If you’ve been bookmarking scholarships like it’s your second job—only to discover half of them are “tuition only,” “partially funded,” or mysteriously unclear about living costs—Australia Awards Scholarship 2027-2028 cohort is the kind of program that makes you sit up straight.
This is Australia’s flagship, government-backed scholarship program for eligible countries. It’s built for people who don’t just want a degree abroad, but want a degree that moves their career, credibility, and impact forward. And the best part? It usually comes packaged the way international students actually need it: tuition + travel + health cover + living support + academic onboarding—not a scattered “good luck, figure it out” arrangement.
Australia Awards scholarship program 2027 batch applications window is opening on February 1, 2026 globally and in this article you will find all information about this 2027-2028 batch of Australia Government Scholarship.
What makes Australia Awards different from “Other Scholarships”?
Most of the international scholarships fall into one of these categories:
- Tuition discount (nice, but you still can’t afford rent)
- Tuition only (great… until you calculate living costs)
- Stipend only (rare, and you still need tuition coverage)
- A mix that forces you to patch together extra funding
Australia Awards is different because it’s usually designed as a full package, which often includes:
Typical funding/benefits (the “complete package” feel)
- Full tuition fees
- Return airfare
- A one-time establishment allowance (to help you set up when you arrive)
- A living expenses contribution / stipend
- Health coverage for the scholarship duration
- Introductory academic program (orientation + settling support)
- Additional academic support where needed
- Fieldwork support when the degree requires approved fieldwork (varies by country/program)
Translation: it’s meant to get you to Australia, keep you afloat, and help you succeed—not just pay the university and disappear.
New Eligibility Criteria for Australia Government Scholarship 2027
Australia Awards is country-programmed, which means each participating country can add extra rules. But there’s a core global eligibility baseline that most applicants must meet before anything else:
- Age: Be 18+ by 1 February of the scholarship start year.
- Citizenship/Residence: Be a citizen of an eligible participating country and usually apply from your home country (your country profile may allow limited exceptions).
- No Australia/NZ PR status: You must not be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you must not be applying to migrate permanently to Australia.
- Partner restriction: During the application/selection period, you generally must not be married/engaged/in a de facto relationship with someone who holds or is eligible to hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.
- Military: You generally must not be currently serving military personnel.
- Academic fit: You must meet the entry requirements of the Australian university and the course you choose.
- Visa fit: You must be able to meet Australian student visa requirements.
- Prior awards: If you previously held a long-term Australia Award, there may be a cooling-off period before you can apply again.
- Course level: You generally shouldn’t apply for a qualification lower than the one you already hold (e.g., applying for a Master’s if you already have a PhD).
Minimum English Language Requirements for Australia Awards Scholarship
Your English test must be valid on 1 January 2027 (most tests are valid for 2 years). Universities may require higher scores, but these are the minimum scholarship benchmarks:
- IELTS Academic: Overall 6.5, with no band below 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: Total 84, with at least 21 in each section
- PTE Academic: Overall 58, with no skill score below 50.
What degrees are offered Under Australian Government Scholarship?
Australia Awards scholarships of 2027 cohort will offer 2 type of degree programs:
- Master’s/PhD degrees (the main pathway in many participating countries)
- Short courses / targeted professional training (available in some countries and years).
Subject Areas Covered by Australia Awards Scholarship
Australia Awards funds study that connects to national and regional development goals. Priority areas vary by country, but globally they usually sit inside these clusters:
- Climate & sustainability: climate policy, environmental management, energy transition
- Agriculture & water security: food systems, irrigation, water resources, agri-management
- Health systems: public health, health management, epidemiology, health policy
- Education & inclusion: education leadership, policy, curriculum, inclusive systems
- Infrastructure & cities: civil/transport, urban planning, construction systems, project management
- Governance & public policy: public administration, governance, policy design/implementation
- Inclusive economic growth: economics, development studies, public finance, social policy
- Women’s empowerment & equality: gender and development, inclusion programs, rights-based policy
- Disaster resilience: risk management, emergency systems, climate adaptation
- Digital government (in some profiles): e-governance, public-sector digital transformation, service delivery system.
Application Process of Australia Government Scholarship
Australia Awards applications are pretty straightforward once you treat them like a project, not a last-minute form. Here’s the global process most applicants follow (your country profile may add extra steps, but the flow stays the same).
| Step | What you do | What to prepare / upload | Pro tips that actually help |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Confirm your country rules | Open your country profile and note deadlines, degree level, priority sectors, and any extra requirements | Notes: deadline time zone, degree level allowed, work experience rules, sector restrictions | Don’t start writing essays until you know the priority areas—that’s how people waste weeks |
| 2) Create your OASIS account | Register in OASIS and start a draft application | Passport/ID details, correct legal name spelling | Use the exact name as your passport to avoid document mismatches later |
| 3) Choose your study direction | Select the priority area and degree type (usually Master’s) that matches your background + impact plan | Shortlist 2–4 programs that clearly align with priority themes | Pick degrees you can defend logically, not “top ranked” randomly |
| 4) Build your impact narrative | Write your motivation + leadership + development impact story (the core of the application) | Impact plan/essays as required by your country profile | Use this structure: Problem → Evidence → Skills gap → Degree match → Return plan → Measurable results |
| 5) Line up referees early | Request academic and professional references (often via template/portal) | Referee details + signed reports/letters if required | Give referees a 1-page brief of your goals so their letters sound specific, not generic |
| 6) Prepare documents | Compile and scan everything clearly (often in PDF format, sometimes grouped by category) | Degrees, transcripts, work proof, CV, English test (if required), ID/passport | Clean scans win. Missing pages, unreadable files, or wrong order kills applications |
| 7) Complete the online form | Fill personal info, education, employment, course preferences, and declarations | Employment history, duties, dates, employer contacts | Keep dates consistent across CV, form, and documents—panels notice inconsistencies |
| 8) Upload + validate | Upload all required documents and double-check each file opens correctly | Final PDFs, references status, any country-specific forms | Do a “final audit”: file names, orientation, legibility, completeness |
| 9) Submit early | Submit before the deadline (ideally days earlier) | Final submission confirmation | Portals get busy near closing—early submission saves you from upload disasters |
| 10) Shortlisting & interview | If shortlisted, you’ll attend interviews/assessments as per your country program | Proof/examples of leadership, impact plan clarity | Interview answers should mirror your written story—don’t introduce a brand-new plan |
| 11) Selection + placement | Successful candidates receive conditional offers; placement depends on meeting requirements | University admission + visa documents as requested | The scholarship can be withdrawn if you can’t meet admission/visa requirements—prepare early |
The last date to apply for the Australia Awards Scholarships 2027 intake is 30 April 2026, and all applicants must complete their online submission and upload the required documents before this deadline to be considered for the fully funded award.