Australian Government International Scholarship 2027

The Australia Awards are prestigious international scholarships funded by the Australian Government that aim to contribute to the long-term development needs of Australia's partner countries, in line with global, bilateral and regional agreements. The Australia Awards are a whole-of-government initiative bringing together scholarships administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), offering the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia. 

About Australian Government

Australian Government International Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Australian Government International Scholarship

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.

Requirements for Australian Government International Scholarship Qualification

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, live in a foreign country (Australia) with a culture which may be very different to the awardees 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 must be residing in and applying for the scholarship from a developing country that is eligible for Australia Awards Scholarships;
• 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 and 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 in the previous four years);
• not hold convictions of criminal activities (including in their home country) including those relating to Child Protection and PSEAH;
• 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.

English Requirements:

• An applicant or awardee will meet DFAT’s English language requirements for receiving an Australia Awards Scholarship if their first language is English and if they have undertaken their education in English (evidenced by their academic transcripts).

Note that some institutions may still require evidence of English language proficiency, and Program Areas relying on the above may need to check whether Australian institutions accept applicants from particular regions or with qualifications from English language institutions.

• where an applicant or awardee does not meet DFAT’s English language requirements, the awardee must 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.
• The 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)
• Awardees’ English language test results must be valid at 1 January of the year in which the awardee is commencing studies in Australia (IELTS, TOEFL scores, and PTE Academic are valid for two years after the test date). If an institution requires a different test validity timeframe, awardees must meet the institution’s requirements.
• 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.
• Where an institution’s academic English language requirement is higher than DFAT’s requirement for the main course of study, the awardee must meet the institution’s requirement.

Conditions:

• 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.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Australian Government International Scholarship

• All applications for Australia Awards are considered on merit providing equal opportunityto all applicants.
• Program Areas manage the selection process in each country/region and the selection process is detailed in the relevant Country or Region Profile.
• Australian government must be represented on interview panels. The selection committee must be chaired by a DFAT officer, (EL1 or APS6) or a (DESE counsellor) or an (A-based officer) or (a representative from a country/regional desk). The selection process must include an interview of short-listed candidates (approved by a senior DFAT officer at First Secretary level or above) and may include other activities such as group participation sessions to assess the suitability of applicants.
• Selection of applicants will consider the applicant’s professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, most importantly, their potential to impact on development challenges in their home country. Each country or region may have additional selection criteria, which can be accessed in the relevant Country or Region Profile 

Check also:Humanitarian Scholarship Programme at University of Manchester 2026

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Before you apply:

• Check the opening and closing 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 Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook. The handbook provides information including general eligibility requirements, selection processes, entitlements and responsibilities. Note that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade may revise and update the handbook at any time without notice.
• Some countries encourage and allow you to apply online while others require hard-copy applications.

Refer to your relevant participating country profile for the link to the application portal. Please note that Indonesia and the Philippines do not use the Online Australia Scholarships Information System (OASIS). The link to applications for those countries can be found in their relevant Country Profile.

For more information, kindly visit Australia Awards scholarship webpage.