About Studying in Australia

If you are considering applying for an Australia Awards Scholarship for long term study in Australia in 2026, now is the time to register your interest and receive individual consultation. Don’t miss the opportunity!

Register for the information session on or before 1 February 2025 at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AASIntake2026.

Registration is FREE. Registrations will not be accepted via email. Only eligible applicants will be invited to attend the information session. If you do not hear from AAPNG after registration, it means you did not meet the eligibility requirements.

There is NO APPLICATION FORM to fill in at this stage. 

Eligibility requirements

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 Should an awardee not be able to commence study by November of their award year, the scholarship will be withdrawn.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-scholarships-policy-handbook

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.

Australia Awards does not work through any education agents.