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Postgraduate Scholarships In Australia
So you’ve decided you want to study your PG program in Australia – but how are you going to fund your studies?
Scholarships and bursaries are an excellent way to fund your postgraduate studies and there are plenty of funding opportunities for both international and domestic postgraduate students in Australia.
So where should you look for postgraduate scholarships in Australia? Let's investigate...
There are several different sources that you can try when looking for scholarships in Australia.
Course provider
For all students planning on studying a postgraduate course in Australia the best place to start your search for funding is with your course provider. Every university in Australia will provide lists of funding opportunities for their students.
Sign up online
It is well worth signing up for notifications from websites that are dedicated to listing scholarships, bursaries and grants to keep up with any new scholarships or bursaries. A couple of hours trawling the internet looking for relevant websites could be very profitable!
Australian government
Last, but by no means least, even if you are an international student you should check what is on offer from the Australian Government, as they provide scholarships for a wide variety of subjects, especially if you are about to embark on a Masters by Research for international students. Domestic students also qualify for different types of funding from the Australian Government, so both domestic and international students should check with their tutors or institution for guidance on funding.
Australia Awards Government Scholarship Program for international students
This table illustrates the percentage of scholarships given to international students by subject sector by the Australia Awards Government Scholarship program.
What information will you need to provide to apply for a scholarship in Australia?
When applying for a postgraduate scholarship in Australia you will usually need to start by providing a grade transcript and details of your acceptance onto the relevant PG course. You might also need to give the awarding body your grades as you progress through your course or a copy of your research when you are finished.
Many funding awards are given by charitable trusts and organisations that may require you to have been or to be a volunteer or a member of a specific group of people, for example there are awards that are based on students gender, race or religion that are used to encourage students from minority groups to enter fields where they are under represented. For these sorts of awards, you may need to provide proof that you are a member of the relevant group of people.
Applications for scholarships and bursaries will also often require the student to write a personal statement outlining their reasons for studying their chosen subject. Some scholarships and bursaries will automatically consider all students at the institution for their awards and will not necessarily require students to apply for them directly. These types of scholarships are usually based on proof of the student excelling academically in their chosen subject area.
Scholarships application checklist
Grade Transcript
Acceptance Letter
Proof Of Voluntary Role If Relevant
Personal Statement
Popular scholarships in Australia
The most popular postgraduate scholarships in Australia are the ones awarded by the Australian Government. The next most popular scholarships are the ones that are provided by universities – for example the Australian National University has a comprehensive selection of scholarships for both domestic and international students. Scholarships provided by universities directly and the organisations associated with the university are all going to be very popular with the students attending the institution. Scholarships that target particular groups of people tend to be less competitive due to the fact that less people are eligible to apply for them.
University scholarships & bursaries
For postgraduate students undertaking research there are many scholarships and bursaries available from the university – so take a look at the funding pages and see what scholarships and bursaries you are eligible to apply for. The Australian National University lists them all online with some scholarships, such as the Alex Rogers Travelling Scholarship available to fund travelling costs for Astronomy and Astrophysics PhD students completing a thesis. This kind of scholarship is targeted at specific students in a specific set of circumstances in the course of their studies – so if you can find a specific scholarship that seems to be tailor made for you, you could be with in a good chance of receiving the funding. Other scholarships are open for a much wider set of postgraduate students, such as the various different scholarships on offer at Monash University.
And don’t forget that if you do get accepted onto a postgraduate program at a university in Australia you are eligible to apply for one of our Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries worth £500 towards your tuition fees.
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