Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships provide people from Pacific developing countries with opportunities to study at selected education institutions in the Pacific region. The purpose of the Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships is to give people the opportunity to gain and build the knowledge and skills to drive positive change and influence their home country's development.
Application Criteria for Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship
To be eligible to receive an Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship, applicants must:
- be a minimum of 18 years of age on January 1st of the year they are commencing the scholarship
- be a citizen of a participating country
- not be married, 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)
- not be current serving military personnel
- not be a citizen of Australia or New Zealand, hold permanent residency in Australia or New Zealand or be applying for a visa to live in Australia
- not be applying for another long-term Australia Award Pacific Scholarship unless they have resided in their home country for two years since the conclusion of their scholarship
- have satisfied any specific criteria established by the Program Area or Post or the government of the applicant’s country of citizenship
- be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken (this may mean that Post will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements. This may not be known until the Post requests a placement at selected institutions)
- be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration for the study country. This may mean that the Post will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the visa requirements.
- Applicants must inform the Post of any connection or relationship to staff employed at Program Areas or Post or with managing contractors so that the application may be properly and transparently managed.
If the applicant or awardee doesn't meet the necessary English language requirements (see Section 2.3.1), the awardee will need to provide an academic English language test result that meets the institution’s academic English language requirement tests before commencing the approved main course of studies. Below are accepted English language tests:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
Fields of study for Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship
Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships students study a wide range of disciplines at selected education institutions in the Pacific region.
The scholarship numbers and fields of study for each country are determined annually as part of Australia's bilateral development assistance program with that country.
Some countries may limit the level of study (technical, undergraduate, or postgraduate) and give priority to certain fields of study to better meet development needs.
Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships are offered to Papua New Guinea citizens under the Papua New Guinea Health Awards for courses in Midwifery, Nursing, and Community Health Work. To be eligible, applicants must first satisfy the eligibility and acceptance requirements of a participating Papua New Guinean health college or university.
More country-specific information is available from the Australian Diplomatic Mission in the country of citizenship.
Financial assistance
Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships entitlements vary between countries and institutions of enrolment. Generally, entitlements cover a return airfare from your home country to the country of study, academic and other compulsory fees, an establishment allowance and a living allowance paid fortnightly.
Entitlements generally cover:
- full tuition fees
- return air travel
- establishment allowance
- contribution to living expenses
- an Introductory Academic Program
- basic medical costs for student only
- visa expenses where required.
- pre-course English language training fees
- supplementary academic support
- fieldwork (for research purposes only)
- reunion airfare (for unaccompanied awardees).
In some countries, the living allowance may be paid at a higher rate when the student is joined long term by one or more family members. No assistance is available for the airfares of family members.
Scholarship duration for Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship
The Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship is offered for the minimum period that the individual could be expected to complete the academic program. Scholarships may include preparatory programs (including English language tuition) which are normally limited to one year.
Applicants considering studying for particular professions (e.g. medicine, legal studies should note that they are expected to complete their practical training in their own country. Only under exceptional circumstances do scholarships include a practical training period required for professional registration.
Scholarship conditions
Applicants who are offered a scholarship will be asked to sign an undertaking declaring that they will comply with the conditions of that scholarship. Partner countries may impose their own conditions on the scholarship.
Conditions include:
- studying full time and meeting all course requirements
- not changing enrolment without the prior written approval of the department
- making satisfactory academic progress
- complying with restrictions on employment in the country of study
- accepting that the scholarship may be withdrawn by the Australian Government
- returning to the home country on completion of the scholarship
- restrictions on returning to the country of study or traveling to Australia within 2 years of the completion of the scholarship
- repaying the total amount of the scholarship if conditions (6) or (7) are not adhered to.
Study Locations
Currently, Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships are offered to people from the Pacific to study at Pacific tertiary institutions in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia.
Citizens of Papua New Guinea are currently not eligible to undertake Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships at universities outside Papua New Guinea.
Eligible Nationalities
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji; Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.