15 places
Close 16 Oct 2026
Scholarship opportunity · IB World School · Northern Rivers NSW
Living Academy Scholarships
Small classes. Six-week terms. A week off between. A campus on Southern Cross University grounds. Full-tuition scholarships now open for 2027 entry.
Applications close 16 October 2026 · Book a conversation first
Twenty minutes with our Head of Academy. No essays. No form to book. Just a conversation.
Limited places · 2027 entry · Domestic scholarships
15 full-tuition scholarships available for 2027
Two pathways, each for two years: the Expeditionary Years (Years 9–10) and the IB Diploma (Years 11–12). We meet families first — then invite the right young people to apply.
- Close 16 October 2026
- Expeditionary Years · Y9–10
- IB Diploma · Y11–12
- Only IB on the Northern Rivers
If this is why you clicked
Your child is capable of more than being one of 30+ in a room
- Looking for a quieter, sharper classroom.
- Looking for a cohort that wants to learn.
- Looking for a school built around them — not the other way around.
We built the alternative — on a university campus, with kindness as the foundation.
And if you are the young person reading this: we are looking for curious, kind, independent thinkers — across arts, sciences, humanities, languages and leadership — ready for challenge with meaning.
What makes us different
Living Academy, on purpose
Not a louder version of a conventional school. A deliberate design for young people who want depth, belonging and stretch.
Small on purpose
Academy classes are capped at 20; every student is known, and on first-name terms with their teachers. Senior classes are capped at 15. There is nowhere to disappear — and no one who wants to.
Six-week terms, one week off between
We do not run eleven-week terms. Better learning happens in six-week blocks. Young people do not burn out, families breathe, and learning stays sharp.
A campus inside a university
Living Academy sits on Southern Cross University’s East Lismore campus. Quiet bush, a lake, big trees, world-class facilities. Students step into a university environment from 14.
The only IB Diploma programme in the Northern Rivers
Universities worldwide know the IB — Oxford, Cambridge, ANU, Melbourne and thousands more. Living Academy is the first and only school in the region offering it.
Kindness is the foundation
If your child has been wrestling with the schoolyard as much as the classroom, this is a different kind of place — rigorous, and human.
Years 9 & 10 · The Expeditionary Years Scholarship
Where the classroom moves 17 times a year
We call Year 9 and Year 10 the Expeditionary Years because they are. Six major expeditions and eleven camps are built into the two-year model — a sustained sequence, a modern rite of passage, not a single bolt-on trip.
Full tuition for two years. Whole-school camps and whole-year expeditions included. Optional programmes such as Arnhem Land sit outside the scholarship.
Some of the expeditions
* Arnhem Land is an optional programme, not covered by the scholarship. Total expedition kilometres across the two years can be confirmed on your call with Jake.
Years 11–12 · The IB Diploma Scholarship
The only IB Diploma programme in the Northern Rivers
The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a two-year senior programme taken in place of the HSC. Students study six subjects across languages, sciences, mathematics and the arts, alongside three core components: an independent research essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity, Service.
It is designed to produce young people who can think for themselves, argue from evidence, and hold complexity without flinching. Universities know this — which is why the IB is recognised at Oxford, Cambridge, ANU, Melbourne and thousands of institutions across more than a hundred countries.
The IB Diploma Scholarship covers full tuition for the two-year programme at Living Academy, on our Southern Cross University campus in East Lismore.
“We moved our family 1,800 km from Victoria to enrol our three kids in the Living School.”Living School parent
How this works
A conversation first, an application second
Most families find us by radio, word of mouth, or a quiet search for something better. We would rather meet you than make you fill a form cold.
Book a 20-minute call
With Jake, Head of Academy
Choose a time that suits you. On a phone is fine — most families are.
We talk honestly
Fit before paperwork
Ask whatever you need. We are clear about whether Living Academy is the right stretch for your child — and when it is not.
We send the scholarship application
Only if it feels right
We want to meet you first. If the fit is there, you receive the written application and we walk you through it.
Exam and interview
Later in the process
Shortlisted applicants sit a scholarship examination and an academic interview. We assess how you think — and whether our model is the right stretch. We support families throughout.
Office hours 8:00–4:30, Monday to Friday. No essays required to book.
Common questions
Scholarship FAQ
Why do you call it the Expeditionary Years Scholarship?
Because that is what Year 9 and Year 10 actually are here. Six major expeditions and eleven camps built into two years, not bolted on. The scholarship funds those years and everything that happens in them.
Do I need to apply before we talk?
No. The call is a conversation to get to know each other, not part of the application. You decide whether to apply afterwards.
What is the application deadline?
Friday 16 October 2026, for 2027 entry.
Is the scholarship really full tuition?
Yes — the full two years. Year 9 and 10 for the Expeditionary Years Scholarship, or Year 11 and 12 for the IB Diploma Scholarship. Whole-school camps and whole-year expeditions are included. The only things not covered are some optional programmes (for example Arnhem Land) and a personal laptop.
My child isn’t a maths or science kid. Can they still apply?
Yes. We are looking for curious, kind, independent young people across any area of strength — arts, humanities, languages, leadership, sciences and beyond.
Does the Expeditionary Years Scholarship continue into the IB?
It covers Years 9 and 10. If your child then chooses the IB Diploma for Years 11 and 12, they can apply for the IB Diploma Scholarship — that is a separate application and selection process at that point.
Where exactly are you?
On Southern Cross University’s East Lismore campus. Most of our families travel from Lismore, Goonellabah, Lennox Head, Ballina, Wardell, Clunes, Dunoon and as far north as Suffolk Park. Private buses run on several routes — we can talk you through what is available.
Will my child be ready for university after the IB?
Yes. The IB is deliberately structured towards university-level study, and some higher-level courses touch on first-year undergraduate topics. What matters most are the study skills your child builds across Years 11 and 12 — research, writing, time and independent thought.
How does Living Academy compare to other schools?
We are deliberately different. Locally, two things stand out: no other school in the region runs an expedition programme on this scale, and we are the first and currently only school in the Northern Rivers offering the IB Diploma.
What is the IB Diploma?
The International Baccalaureate is a global leader in international education, developing inquiring, knowledgeable, confident and caring young people. At Living Academy it is taken in place of the HSC. More at ibo.org.
Eligibility
Domestic scholarships | international welcome as full-fee
Scholarships are available to Australian citizens, permanent residents, New Zealand citizens (SCV 444), and other visa types permitting domestic enrolment (contact us to confirm).
Students on subclass 500 student visas are not eligible for scholarship under current Australian visa rules. Living School welcomes full-fee international applications — email enrolments@living.school.
This is not school as usual. This is education designed for the world ahead.Living Academy | Scholarships 2027
If you are interested in either scholarship
Start with a conversation
Twenty minutes with Jake, our Head of Academy. We will be honest about fit — and glad you found us.
Office hours 8:00–4:30, Monday to Friday · Closes 16 October 2026
enrolments@living.school | Application form (after your call) | Living Academy
After your conversation · Written application
Scholarship application form
Prefer to talk first? Book a call with Jake. If you have already spoken with us, complete the form below. You can save and resume at each stage.
Applications close 16 October 2026 for 2027 entry. Questions? enrolments@living.school | (02) 5632 1218