Types of Scholarships for International Students in Australia
There is a common misunderstanding that there are no Australian scholarships for international students. This is wrong. In order to reduce the obstacle relating to finance, Australian Universities and colleges provide various types of scholarships to international students so that they can fulfill their dream of studying in Australia.
There is a range of scholarship for international students in order to assist with funds for their studies and some common scholarships are listed as follows:
- Merit-Based Scholarships
- Faculty & Departmental Scholarships
- Accommodation Scholarships
- Sports Scholarships
- Equity Scholarships
- Government Scholarships
Also Read: Higher Education in Australia
Merit-Based Scholarships
This type of scholarship is awarded based on academic performances of international students. There are certain criteria given by Universities in order to obtain this scholarship. The foremost criteria require international students to be academically sound and also, have good grades. Few types of common merit scholarship for international students include Chancellor’s Scholarship, Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, Deans Scholarship, Excellence Scholarship as well as Leadership Scholarship. However, scholarships are valid for a limited period only. Hence, after receiving scholarships, students need to maintain academic requirement depending on individual university and college.
Faculty & Departmental Scholarships
This scholarship is provided to international students according to their interest in studies. This scholarship is merit-based and offered to a large number of international students. However, students should meet the scholarship criteria to be eligible.
Moreover, the departmental scholarship includes scholarship in the field of music, dance, arts, drama, language and also, theatre. Likewise, few common faculty scholarships include:
- Architecture and Design Scholarship
- Arts and Humanities Scholarship
- Engineering Scholarship
- Information Technology and Computer Science Scholarship
- Accounting and Business Scholarship
Accommodation Scholarships
This type of scholarship is awarded to international students meeting the appropriate conditions. It is provided in order to make the colleges or universities affordable for international students who are willing to pursue their career in Australia. The accommodation scholarship includes room and settlement costs. However, students who are not able to meet the criteria for merit-based can apply for this scholarship.
Sports Scholarships
This scholarship is provided to international students who are talented in sports. Whether you are a talented athlete looking for a full-ride scholarship to your dream college or you are a club sports athlete looking to play at a recreational level, there are scholarships for both types. Based on student’s sports category, the criteria vary. The aim of this scholarship is to assist student-athletes with a designated entry scheme. Also, it aims to support athletes in achieving academic success and vocational transition as well as develop individual Universities clubs through the support of athletes.
Equity Scholarships
This scholarship is available for international students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate research. It supports disadvantaged students with the general costs associated with their studies. Equity Scholarship is awarded to students from low-income backgrounds and experiencing financial hardships. This is also provided to students who are suffering from personal medical conditions, disabilities and also, who are dependents with special needs.
Government Scholarship
This scholarship is provided by the Australian government to international students who are aiming to pursue their studies at an Australian university. This scholarship is divided into different categories:
Australia Awards:
It is a government funding program that provides scholarship and fellowship to international students to make their studies affordable. The Australia Awards aims to promote knowledge, education links, and enduring ties between Australia and neighbors through Australia’s extensive scholarship programs. Every year the Australian government shares a high amount of money for these awards so that students can achieve their dream of studying abroad.
Endeavor Scholarship:
This is also a government-funded scholarship for international students who want to pursue a postgraduate course in Australia. The maximum value of this scholarship is $140,500 for Masters and $272,500 for Ph.D. This amount of money includes a travel stipend ($3,000 AUD), an establishment stipend ($4,000 AUD) and a monthly payment of $3,000 along with health and travel insurance.
The Research Training Program (RTP):
The Research Training Program is a mixture of former scholarship programs: Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA), International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) and the Research Training Scheme (RTS). The participating universities will receive block grants on a yearly basis. These grants are then be distributed to international students aiming to seek higher education in Australia. The value of the yearly stipend rate for the awards in 2018 is $42,307 per year.
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Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships (AAPS):
These are offered to international students who are from the Pacific region. These kind of scholarships are merit-based so the applicant’s previous academic achievements and other criteria will indicate their selection. The scholarship endures for the minimum period of time that the student expects to finish the course. Additionally, the scholarship may cover a preparatory course whose length is usually limited to one year.