Since 1988, the Society has been presenting Tertiary Bursaries to eligible children of Ithacan heritage who have successfully completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). This initiative, which recognises the achievement of young Ithacans and aims to support their future endeavours, was proposed by Panoyiannis Raftopoulos, a former Executive Committee member, at an Annual General Meeting in 1987.
Initially, two bursaries valued at $500 each were presented to the two VCE graduates with the highest ATAR, but in 1995 the Executive Committee decided to reward all eligible VCE graduates with a bursary.
VCE Bursaries currently available:
- The Panoyianni Raftopoulos VCE Bursaries – there are two $1000 bursaries, plus a gift, for the two students with the highest ATAR.
- The Ithacan Philanthropic Society VCE Bursaries valued at $300 eachplus a gift, – an unlimited number is available
Who is eligible for the VCE Bursaries:
The bursaries are available to the children of financial Active Members of the Society who have been awarded the VCE. The member must be an Active Member for at least two years prior to the application for a bursary. The children of deceased members are eligible to apply.
The applicant must have completed their VCE in the year prior to the award of the bursary.
How to apply:
Applications for the awards are called for in December of the year the applicant completes their VCE.
Applications are called for through the Odysseus Newspaper and the Society’s website.
The closing date for applications is January 31st of the year following the completion of the VCE.
Applications should be forwarded to the Secretary by mail (PO BOX 311 Balwyn North 3104) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The application should be made in writing by the parent who is a member of the Society. Where the parent member is deceased, another person in the family or the child can apply.
A photocopy of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre certification of the ATAR rank must be attached to the application. This information will be kept strictly confidential unless otherwise agreed.