2019 and learnt English while completing high school. He focused on his studies and speaking English with the dream of going to university in Australia but then found out he'd have to pay international student fees, which made university seem impossible.

With encouragement and help from his English teacher, he applied for a UNSW scholarship for refugee students, and is now in his second year of a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.

“Getting the scholarship was one of the most life-changing things that has happened to me,” Mahmoud said.

“It gave me the opportunity to focus on what truly matters – learning, growing, and fully committing to my studies. It also gave me the confidence to believe that I belong at university and can aim higher for my future, and I’m now looking forward to gaining real-world experiences through internships and work experiences.”

His message for other young people from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds is to “put all your effort into your education and don’t assume you won’t succeed”.

“A lot of people hold themselves back because they think opportunities aren’t for them. But if you don’t apply, you’ve already decided the outcome. Take the chance – it can change your life.”

Support beyond tuition

The HMJ Sassafras Scholarship aims to help students from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds on temporary visas access higher education at UNSW.

Each Scholarship will include:

• full tuition fees
• $10,000 per annum stipend
• accommodation support (up to $25,000 per annum paid towards campus accommodation or as a stipend for off-campus support).

The Scholarship will support students for the full length of their undergraduate degree at UNSW.