Does Shalom Gamarada receive any Government or University funding?

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We receive considerable support from the University by way of UNSW Scholarships and UNSW Philanthropy and we regard students on a UNSW scholarship as being part of the Gamarada program. We also current receive two government sponsored scholarships for medical students. One is from the Western NSW Local Health District and the other from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District. 

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Are the medical, law and other graduates under any obligation to provide their qualified services to their own original community or any other Indigenous community?

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This is not a contractual requirement, however community involvement is an important part of the selection process.

 

The name “Shalom Gamarada” suggests a Jewish influence on this program. What is the Jewish connection to this program and are the scholarship recipients under any obligation to abide by Jewish customs or diet?

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Shalom College was founded through the goodwill and generosity of members of the Jewish community. But the college is non-denominational and operates as a secular residential facility and not-for-profit organisation. Residents include people of a range of faiths and our Indigenous scholarship recipients become part of a diverse and supportive community of students. 

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What evidence of Indigenous descent/aboriginality is required for students to qualify to receive scholarship funding?

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All applicants must meet the Commonwealth of Australia definition of Aboriginality which includes the following three elements:

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1. Each must be able to demonstrate that s/he is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent;

2. Each must identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person; and

3. Each must be accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person by the community of which s/he is a member.