Monash University has secured new funding partnerships to strengthen Indigenous business leadership through its Master of Indigenous Business Leadership program.

The award-winning course has attracted major financial support aimed at reducing barriers to higher education for Indigenous Peoples.

A philanthropic gift from the Cybec Foundation will fund 40 full tuition contributions for Indigenous business leaders.

The support will be rolled out across two intakes with 20 students commencing in 2026 and a further 20 in 2027.

Each contribution will fully cover Higher Education Loan Program payments and student amenities fees.

Alongside this, the program has entered a three-year collaboration agreement with Indigenous Business Australia to provide additional student support.

The agreement expands on an existing relationship with Indigenous Business Australia having previously assisted students through travel funding.

Together, these partnerships represent the largest financial investment made into the program since its launch in 2021.

Professor Tristan Kennedy, a proud Noongar man, said the funding demonstrated practical action to address systemic barriers faced by Indigenous students.

"The incredibly generous gift from the Cybec Foundation, coupled with the long-standing support from IBA, recognises the achievement of the MoIBL course, students and graduates alongside meaningful action to address systemic barriers to education," Professor Kennedy said.

"Generating access by reducing financial barriers means Indigenous Australians are more likely to enter and graduate from higher education."

"It allows students to fully focus on their studies and their professional and personal development, acknowledging that their workloads and responsibilities extend not only to themselves, but often to their extended families and the wider community."

Professor Kennedy said financial pressure remained the most common reason Indigenous Australians did not apply for or complete university study.

"Financial difficulty is the most commonly reported reason among Indigenous Australians for why they don't apply for higher education courses in the first instance, and then why they leave university before graduating," he said.

"These two collaborations effectively eliminate this barrier."

MoIBL co-director, Katrina Johnson said strong outcomes from students and graduates had shifted perceptions of Indigenous people in business leadership.

"Our MoIBL students and graduates are demonstrating through the application of their studies in the workplace, business sector and wider community, the unique value they bring," Ms Johnson said.

"Finally, our people are being acknowledged as assets; highly skilled and qualified business leaders with unparalleled intelligence to solve complex problems."

Ms Johnson, a proud Gooreng Gooreng woman, said the program delivered benefits that extended beyond individual graduates.

"Graduates are role models demonstrating to their children, families, and communities the impactful role of education and for our mature-age students, that it's never too late to study," she said.

"And more Indigenous graduates in the workforce can increase cultural sustainability and increase accessibility for Indigenous Peoples to take their rightful place in business and the economy."

Proud Guburn (Kupurn) woman and Distinguished graduate Kyra Galante said financial support remained critical for Indigenous participation in higher education.

"Financial barriers are our greatest challenge; these sponsorships will help our people focus on incorporating Indigenous knowledge into healing our country and addressing climate change, especially as we enter the renewable energy sector," Ms Galante said.

Australia's first established Master of Indigenous Business Leadership is jointly delivered by the William Cooper Institute and Monash Business School.

The program is co-designed and led by Indigenous business leaders, Elders and academics. It celebrated its largest graduating cohort in 2025.