Australia Awards Scholarship - Eligibility, Application process, selection process, Participating Institutions

Australia Awards Scholarship - This scholarship is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. These scholarships are awarded to international students from developing countries who wish to pursue a full-time undergraduate or graduate course in Australia. The scholarship is offered by the Australian government to international students who study in Australia at Australian universities or TAFE institutions.

The intention of the scholarship is to meet the development needs of Australia’s partner countries. The Australia Awards Scholarship is given annually. According to the Department of foreign affairs and Trade (DFAT) website of the Australian government, around 1,603 Australia Awards were given in 2023 to students from 28 countries. Let us look at the Australia Awards Scholarship in more detail in this article.

Australia Awards Scholarship - Highlights

Eligibility Criteria for Australia Awards Scholarship

• Applicants must be a citizen or resident of a partner country such as India.

• Applicants must be above 18 years on February 1 in the year the scholarship commences.

• He must not be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand.

• He must have the required scores in English language proficiency tests.

• IELTS- 6.5 bands

• TOEFL iBT- 78

• PTE- 58

• Applicant must meet the admission requirements of the university to which he is applying.

• Applicant must meet the Australia visa requirements.

• The applicant should not have been a recipient of the scholarship earlier.

Australia Awards Scholarship Application process

Before applying for the Australia Awards Scholarship, applicants must go through the Australia Awards Scholarship Policy Handbook. This is released by DFAT and contains information on general eligibility requirements, the selection process etc. The DFAT may make changes to the handbook from time to time, so applicants will have to check for application rules specific to their country before they apply for the Australia Awards scholarships.

Students can apply using the Online Australia Scholarships Information System (OASIS). When they register on this system, they will be required to answer questions to prove their eligibility. Once registered they will be given a unique registration number, username and password. Students need not submit their Australia Awards Scholarship application immediately but can take their time and create a draft application form and update it with supporting documents before they finally submit it before the deadline specific to their country.

How to apply for the Australia Awards Scholarship

Here is the step-by-step process to apply for the Australia awards:

• Applicants must select his home country and check whether he is eligible for the scholarship.

• After confirming his eligibility, he must check the eligibility criteria for the course.

• He must then register online and complete his application for the Australia Awards Scholarship after submitting the required documents.

• Applicants must submit their application with all the supporting documents and submit it before the deadline which will vary for each country.

Documents Required for Australia Awards Scholarship

• Certified copies of the following documents- graduate degree certificate, academic transcripts, and birth certificate.

• Copy of passport or national identity card.

• Resume

• Two letters of recommendation—one academic and one general.

• Copy of scorecard of English language test.

Australia Awards Scholarship Selection Process

The Australia Awards scholarships are rewarded based on merit and candidates are given these scholarships based on their academic performance, personal and professional accomplishments and their abilities to tackle the development challenges in their home country.

The home country gives the list of shortlisted candidates and they are selected based on their performance in an interview and sometimes a group discussion is also conducted.

Awardees will have to start their course in the year in which the scholarship is awarded and will have to study only the course for which they have been given the scholarship.

The Australia Awards Scholarship decisions are declared by August 1 of that year. Scholarship awardees must leave the country at least for two years after completing their study program.

Australia Awards Scholarship Grant details

The scholarship offers opportunities to individuals from developing countries especially those from the Indo-Pacific region to study undergraduate or postgraduate courses in Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. These scholarships are intended to help the awardees with the knowledge and skills that can contribute to the development of their country.

The grant details of the Australia Awards Scholarships include:

• Full coverage of the tuition fees.

• Coverage of the airfare expenses of the economy class to and from Australia for one time.

• Establishment allowance that will include a one-time payment for expenses related to accommodation in Australia, books and study materials.

• It will also cover the living expenses as per the standards set by the department.

• The Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) which covers basic medical expenses will be included in the scholarship.

• Other expenses such as those incurred for the pre-course English language training fees, supplementary academic support or fieldwork may be covered by the Australia Award Scholarship based on requirements and eligibility criteria.

Australia Awards Scholarship Participating countries

The scholarship provides an excellent opportunity for students belonging to the participating countries to study in Australia.

Countries participating in Australia Awards Scholarships

Australia Awards scholarship in India

The Australia awards scholarship India offers individuals from India, the opportunity to study undergraduate or postgraduate courses at universities and institutions and Australia's Technical and Advanced Education (TAFE) institutions. These Australia Awards scholarships for Indian students are intended to help recipients acquire knowledge and skills that can contribute to the development of their country.