The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation, known as QATSIF, is an independent public trust established to provide young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders with a secure funding source for educational bursaries and scholarships.
Education is an important part of a solid foundation for employment and better quality of life; but it is a resource not easily accessed by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. QATSIF was established to give Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families increased educational choices and life opportunities. By providing financial support, QATSIF will help turn around inter-generational legacies of past policies and practices, and help close the gap in educational and employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders.
QATSIF’s initial capital was created through the toil of previous generations of Indigenous Queenslanders. This capital has been invested by QATSIF’s Trustee, the Public Trustee of Queensland, and the annual interest provides an income stream for scholarships and bursaries. In this way, the toil of previous generations will directly benefit the generations that follow, and with additional financial support from the wider community, QATSIF will be enabled to stand as a permanent and positive legacy for the future.