Australia Awards

Australia Awards Scholarships

Check providerFull RideMerit-BasedBachelor'sMaster'sPhD

About the Scholarship

Australia Awards Scholarships are the Australian government’s long-running development scholarships, funding full-time undergraduate and postgraduate study at Australian universities and TAFE institutions for citizens of partner countries across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

The package is complete: full tuition, return economy airfare, an establishment allowance for accommodation and textbooks, a fortnightly contribution to living expenses, health cover for the duration of the award, and a compulsory introductory academic programme before study begins. The department sets the allowance rates and does not publish them on the public page.

Two conditions shape who should apply. Citizenship, residence and degree eligibility are set by each country profile, and several programmes fund master’s study only. Scholars must also leave Australia for at least two years after completing the award, or incur a debt for its full cost.

Apply through OASIS or the alternative channel specified in your country profile, with country-specific deadlines published by the department.

Age and dual-citizenship requirements verified on 19 September 2026 against sections 2.2.1 and 8.1.2 of the DFAT June 2026 policy handbook.

Degree routes were checked on 19 September 2026 against the profiles linked from DFAT’s participating countries directory. These routes cover full degrees at Australian institutions, excluding separate Pacific-institution awards and semester exchanges.

For example, Indonesia offers master’s and PhD awards, while Africa offers master’s awards. Micronesia offers bachelor’s and master’s study (PhD applications are not available for the 2027 intake), while Fiji and Vanuatu offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Marshall Islands undergraduate awards are for Pacific institutions, while its Australia routes are postgraduate. Kiribati requires special consideration for PhDs. Samoa’s 2027 notice includes bachelor’s, master’s and PhD study.

Malaysian applicants should check the Maritime Security Scholarships requirements; the Malaysia Semester Program is a separate short-term exchange.

What It Covers

Tuition
Travel
Living stipend
Housing
Books & materials
Health insurance

Full tuition fees, return economy airfare to Australia by the most direct route, a once-only establishment allowance towards accommodation, textbooks and study materials, a fortnightly contribution to living expenses at a rate set by the department, Overseas Student Health Cover for the award holder, and a compulsory introductory academic programme before formal study begins.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Australian institution, including its English language requirement, and must meet the academic minimums, priority fields and any work experience requirement set out in their own country profile. Applicants must not be married, engaged or in a de facto relationship with 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 (residents of the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are exempt from this rule but must apply for a Student visa subclass 500). Scholars must leave Australia for at least two years after finishing the award, and a debt for the full cost of the scholarship is incurred if they do not. At least 18 on 1 February of the year the scholarship commences; some country profiles set a higher minimum age (and, for some programmes, a maximum age with required post-graduation work experience), so check your country profile for the applicable range.

Eligible Countries

Applicants from participating partner countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific must meet the citizenship and residence rules in their country profile. Most require citizenship of and application from the partner country; exceptions include eligible Brunei permanent residents holding a Brunei ICI. The level of study offered is set per country, and several programmes fund master’s study only. Australian citizens (including dual Australian nationals), Australian permanent residents, applicants seeking a visa to live permanently in Australia, and current military personnel are ineligible. Other dual citizens may qualify subject to all eligibility and country-specific conditions; they must use the passport of the eligible country for which the award was granted for their visa application and travel.

