Study in Australia: Australia Awards Scholarships
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.
Brief description:
Australia Awards Scholarships, formerly known as Australian Development Scholarships (ADS), are scholarships for international students who wants to study in Australian Universities. Scholarship holders are required to return to their country of citizenship for two years after they have completed their studies to contribute to the development of their country.
Australian Development Scholarships are available for vocational education and training courses, undergraduate degrees, postgraduate degrees, and PhD degrees at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.
Host Institution(s):
Participating Australian higher education institutions and technical colleges.
Fields of study:
Study programs must relate to your country’s priority areas for development. These are listed on the participating country profiles.
Number of Scholarships:
Up to 1000 Australian Development Scholarships are awarded each year across 31 countries with scholarships awarded equally between men and women.
The number of scholarships and fields of study are determined annually by each ADS participating country and in accordance with the Australian Government’s bilateral development assistance program. 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 and Australia’s specific aid objectives for each country.
Target group:
You are only eligible for ADS if you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below:
Asia
ASEAN, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Pacific
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Middle East
Palestinian Territories
Scholarship value/inclusions:
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, text books, 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 have 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
Eligibility:
To be eligible to receive a 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 mobilisation 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 of criminal activities (including in their home country) including those relating to Child Protection and PSEAH;
- 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 PhD); and
- applicants must inform the Program Area of any connection or relationship to staff employed at Program Areas (including locally engaged staff at post) or with managing contractors so that the application may be properly and transparently managed.
Note: Residents of Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are eligible but must apply for an AusAID 576 student visa.
Application instructions:
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.
Most applications will open on 1 February 2022. Check the open and close dates for your country, and select your country of citizenship/residency from the list of participating countries for specific information on eligibility, priority areas and how to apply.
If you intend to apply, you must read the Scholarships handbook. Some countries encourage and allow you to apply online while others require hard-copy applications. See your country page for specific information for your country.
There is usually one annual selection round in each country. Each Country Program has different timelines but deadline falls around March-April annually.
It is important to read the how to apply page and visit the country specific pages, and the official website (link found below) for detailed and updated information on how to apply for this scholarship.
Contact information:
Enquiries about ADS should be made with the Australian Diplomatic Mission in your country of citizenship. Contact details are found at this page.
Website:
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/australia-awards/Pages/australia-awards-scholarships.aspx
