Australia Awards Scholarships are long-term awards administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They aim to contribute to the development needs of Australia's partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements. They provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.
The study and research opportunities provided by Australia Awards Scholarships develop the skills and knowledge of individuals to drive change and contribute to development in their own countries.
Application Criteria for Australia Awards Scholarships
Australia Awards scholarship holders will be expected to succeed academically and meet all challenges posed by studying in Australia. All applicants should be prepared to undertake study in English (which, for most, will not be their mother tongue), live in a foreign country (Australia) with a culture that may be very different from the awardee's expectations, and under stringent academic conditions.
Maturity and resilience are qualities sought in applicants. Applicants should research Australian conditions and suitability to their needs before applying, as pre-existing conditions may be aggravated by the stress of undertaking the scholarship.
To be eligible to receive an Australia Awards Scholarship, applicants must:
- be a minimum of 18 years of age on 1 February of the year of commencing the scholarship;
- be a citizen of a participating country (as listed on the Australia Awards website) and be residing in and applying for the scholarship from their country of citizenship;
- not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia, or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently;
- not be married to, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection or mobilization phases (note: residents of Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are eligible but must apply for a Student visa [subclass 500]);
- not be current serving military personnel;
- not have previously received a long-term Australia Award unless they have resided outside of Australia for twice the length of the total time that they were in Australia (for example, a previous awardee who has been on an Australia Awards Scholarship in Australia for four years will not be eligible to apply for another Australia Awards Scholarship until they have resided outside Australia for eight years);
- not hold convictions or currently under investigation of criminal activities including those relating to Child Protection and PSEAH; viii. recipients under the Pacific Secondary School Scholarship Program (PSSSP) who have completed their secondary school education in Australia in the year prior are eligible to apply for a long-term Australia Award;
- have satisfied any specific criteria established by the Program Area or the government of the applicant’s country of citizenship (e.g. having worked a certain number of years in an appropriate sector);
- be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken (this may mean that Program Areas will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements. This may not be known until Program Areas request a placement at selected institutions);
- be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs to hold a Student Visa. This may mean that the Program Area will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the visa requirements;
- not be applying for a scholarship for a course of study at an academic level lower than already achieved (e.g. be applying for a Master’s scholarship when they already hold a Ph.D.); and
English language scores are not negotiable. All Australia Awards Scholarship awardees must meet the following requirement:
- an Academic IELTS result with an overall score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0, or
- an internet based TOEFL score of at least 84, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests, or
- PTE Academic overall score of 58 with no communicative skill score less than 50.
Benefits of Australia Awards Scholarships
Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, including any preparatory training. The following benefits generally apply:
- full tuition fees
- return air travel–payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route
- establishment allowance–a once only payment as a contribution towards accommodation expenses, textbooks, study materials
- Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) – a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by the department.
- Introductory Academic Program (IAP)–a compulsory program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on living and studying in Australia
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award (for award holder only)–provided to cover the scholar's basic medical costs (with the exception of pre-existing conditions)
- Pre-course English (PCE) fees–if deemed necessary PCE may be available for students for in-country and/or in-Australia training
- supplementary academic support may be available to ensure a scholar's academic success or enhance their academic experience
- fieldwork (for research awards and Masters by coursework which has a research component where fieldwork is compulsory) may be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia.
Award Conditions for Australia Awards Scholarships
Applicants who want to accept an Australia Awards Scholarship will need to sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia declaring that they will comply with the conditions of the scholarship.
Scholars are required to leave Australia for a minimum of two years after completing their scholarship. Failure to do so will result in the scholar incurring a debt for the total accrued cost of their scholarship.
Eligible Nationalities
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Palestinian Territories
Terms and Conditions
Australia Awards are not available for training in areas related to flying aircraft, nuclear technology, or military training.