🇦🇴 Angola🇧🇩 Bangladesh🇧🇳 Brunei🇧🇹 Bhutan🇧🇼 Botswana🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire🇩🇿 Algeria🇪🇬 Egypt🇪🇹 Ethiopia🇫🇯 Fiji🇫🇲 Micronesia🇬🇭 Ghana🇬🇲 The Gambia🇬🇳 Guinea🇮🇩 Indonesia🇰🇪 Kenya🇰🇭 Cambodia🇰🇮 Kiribati🇱🇦 Laos🇱🇰 Sri Lanka🇲🇦 Morocco🇲🇬 Madagascar🇲🇭 Marshall Islands🇲🇲 Myanmar🇲🇳 Mongolia🇲🇺 Mauritius🇲🇻 Maldives🇲🇼 Malawi🇲🇾 Malaysia🇲🇿 Mozambique🇳🇦 Namibia🇳🇨 New Caledonia🇳🇬 Nigeria🇳🇵 Nepal🇳🇷 Nauru🇳🇺 Niue🇵🇫 French Polynesia🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea🇵🇭 Philippines🇵🇰 Pakistan🇵🇼 Palau🇷🇼 Rwanda🇸🇧 Solomon Islands🇸🇬 Singapore🇸🇱 Sierra Leone🇹🇭 Thailand🇹🇱 Timor-Leste🇹🇴 Tonga🇹🇻 Tuvalu🇹🇿 Tanzania🇺🇬 Uganda🇻🇳 Vietnam🇻🇺 Vanuatu🇼🇫 Wallis & Futuna🇼🇸 Samoa🇿🇦 South Africa🇿🇲 Zambia🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

How to Apply

Apply through the Australian government’s OASIS portal, except in Indonesia and the Philippines, which run their own portals, and in countries that require a paper application. Check your country profile first, since the level of study, priority fields and deadline are set per country.

Application Routes and Dates

Bachelor’s application, by country

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Bachelor's

🇫🇯 Fiji, 🇫🇲 Micronesia, 🇰🇮 Kiribati, 🇳🇷 Nauru, 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea, 🇵🇼 Palau, 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands, 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste, 🇹🇴 Tonga, 🇹🇻 Tuvalu, 🇻🇺 Vanuatu, 🇼🇫 Wallis & Futuna, 🇼🇸 Samoa — Undergraduate degree study in Australia is offered only in these country programmes. Country-specific priority subjects and admission conditions apply; Fiji restricts undergraduate study to specified aviation, construction and maritime fields, and Papua New Guinea generally funds degrees unavailable locally.

The next intake has not been announced. Country and degree scope follows the published 2027 intake profiles; check the next country profile for changes. The standard 2027 intake application window ran from 1 February to 30 April 2026, with country-specific exceptions.

Master’s application, by country

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Master's

🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇧🇹 Bhutan, 🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa, 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire, 🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇪🇬 Egypt, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇫🇯 Fiji, 🇫🇲 Micronesia, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇰🇮 Kiribati, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands, 🇲🇲 Myanmar, 🇲🇳 Mongolia, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇳🇨 New Caledonia, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇳🇷 Nauru, 🇳🇺 Niue, 🇵🇫 French Polynesia, 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇵🇰 Pakistan, 🇵🇼 Palau, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste, 🇹🇴 Tonga, 🇹🇻 Tuvalu, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇻🇳 Vietnam, 🇻🇺 Vanuatu, 🇼🇫 Wallis & Futuna, 🇼🇸 Samoa, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇿🇲 Zambia, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe — Master’s study in Australia is available for these country programmes, subject to each profile’s priority fields and applicant conditions. French Polynesia and New Caledonia offer 12-month master’s programmes.

PhD application, by country

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PhD

🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands, 🇳🇷 Nauru, 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea, 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste, 🇹🇴 Tonga, 🇼🇸 Samoa — Doctoral study is offered in these country programmes, subject to research, employment and institutional conditions in each country profile. Timor-Leste has a limited research allocation.

Kiribati PhD special consideration

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PhD

🇰🇮 Kiribati — The published Kiribati profile requires doctoral applicants to send their proposal to TarawaScholarships@dfat.gov.au for special consideration and an invitation to apply. The profile retains a reference to the 2026 intake in this condition; confirm its application to the next round with the country office.

Maritime Security master’s application

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Master's

🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇻🇳 Vietnam — Current early- or mid-career government employees working in maritime security policy, with agency endorsement and a recognised bachelor’s degree. Choose the Australia Maritime Security Scholarships scheme in OASIS for the University of Wollongong Master of Maritime Policy or Master of Laws (Law of the Sea). This is the verified full-degree route for Malaysia; the separate Malaysia Semester Program does not fund a complete degree.