Australia Awards Scholarships are long-term awards administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They aim to contribute to the development needs of Australia’s partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.
They provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. The study and research opportunities provided by Australia Awards Scholarships develop the skills and knowledge of individuals to drive change and contribute to development in their own countries.
The priority areas of study for eligible African countries in this application round are:
Climate change
Agriculture and food security
Mining and energy
Foreign policy and international security
Gender, disability, and social inclusion.
Level of study Australia Awards scholarships provide citizens of eligible African countries with the opportunity to obtain a Master’s qualification at an Australian tertiary institution. Awards will be offered for commencement in 2025.
WORTH
Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, including any preparatory training. The following benefits generally apply:
- full tuition fees
- return air travel–payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia via the most direct route
- establishment allowance–a once-only payment as a contribution towards accommodation expenses, textbooks, study materials
- Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) – a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by the department.
- Introductory Academic Program (IAP)–a compulsory program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on living and studying in Australia
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award (for award holder only)–provided to cover the scholar’s basic medical costs (with the exception of pre-existing conditions)
- Pre-course English (PCE) fees–if deemed necessary, PCE may be available for students for in-country and/or in-Australia training
- supplementary academic support may be available to ensure a scholar’s academic success or enhance their academic experience
- fieldwork (for research awards and Masters by coursework which have a research component where fieldwork is compulsory) may be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia.
ELIGIBILITY
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, candidates from eligible African countries must also meet the following conditions:
- Be a minimum of 25 years of age on 1 February 2025.
- At a minimum, have 5 years of post-graduate work experience, working in a field relative to their field of study.
- Be a citizen of Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe and be residing in and applying for the scholarship from their country of citizenship, unless working for an African Regional Organisation or working on diplomatic mission for their home country.
- Not already holding or undertaking a Master’s degree or equivalent (equivalent to a Master’s degree in home country).
- Already hold an undergraduate degree (equivalent to an Australian undergraduate degree).
- Have not previously received a long-term Australia Award.
- Meet the minimum English language proficiency of at least 6.5 in IELTS with no band less than 6.0 (an internet-based TOEFL score of at least 84, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests, or PTE Academic overall score of 58 with no communicative skill score less than 50). Scores must be valid on 1 January 2025. (Excluding candidates if their first language is English and they have undertaken their education in English).
DEADLINE: April 30, 2024
To apply and for more information, apply here.
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