About AIEF

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: 

1. 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.

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

The Australian Government has committed $20 million to the AIEF Scholarship Program to match another $20 million being raised by AIEF from individual, philanthropic and corporate investors, to create a $40 million scholarship fund which is being invested and distributed for Indigenous scholarships over a 20 year period.  The AIEF Post-School Pathways Program is also supported by the Australian Government in collaboration with the private sector. 
 

The AIEF Model

AIEF is committed to:

1. A long-term, low-cost and sustainable Indigenous education program in a framework of highly effective management, transparency and accountability.

2. Transparent and detailed reporting through our Annual Reports, which include information about our programs, financial accounts, partner schools and Indigenous students.

3. A low-cost model whereby 15% of income is allocated to AIEF’s operating reserve and 85% is allocated to the AIEF Scholarship Fund, making AIEF one of the lowest-cost and most efficient non-profit organisations in the country.

You can read more about the work and results of AIEF in our Annual Reports.

Proven Results

Retention and Year 12 Attainment

The 2011 Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report by the Productivity Commission reveals that secondary school retention rates for Indigenous students are still well below the average of non-Indigenous students. 

Only 47% of Indigenous students completed their schooling from the beginning of secondary school through to Year 12, while the non-Indigenous rate is around 79%.

The retention and Year 12 attainment rate for Indigenous students AIEF Partner Schools stayed constant at around 84% over the last five years – a significant difference to the national average, which shows the success of the Indigenous programs at AIEF Partner Schools. 

Post-School Destinations

The results of an AIEF survey* in 2009 also showed that the achievements of Indigenous students at AIEF Partner Schools do not stop after they have finished their schooling. At 63%, the majority of students pursue their education at University; the remaining 37% go straight into employment or vocational training.

* The survey was conducted by AIEF in 2009 with Indigenous Year-12 school leavers over the past 10 years at AIEF Partner Schools.