On 21 and 28 August 2014 over 30 Year 11 and 12 AIEF Scholarship Students attended AIEF Tertiary Experience Days in Brisbane and Sydney. These days provided an opportunity for students to visit university campuses to learn about options available for Indigenous students who want to study at university and the support services available to them. Students met with Indigenous Support and Recruitment units, visited residential colleges and student villages, and heard from AIEF Alumni about their experiences transitioning from high school to university.
In Brisbane students visited the Oodgeroo unit at the Queensland University of Technology, the Gumurrii unit at Griffith University and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies unit at the University of Queensland, as well as Kelvin Grove Student Village at QUT and Emmanuel College at UQ.
In Sydney students visited the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and its Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, The University of Sydney and Nura Gili at The University of New South Wales (UNSW). The tour also included Yura Mudang, UTS residential college; Wesley College; and Shalom College.
All the students who attended found the experience worthwhile. One student commented that it was a very useful exposure to university life, what to expect, and how to make the most of the opportunities that are available. Students appreciated the insight they received into living on campus and enjoyed hearing from AIEF Alumni about their journeys, including two Year 11 students who said the presentations had inspired them to change their study habits to get the marks they needed to pursue further study.
