A message from the Chairman of Trustees and  the Headmaster

It is indeed a pleasure to present to you some information regarding Grammar’s range of Scholarships and Fee Assisted places on offer upon entry to the School. These avenues are generous and intended to make it possible for any boy, regardless of his family’s financial circumstances, to attend Sydney Grammar School and to thrive in the educational landscape we offer. The School has historically enjoyed its embrace of diversity, be that diversity of population through to our diversity of thought.

At Grammar, the life of the mind is at the core of all we do, with academic and intellectual rigour a profound element of the School’s approach to education. That rigour extends itself organically to our dedication to music, to sport and to the broader co-curricular life, all vitally supported by a strong network of enduring pastoral care. This rich educational experience allows boys to emerge as young, informed and articulate contributors to society who become greater than the sum of their apparent parts.

Our dedication to a Grammar education is deeply held, and thus we feel that it should be available to any young man who would value what we offer here. Should you read the pages which follow and feel you would like to make a contribution to our programs to make such access possible for future Grammar boys, I would love to hear from you.

Our Scholarship programme

Recognised as one of the largest scholarship programmes in Australia, Sydney Grammar School offers up to twenty academic scholarships every year as well as a number of fee-assisted places. This assistance creates a unique opportunity for bright, engaged boys with a love of learning and a curiosity about the world to gain access to a Grammar education and all that we have on offer to produce the purposeful and kind young renaissance men we have moulded for generations.

The programme can be broadly segmented into three areas:

• Outright scholarships
• Means-based scholarships
• Fee-assisted places

In large part, this assistance is made possible through the generosity of those who have been, or still are, associated with the School and who are committed to upholding and promoting the unique educational ideals that are embodied at Grammar. Our scholarship programmes and fee assisted places form an integral part of the fabric and character of the School.

GFK Santow Scholarship

A scholarship established by the Trustees in 2008 in memory of Justice Kim Santow (SGS 1955–1957), Trustee 1984–1994, Chairman of Trustees 1995–1996.

Pictured is Justice Kim Santow
Courtesy of the University of Sydney Archives, REF-00014057

A word from David Gonski about the value of scholarships

I have a very personal view on the benefits of scholarships.

My late father, Alexander, came from a family who were not wealthy and he had a dream of becoming a brain surgeon. He achieved this only with the assistance of two scholarships.

The scholarships allowed him to achieve his goal and to help the multitude of people who were his patients over a 40 year career. It also allowed him to give my siblings and myself a secure and happy life – including in the case of my brothers and I, an education at Sydney Grammar School.

I have no doubt that if you want to improve the life of a young person, there is no better way than by donating for scholarships at excellent institutions like Sydney Grammar School.  By doing so, one can make dreams come true and provide enormous benefit to the individual, many members of their family and their community.  My family’s story is testament to this.

Our latest Rhodes Scholar

Corey Blyth (OS 2019)

I know first-hand that scholarships can and do have a transformative impact.

Without a means-tested scholarship, my education at Sydney Grammar School would not have been financially possible. That education allowed me to challenge myself academically, participate in exciting co-curricular offerings, create and sustain friendships, and develop the skills needed to succeed at university.

After graduating from Sydney Grammar School, I completed a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of New South Wales. These degrees have taken me inside courtrooms and barristers’ chambers, to events throughout Australia, and to other places that I never dreamt were possible. I will now be continuing my studies at the University of Oxford on a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

I am forever grateful to the private donors who contributed to the scholarship scheme at Sydney Grammar School. My education there was life-changing, and facilitated my journey from a public primary school to a world-renowned university. It has allowed me to contribute more ably to society and has encouraged me to set new goals. I will not hesitate to donate to the scheme myself if I am ever in the position to do so.