Scholarships

Hills Grammar offers a number of Scholarships to students entering Year 7 in the following areas: 

• Academic 
• Strive for Excellence | Music

The purpose of the Hills Grammar Scholarship Program is to provide a diverse range of young people with the benefits and opportunities of a Hills Grammar education.  Our program identifies students who demonstrate the qualities and values outlined in our school character statement combined with outstanding academic ability and/or outstanding achievement in Strive for Excellence | Music. The program nurtures their talents to ensure each student reaches their full potential. 

Scholarships awarded cover all or part of the student’s tuition fees. The award of a Scholarship is at the discretion of the Principal and is renewable annually for the duration of senior schooling, depending on satisfactory conduct, attitude, and progress. Scholars are expected to apply themselves diligently to their studies and be actively involved in the wider life of the School. 

Scholarship Application Process

• Hills Grammar Scholarship Application Form – All students applying for a Hills Grammar Scholarship are required to complete a scholarship application form.
• Register for Scholarship exam – Once the application form is complete, candidates will be directed to our partner site, Academic Assessment Services, where they must register and make payment for the Scholarship exam. Please note that without this registration students will not be eligible to be considered for a Hills Grammar scholarship. Candidates are advised to click through to the Academic Assessment Services registration site as soon as they have completed their online Scholarship application form.
• Strive for Excellence – Submit additional information as required in the application form including a three-minute video that supports a student’s suitability for a Scholarship in music. 
• Scholarship exam – All students are required to sit the Academic Scholarship exam. Students are assessed in the following areas: abstract reasoning and problem-solving; mathematics; reading comprehension; and written expression. The tasks measure how a child performs in relation to the cohort sitting the exam.
• It is School policy that individual scholarship results are NOT available to parents. We are unable to share scholarship results with other schools.

Offer of Scholarship

Unregistered candidates will not be allowed to sit the examination and will not be considered for placement. Candidates who have not made payment for the Scholarship exam via the Academic Assessment Services website will not be able to sit the examination. Scholarships are only open to Australian citizens and Permanent Residents.  Separate to the Scholarship process, external candidates are encouraged to lodge a paid application with the School. 

Inquiries should be directed to the Scholarships email or the Enrolments Office

Scholarship Criteria / Strive for Excellence | Music Scholarship 

To apply for a Strive for Excellence | Music Scholarship, candidates are asked to nominate and provide details of the main instrument in which they excel via the Hills Grammar Scholarship Application form together with the submission of a three-minute video that supports their suitability for a scholarship. Applicants must also provide the name and contact details of at least one referee who can attest to their abilities and experience in their chosen area of excellence - eg their current Music tutor. The Student's school teacher is not suitable to act as a referee. As a general guide, applicants are required to be involved in their chosen area both within a School and an external setting and to provide evidence of exceptional commendations or achievements. 

Strive for Excellence | Music Scholars must be at an advanced level on their chosen instrument/voice, commensurate with their age, and in regular lessons with a qualified tutor. Generally, applicants will be studying at or above AMEB Level 4/5, but for sought-after instruments (Tuba, French Horn, Oboe, Viola, Double Bass) a lower threshold may be considered. The instrument type and/or vocal development will be taken into consideration by the selection panel in assessing applicants. The ability to play two instruments will be highly regarded.

All Strive for Excellence applicants are required to meet a minimum level of academic achievement as determined via the result of the scholarship exam.

Year 7 2025 | Scholarship Timeline | Due to overwhelming demand, applications have now closed

• Wednesday 1 November 2023 – Applications Open
• Friday 15 December 2023 – Due to overwhelming demand - Applications have now closed
• Thursday 15 February 2024 – Scholarship Test
• Late March – early April – Interview process
• Mid April – Offers made
• May – Acceptances due