Scholarships for international students in Australia fall into three groups: fully funded government awards such as Australia Awards and the Research Training Program (RTP), regional grants such as Destination Australia, and university scholarships that usually cut tuition by a percentage rather than covering everything. For the 2026/2027 intake, knowing which group you can realistically win is the difference between a funded offer and a wasted application season.
Fully funded places are limited and competitive. Most coursework students, even strong ones, receive a partial tuition reduction and still have to show the Department of Home Affairs that they can pay the rest. This guide explains each major scholarship, who is eligible, typical application windows, how to apply, and how a scholarship fits into the financial requirement for the student visa (subclass 500).
What scholarships can international students get in Australia?
| Scholarship | Funded by | Level | What it typically covers | Typical application window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Awards Scholarships | Australian Government (DFAT) | Mainly master’s; some undergraduate, PhD and vocational | Full tuition, return flights, establishment allowance, living stipend, health cover | Usually 1 February to 30 April for study starting the next year; varies by country |
| Research Training Program (RTP) | Australian Government, awarded by universities | Master’s by research and PhD | Tuition fee offset, living stipend, often health cover and relocation allowance | Main international rounds often close between July and October; some mid-year rounds |
| Destination Australia | Australian Government, awarded by regional providers | Vocational certificate to PhD | Up to AUD 15,000 a year towards living and study costs at a regional campus | Set by each provider; funding rounds vary by year |
| University merit scholarships | Individual universities | Undergraduate and postgraduate coursework | Commonly 10–50% of tuition or a fixed amount; a small number cover 100% | Often assessed automatically with your admission application |
Dates and amounts change every year. Treat the windows above as a planning guide and confirm on the official pages before you prepare documents.
How do Australia Awards Scholarships work?
Australia Awards are the government’s flagship development scholarships, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They are offered to citizens of participating countries across the Pacific, South and Southeast Asia, Africa and parts of the Middle East, and each country has its own priority fields, such as public health, agriculture, engineering, governance, education and climate.
What is covered
- Full tuition fees for the minimum duration of the course.
- Return economy air travel and a one-off establishment allowance.
- A fortnightly contribution to living expenses.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the scholar.
- An introductory academic programme and, where needed, pre-course English and tutoring support.
Key conditions
You must be a citizen of, and usually living in, a participating country, meet the English and academic entry requirements of your chosen university, and not hold Australian permanent residence. Many countries ask for several years of relevant work experience and give weight to applicants from the public sector, civil society and disadvantaged groups. After finishing, scholars must leave Australia for at least two years, or repay the cost of the scholarship. That makes Australia Awards a poor fit if your goal is to stay and work after graduation.
Applications are lodged through the OASIS online portal, and each country’s profile, eligibility and dates are published on dfat.gov.au. African applicants apply through the dedicated Australia Awards Africa programme, which focuses on master’s degrees and short courses for selected countries.
What is the Research Training Program (RTP)?
The RTP is the main source of funding for research degrees. The government gives block funding to universities, and each university awards its own RTP scholarships to domestic and international research students. By law no more than 10 per cent of a university’s RTP money can go to international students, so competition is intense, but universities add their own funded scholarships on top.
A typical international RTP package includes a full tuition fee offset for up to two years for a research master’s or three to four years for a PhD, a tax-free living stipend, and often OSHC, a relocation allowance and a thesis allowance. The government sets a minimum stipend each year, in the low-to-mid AUD 30,000s at the time of writing, and many universities pay more.
How to win an RTP place
- Identify two or three universities strong in your field and read their research scholarship pages for closing dates.
- Find a potential supervisor. Email a short, specific research proposal and your CV; most universities require a supervisor’s agreement before you apply.
- Prepare evidence of research ability: a first-class honours or master’s thesis, publications, conference papers and referee reports carry far more weight than coursework grades alone.
- Submit one application for admission and scholarship by the international round deadline. Applicants are ranked on a points system, and results usually arrive six to ten weeks later.
Is Destination Australia still worth applying for?
The Destination Australia programme funds scholarships of up to AUD 15,000 a year for students who live and study at regional campuses, from Tasmania and the Northern Territory to regional Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. You do not apply to the government; participating universities and vocational colleges receive the funds and select students themselves.
Availability depends on federal funding rounds, which have varied from year to year, so ask the scholarships office of each regional institution whether it has Destination Australia places for your intake. Even without it, regional study brings lower rents and, currently, extra post-study work time for graduates of regional campuses. Check education.gov.au for programme updates.
Which university scholarships should you look at?
Every Australian university runs international scholarships, and the Group of Eight research universities have the largest budgets. The examples below are well-known schemes at the time of writing; names, values and eligible countries change, so confirm on each university’s official scholarships page.
| University | Notable international scholarships | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship; Graduate Research Scholarships | Partial to full tuition remission for undergraduates; full fee offset plus living allowance for research students |
| University of Sydney | Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarships Scheme; Sydney International Student Award; Sydney International Strategic Scholarships for research | Fixed amounts up to tens of thousands of dollars, or a percentage tuition reduction |
| Monash University | Monash International Merit Scholarship; Monash International Leadership Scholarship | A fixed annual amount towards fees, or 100% of tuition for a small number of top applicants |
| Australian National University (ANU) | ANU Chancellor’s International Scholarship; ANU College and research scholarships | Commonly 25% or 50% tuition reduction; full funding for research awards |
| University of Queensland (UQ) | UQ international merit and excellence scholarships, including country-specific awards; UQ Graduate School scholarships | Usually a percentage of tuition for coursework; tuition plus stipend for research |
Do not stop at the Group of Eight. Universities such as UNSW, Adelaide, Western Australia, Deakin, Griffith, Macquarie, UTS, RMIT and Tasmania run generous merit awards, and mid-ranked universities often give larger reductions to attract strong students.
