Indigenous Support Program

All Australian universities receive funding each year from the Australian Government through its Indigenous Support Program (ISP), administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The objective of the ISP is to assist universities to meet the special needs of Indigenous Australian students and advance the goals of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy. To be eligible to receive ISP funding institutions must demonstrate to the DEEWR annually that they are:

1. implementing strategies to improve access, participation, retention and success of Indigenous Australian students;
2. including Indigenous people in their decision-making processes;
3. pursuing and Indigenous employment strategy.

All Australian universities have Indigenous support/education centres and are expected to support the operation of the centres with their ISP funding. At the University of Sydney the Koori Centre and Yooroang Garang Indigenous Student Support Unit are recognised by DEEWR as Sydney’s Indigenous support centres.[1] Universities are required to report annually on the funds allocated to support their Indigenous support centres. More information can be accessed from the DEEWR Indigenous Support Program (ISP) webpage.