Have a dream of studying in Australia, but don’t have the money for it? What if we tell you there is a way of that dream becoming a reality? Every year, Australian Awards Scholarships invite applications from international students who are interested in studying at Australian to-ranking universities.
If you are looking for an opportunity like this, then read this article as we have explained in detail what Australian Awards Scholarships are, their benefits and the application process.
Australian Awards
Funded by the Australian Government, the Australia Awards are prestigious international scholarships that aim to demonstrate Australia’s commitment to providing educational opportunities to individuals so that they can help make a change in their countries, in terms of development and economic growth. The scholarships are offered every year at both master’s and PhD levels.
An important area of the Australian Awards is focused on the empowerment of women and it also gives opportunities to people with disability and individuals from disadvantaged social groups.
After completing their studies with the help of the Australian Awards, recipients become part of the Australian Global Alumni network which connects them to Australia and other alumni. This establishes a network of global leaders and advocates.
For the year 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) changed the life of 2075 applicants from 27 developing countries. Awards offered to international students in 2022 include:
- 983 Australia Awards Scholarships
- 252 Australian Awards Pacific Scholarship
- 840 Australia Awards Short Courses
Scholarship Highlight
| Host Country | Australia |
| Funded By | Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade |
| Level of Study | Masters & PhD |
| Focus Area |
|
| Program Period | Depends on the degree |
| Deadline | 1 February to 30 April |
| AAS Decision | Decisions are announced by 1 August |
| Benefits | Fully Funded |
Australian Awards Scholarship for Pakistani Students
Pakistan is one of the countries whose students can take advantage of this award. Pakistani dynamic students can with the help of AAS undertake study research and professional development in Australia.
Benefits
Australia Award Scholarships provide the following benefits to the recipients:
- Full Tuition Fees
- Return air tickets: round-trip (economy class) to and from Australia
- Allowance toward accommodation, textbooks, and study material
- Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) – the rate will be decided by the department
- Pre-course English Fees
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award
- Supplementary academic support may be available to ensure a scholar’s academic success or enhance their academic experience
- Eligible research students, who may be eligible for fieldwork (for research awards and Master by coursework degrees with a required research component) for one round-trip economy class flight via the most direct route to their home country or within Australia.
Eligibility Criteria for Pakistani Student
Applicants need to fulfill these requirements in order to qualify for the award.
- Applicant must have 16 years of education
- Be a citizen currently residing in Pakistan for at least the past 24 months
- Satisfy Australian Government requirements for an international student visa for entry to Australia (Health, character etc.)
- Not hold another scholarship or not have held a foreign scholarship in the 24 months preceding the application
- Be able to take up the scholarship in the year for which it is offered
- Apply for courses that fall within the priority development sector identified for Pakistan.
- Fulfill the requirements of the Australian institution and the course to be undertaken
- Not be above 45 years at the time of applying
- Have at least five years of work experience in the field in which they are applying. Internships and volunteer work will not be considered work experience
- English Language Proficiency
- An Academic IELTS score of at least 6.5 with no band less than 6.0.
- An internet-based TOEFL score of at least 79, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests
- A PTE Academic overall score of 58, with no communicative skill score less than 50
Special Condition
Applicants must also meet the following conditions:
- Applicants must submit their application online on the Online Australia Awards Scholarships Information System (OASIS)
- Candidates for a master’s degree by research must submit a summary of their research project (up to 1000 words) and obtain a principal agreement (in the form of a letter or email) from a research supervisor at their chosen Australian university.
- Scholarships will not be awarded to applicants for the degree program in Australia that they have already studied, and which is equivalent to an Australian qualification.
- Recipients of awards must sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia agreeing to return to Pakistan for at least two years once their studies are completed.
Application Process
To apply for the Australian Awards Scholarship, potential applicants must complete the following steps:
- Go to the OASIS and register yourself. Choose Pakistan as your home country and type of the award (Australian Awards Scholarship) you are eligible for.
- Now you will be asked some questions to establish your eligibility.
- Now complete the online application form for the Australian Award and once the supporting documents (you will find the list below) are attached you can submit them.
Document Requirement
| Documents | Document Type | Attested/notarised* |
| Passport and citizenship | Proof of citizenship | Yes |
| Degree certificates | Degree certificates | Yes |
| Academic transcripts /mark sheets | Academic transcripts | Yes |
| IELTS or TOEFL or PTE Academic results (valid at 1 January 2023) | Proof of English language proficiency | Yes |
| Academic referee report (two reports for applicants for Masters degree by research, and one report for applicants for Master’s degree by coursework) (use Template) | Referee report | No |
| Employment referee report (same template as academic referee report) | Referee report | No |
| Development Impact and Linkages Plan (DILP) (use template) | Other document | No |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) (use template) | Other document | No |
| current employment letter | Other document | Yes |
| Previous employment evidence | Other document | Yes |
| No Objection Certificate (NOC)-for public sector employees only | Other document | Yes |
| Certificates of special achievements or merit (if any) | Other document | Yes |
Potential applicants for AAS in Pakistan can use this checklist to assess whether they satisfy the eligibility criteria for the award before going ahead with the application.
We hope this article provides you with all the information you need about the Australian Awards Scholarship. Contact Edvise Hub to get help with the application process.
