The Aspen Medical Foundation has announced its scholarships for 2025. In all, 16 scholarships have been granted across Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, totaling $162,500.

Aspen Medical's Social Impact Manager Mel Broers said: "It is great to see our scholarship program expanding into Fiji. By offering scholarships in postgraduate qualifications, we will help build and strengthen the Fiji health system. 

"The great thing about our program is that we focus on supporting scholars through their entire qualification journey and even onto their next qualification. Lexie Mitchell is a great example of this; we provided her with a scholarship through her Bachelor of Nursing and Critical Care Nursing certificate, and now we will support her through her Doctor of Medicine.

"It is so wonderful to watch these inspiring people continue to grow."

The Aspen Medical Foundation offers health-related scholarships through two focused programs:

Scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

This program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples already enrolled in health-related degree programs to alleviate financial burdens and enhance educational opportunities.

Fiji Health Workforce Capacity Scholarship

This scholarship aids nurses at the Aspen Medical-managed public hospitals at Ba and Lautoka in Fiji, enabling them to pursue postgraduate qualifications in critical healthcare areas at Fiji National University.

The full list of 2025 scholarships are as follows:

Australia

• Bailey Carney, Bachelor of Psychological Science, $5000
• Jirrah Nelson, Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Hons)(Diagnostic Radiography), $5000
• University of Newcastle, applications open, $5000
• Charlie Fitzpatrick, Bachelor of Psychological Science, $10,000
• Makaylah Morales, Bachelor of Registered Nursing, $5,000
• Lexie Mitchell, Doctor of Medicine, $10,000
• Julie O’Brien, Bachelor of Social Work, $10,000
• Breanna Carroll, Nursing Unit Manager Leadership Program, $10,000
• Chloe Gidgup, Bachelor of Nursing, $10,000
• Edith Cowan University, applications open, $10,000      
• Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation, applications under review, $22,500

Fiji

• Sera Matai, Diploma in Peri-operative Nursing, $10,000
• Mereani Turagabeci, Diploma in Emergency Nursing, $10,000
• 2 x ACN scholarships, applications open, $30,000

PNG

• Justin Zikilaki, Diploma of Nursing, $10,000 

First Nations Bullwinkel Scholar Breanna Carroll said: "It is an absolute honour to be recognised as a Bullwinkel Scholar for this year. These twenty-two nurses sacrificed so much for our country and profession all whilst showing both bravery and resilience, the great work Vivian Bullwinkel went on to achieve is astonishing and admirable.

“The Bullwinkel scholarship will give me the opportunity to attend the Nurse Unit Managers Leadership program in Sydney which is a wonderful opportunity to enhance my overall professional practice and use this knowledge and skills to provide advanced leadership and professional development to help improve myself, my workplace and care for our community, whilst also supporting my nursing team better."

Including the current cohort, the Aspen Medical Foundation has committed more than $650,000 since the scholarship program commenced in 2016.