Scholarships are an award for academic excellence, a motivation to perform better and a pat on the back for all the hard work one has gone through. Australia with its high number of immigrants has a wide range of scholarships, financial aids and grants to offer to anyone coming in. Many scholarships are government funded but to top that, most universities offer numerous scholarships and financial aids to international students to help them throughout their study program. The key point to remember once you decide to go abroad is to research about all the options provided to you. List all the available options and choose the one best suited for you
Australian Government Research and Training Program (AGRTP)
It is a government offered centrally managed scholarship and provides financial aid to students for tuition fees and health insurance for up to three years. It is available for both domestic and international students. It supports a student’s Research Doctorate and Research Master’s degree. It also offers thesis allowance and dependent child allowance (for international students only). Moreover, it offers paid medical, maternity and parental leave under Section 51-68 of Research Training Program Scholarships Procedure.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- Must have completed a degree equivalent to an Australian first class hons degree;
- Must have a proof of English proficiency;
- Must satisfy the admission requirements of the university a student is applying to;
- Must enroll as a full-time student at a study or research program;
- Must not be receiving any other commonwealth funded postgraduate financial aid.
Process to Apply -
No application is required for this scholarship. All candidates who are eligible are considered for the grant. Select the appropriate options in admission applications to be considered for available scholarships. Application deadlines vary with university.
Australia Awards
Australia awards is a government funded scholarship long-term program offering aid to international students for full-time undergraduate and postgraduate study through the minimum time required to complete the study. It provides full tuition fee, return air travel (single return is paid for), establishment allowance, contribution to living expenses, overseas student health cover, pre-course English fees, supplementary academic support and other benefits. All recipients of this scholarship inevitably become a part of Australia Global Alumni.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- General eligibility criteria includes knowledge of English, ability to face challenges in Australia on the educational front, maturity, resilience and health well suited to Australian conditions.
- Above or of the age 18 on 1 February of year when scholarship commences;
- Be a citizen of participating country and not be a permanent resident of Australia;
- Not be married to or engaged to any person who holds permanent residency of Australia or New Zealand;
- Satisfy admission criteria of the institution they apply to;
- Not be current serving military personnel;
- Be a recent graduate from one of the target institutions or be in the final year of a tertiary level qualification from a target institution equivalent to Australia’s bachelor degree;
- Have minimum cumulative grade point equivalent of 7.5;
- Have an endorsement letter from their university in India.
Process to Apply -
Application forms are available on the official site. After selection, an interview round is done and then the candidates are selected.
Destination Australia
It is a merit-based scholarship provided by the Department of Education, Government of Australia available for both local and international tertiary education providers. A scholarship of AUD 15,000 and AUD 1500 is given to qualified candidates for one academic year. For next year, candidates have to renew the scholarship based on their academic performance. It covers tuition fees and living expenses of students.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be a tertiary education provider;
- The student applying for the scholarship must commence a new study program in the next year after receiving the grant;
- The student must have accepted full-time course in a regional campus and remains enrolled for the duration of grant;
- International student must have accepted a full-time study course registered on CRICOS;
- Students must maintain an ongoing residence in a regional area for the duration of grant.
Process to Apply -
The applicants are selected through a series of rounds conducted by the department.
Dr. Abdul Kalam International Postgraduate Scholarship
The scholarship is provided by University of Sydney and covers 50% of tuition fees of the student for one year. Only international students are eligible for this scholarship.
Eligibility - The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be an international student;
- Minimum distinction of average 75 in undergraduate course;
- Enroll full-time in the semester immediately after receiving the scholarship;
- Must have an unconditional offer of admission for a Masters by Coursework program in the Faculty of Engineering.
International Postgraduate Coursework Full Tuition Scholarship
The scholarship is offered by the University of Technology Sydney and covers full tuition fees of the student. It aims to support and motivate the students studying in post graduation courses to achieve and succeed. It is based on academic merit.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be an international student;
- Must meet all admission requirements of the university;
- Must have completed their Bachelor’s degree of no longer than three years comparable to an Australian Bachelor’s degree;
- Must have an overall average of 90% where passing marks are 50%
Process to Apply -
All applicants have to apply through online mode by visiting the university website.
Research School of Accounting South Asia Merit Scholarship
The scholarship is offered by Australian National University and covers 50% of international student fees. Payment of scholarship is made per semester for the duration of the program. The university provides various opportunities and scholarships to both domestic and international students. It is a merit-based scholarship.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be an International student;
- Must be a resident of South Asia;
- Must have an excellent performance in final year of schooling or college;
- Has an admission offer into one of the following RSA programs: -Bachelor of Accounting -Master of Accounting -Master of Professional Accounting
Process to Apply -
Students applying for study at the College of Business and Economics are considered for the scholarship process automatically.
Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship
The scholarship is offered by the University of Melbourne and provides up to AUD 56,000 for all study programs at the university.
Eligibility - The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria -
- Must be an international student;
- Have an undergraduate course at the University of Melbourne;
- An excellent result in secondary education to place the student in top 3% such as -minimum of 3 A grades, -more than 94% average, -at least 97% in an approved foundation program, -a score of at least 98% in CBSE 12th India, ISC or State board exam;
- Must not have taken and tertiary studies eg. Extension studies for class 12th studies.
Process to Apply -
No application is required. All students applying for study are automatically considered for the scholarship.
Swinburne International Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship
The scholarship is offered by the Swinburne University of Technology and provides up to AUD 38,000 which can range from about 10%-75% of course fees every year for a maximum of 4 years. It is applicable to all degrees at the university except Bachelor of Aviation and Piloting and Piloting/Bachelor of Business double degree.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria -
- Must be an international student;
- Not enrolled in or selected at Swinburne except for ELICOS program;
- Academic result of at least 60% Australian GPA equivalent;
- Must not have any other scholarship or financial aid from Swinburne.
Process to Apply -
A separate application submission is not required. A student applying for a course at Swinburne is automatically considered for the scholarship.
Griffith Remarkable Scholarship
The scholarship is offered by Griffith University and provides up to 50% of tuition fees for international students which is valid throughout the degree which the student enrolls in at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Eligibility -
The candidate applying must fulfill the following eligibility criteria;
- Must be an international student;
- Academic score of at least 5.5 GPA equivalent to Australian GPA;
- Fulfill admission criteria for the university and satisfy English requirements;
- Be a full-time student at the university.
Process to Apply -
Application for scholarship is submitted along with the admission into a course with academic record and other important required documents before the deadline. The university reviews applications and emails the students if they are selected for a scholarship which will only commence if the student accepts the offer. Various deadlines for different semesters are mentioned on the University website.
Conclusion
Almost all the academic institutions in Australia provide financial aid and scholarships to international students. Most of them are merit based which means you require an excellent academic report to avail them. A good academic score and a professional behavior during interviews can help a student choose a perfect scholarship suited to their needs. Receiving a grant helps by not only making your stay in a foreign country easier and more comfortable but also provides a sense of confidence and admirability. It also acts as a boost to maintain a consistently good academic record while studying abroad.