Australia Awards Scholarships

What the scholarship covers

• Full tuition fees
• Return air travel
• Establishment allowance on arrival
• Contribution to living expenses
• Overseas student health cover
• Introductory academic programme

Eligibility requirements

• Citizen of a participating partner country
• At least 18 years old at the time of application
• Meet the admission requirements of the Australian institution
• Not hold Australian permanent residency
• Return to your home country for two years after study

Documents you will need

• Online OASIS application
• Certified degree certificates and transcripts
• Passport or birth certificate
• Curriculum vitae
• Referee reports

How to apply, step by step

1. 1

   Check your country's participation

   Australia Awards operate only in listed partner countries, and each has its own priority sectors and rules.

2. 2

   Read your country profile

   The DFAT country profile lists eligible fields of study, quotas and any additional local criteria.

3. 3

   Register on the OASIS portal

   All applications go through OASIS. Create the account early, it is not a quick form.

4. 4

   Choose eligible courses

   Courses must align with your country's development priority areas, not simply interest you.

5. 5

   Write the development impact answers

   The heart of the application: what you will change on returning home, with specifics.

6. 6

   Prepare certified documents

   Degree certificates, transcripts and identity documents must be certified copies.

7. 7

   Submit, then prepare for interview

   Shortlisted applicants are interviewed in-country, often several months later.

When to do what

Counting backwards from the deadline. Applications rushed in the final fortnight are the ones that fail.

1. 20 weeks before

   Confirm your country participates and read its profile.

2. 16 weeks before

   Shortlist courses that match the priority sectors.

3. 12 weeks before

   Register on OASIS and work through the form sections.

4. 10 weeks before

   Draft the development impact answers.

5. 8 weeks before

   Arrange certified copies of all academic documents.

6. 5 weeks before

   Confirm referee details and English test scores.

7. 2 weeks before

   Submit: OASIS closes exactly on the deadline.

What the panel is actually looking for

• Development impact you can realistically deliver at home
• Alignment with your country's stated priority sectors
• Professional and academic readiness for Australian study
• Commitment to the two-year return requirement

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a course outside your country's priority sectors.
• Vague development impact answers with no measurable outcome.
• Leaving OASIS registration until the final week.
• Submitting uncertified copies of academic documents.
• Overlooking the two-year home residence requirement after the award.

Fields of study