Australia Awards Scholarship

Australia Awards scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian education institution, including any preparatory training.

Scholarship recipients receive:

• return air travel
• a one-off establishment allowance on arrival
• full tuition fees
• contribution to living expenses
• introductory academic program
• overseas student health cover for the duration of the scholarship
• supplementary academic support
• fieldwork allowance for research students and masters by coursework which has a compulsory fieldwork component.

You must meet the following eligibility requirements to register:

• Be a minimum of 18 years of age on 1 February of the year of commencing the scholarship
• Be a citizen of PNG and resident and employed in PNG, and committed to returning after studies.
• Not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently
• Not be married, engaged or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection or mobilisation phases of the scholarship
• Not be currently serving military personnel
• Be applying for a progressive tertiary qualification (i.e. a masters degree if the applicant already has a bachelor degree; another masters in a different subject area or field of specialisation if the applicant already has a masters from a PNG institution)
• Have at least two years’ work experience. (People with disability are exempt from this requirement.)
• Must meet minimum English language proficiency requirements. For example, IELTS overall score of 6.5 or higher (with no band less than 6.0) or an equivalent TOEFL or PTE score.
• Be able to take up the scholarship in the year in which it is awarded. Should an awardee not be able to commence study by November of their award year, the scholarship will be withdrawn.
• Be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken
• Able to meet the Australian visa requirements (subclass 500) and not applying for a visa to live in Australia.
• Not have previously received a long-term Australia Award in the previous four years)
  Not hold convictions of criminal activities (including in their home country) including those relating to Child Protection and PSEAH.
• Meet all eligibility requirements detailed in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook, available at: https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/australia-awards-scholars…

Applicants from PNG Government Agencies

In addition to the country-specific conditions noted above, public servant applicants covered by General Order No. 6 on overseas training for public service staff must also meet the Government of Papua New Guinea requirements, including:

• employment in a public sector agency for two years after permanent appointment
• applicant is listed in their agency’s Learning and Development Plan
• nomination from applicant’s employment agency and endorsement from the Department of Personnel Management.

For details on General Order No. 6, public servant applicants may contact their agency human resource officers or the Department of Personnel Management. More information for public service applicants can be found here.