How are university scholarships assessed?
Most coursework scholarships are merit-based and many are automatic: you are considered when you apply for admission, with no separate form. Others need a personal statement, and a few require an interview. High school results equivalent to the top 5–10 per cent, or a bachelor’s average of distinction level, are the usual benchmark for the larger awards. Apply early, because several schemes allocate funds until they run out.
How to apply for scholarships in Australia: step by step
- Start 12 to 15 months ahead. For a February 2027 start, begin researching in late 2025 or early 2026; for July 2027, by mid-2026.
- Shortlist courses on the official register. Use studyaustralia.gov.au to find CRICOS-registered courses and scholarship listings.
- Sit your English test. IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and others are accepted. Universities commonly ask for IELTS 6.5 overall, higher for health, teaching and law.
- Prepare core documents: certified transcripts and graduation certificates, passport, CV, two or three referee reports, a statement of purpose, and a research proposal for research degrees.
- Apply for admission and scholarships together, directly to the university or through an authorised education agent. Australian universities pay their agents, so you should not be charged an application fee by a genuine agent for this service.
- Accept your offer and scholarship in writing, pay any required deposit, and receive your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
- Apply for the student visa online through ImmiAccount.
What does the student visa (subclass 500) require financially?
A scholarship does not replace the visa’s financial test; it counts towards it. You must show you have genuine access to funds for travel, the first 12 months of tuition, and 12 months of living costs. At the time of writing the living cost figure is AUD 29,710 for the student, with additional amounts for a partner and each child. A full scholarship letter satisfies most of this, while a 25 per cent tuition scholarship simply reduces the tuition you must evidence.
- Visa application charge: AUD 2,000 for the main applicant since July 2025, one of the highest student visa fees in the world, and non-refundable if you are refused.
- Genuine Student requirement: you answer targeted questions about your circumstances, course choice and plans, and officers assess whether study is your real purpose.
- English: the visa minimum is generally IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, lower if you package an English course first.
- Health insurance: OSHC is compulsory for the full visa period unless your scholarship provides it.
- Enrolment caps: the government now sets a national planning level for new international student commencements, so popular universities may fill earlier than before.
Current requirements are on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. If funds are short, be careful with education loans: compare the interest rate, fees and currency risk, borrow only what the course’s realistic salary outcome can repay, and use a low-cost international money transfer service to pay tuition deposits. This is general information, not financial advice.
What will you still need to budget for?
International tuition typically runs from about AUD 25,000 to AUD 50,000 a year, and more for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science. Shared accommodation in Sydney or Melbourne commonly costs AUD 250–450 a week, with Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and regional cities cheaper; our Melbourne relocation guide lists rents by suburb. Student visa holders may work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods, and our guide to entry-level jobs in Australia shows what casual work pays. Treat those earnings as pocket money, not as your funding plan.
Scholarship scam warning
Genuine Australian scholarships never charge an application or “processing” fee, never guarantee selection, and are always listed on a .gov.au or official university (.edu.au) website. Be wary of agents who promise a “fully funded scholarship with visa” for a fee, fake Australia Awards pages on social media, and offers that ask for payment to release an award letter. Check that your course and provider appear on the CRICOS register, and if you use a migration agent for the visa, confirm they are registered with OMARA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a fully funded scholarship for a master’s by coursework?
It is possible but rare. Australia Awards is the main fully funded route for coursework master’s degrees, and a handful of university awards cover 100 per cent of tuition. Most coursework students receive partial tuition reductions.
Do I need IELTS to apply for scholarships in Australia?
You need to meet the university’s English requirement, which most applicants do with IELTS, PTE or TOEFL. Some universities waive the test if your previous degree was taught in English in a recognised country, but the student visa may still require evidence.
Can I apply for several scholarships at once?
Yes, and you should. You can apply to multiple universities and schemes, but you can normally hold only one major award at a time, and you must tell each provider about other funding you accept.
Is there an age limit?
Most university and RTP scholarships have no age limit. Australia Awards has no general age cap either, though some countries set their own criteria. Age matters more later: the post-study Temporary Graduate visa generally requires applicants to be 35 or under, with exceptions for research graduates.
Can a scholarship lead to working in Australia afterwards?
University and RTP scholars can usually apply for a Temporary Graduate visa and later for skilled visas; Australia Awards scholars must return home for two years first. Read how graduates move into sponsored roles in our guides on how to relocate to Australia for high-paying jobs and healthcare visa sponsorship in Australia.
Bottom line
For 2026/2027, aim high but plan realistically: apply for Australia Awards if your country participates and you intend to return home, pursue RTP funding if you have a research record, and treat university merit scholarships as a discount rather than full funding. Start a year ahead, apply only through official channels, and make sure your combined scholarship and savings meet the student visa’s financial requirement before you pay any deposit.