Australia Awards Scholarships (Indo-Pacific and South Asia)

Who can apply

A citizen of one of DFAT's listed Indo-Pacific or South Asian partner countries
From a developing country, applying through that country's own Australia Awards managing office rather than to DFAT centrally
Agrees to leave Australia for at least two years after finishing the award, or repay the full cost of the scholarship

The same DFAT programme, run through a different set of offices

This is the same Australian government programme already carried on this site as the Australia Awards Scholarships (Africa), just administered through a different set of in-country offices for the Indo-Pacific and South Asia instead. DFAT sets one scholarships handbook centrally, but each participating country runs its own round with its own opening date, closing date and contact office. The two strands share a funder and a benefits package, but not a calendar, an application portal, or (for Africa specifically) the work-experience and minimum-age eligibility rules that strand adds on top of the general handbook.

What DFAT actually pays for

The award covers full tuition fees at the host Australian university or TAFE institution, one return economy-class flight by the most direct route, and a fortnightly Contribution to Living Expenses set centrally by the department rather than negotiated per scholar. On top of that there is a once-only establishment allowance toward accommodation and study materials on arrival, Overseas Student Health Cover for the scholar (not dependents), a compulsory Introductory Academic Program before formal study starts, and, where a course requires it, pre-course English training and one further return airfare for compulsory fieldwork. Undergraduate, master’s and PhD study are all eligible, at both universities and TAFE institutions, which is broader than the Africa strand’s master’s-only scope.

The two-year return condition is a signed contract, not a guideline

Accepting the award means signing a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia agreeing to leave the country for a minimum of two years once the scholarship ends. DFAT’s own language is specific about the consequence of skipping that: failing to leave results in a debt for the total accrued cost of the scholarship, not a vague penalty. Budget the two-year gap into any post-study plans in Australia from the outset rather than treating it as a formality to negotiate around later.

Part of a program that traces back to the 1950s

Australia Awards did not appear from nowhere. DFAT traces the lineage back more than 70 years, from the Colombo Plan in the 1950s through to the current Australia Awards brand, and every recipient joins the Australia Global Alumni network connecting past scholars to each other and to Australia after they return home. That history is part of why the eligibility rules, priority sectors and country-by-country structure are as layered as they are: this is a long-running foreign-policy instrument, not a single grant scheme, and each country’s round reflects its own bilateral relationship with Australia.

Every round on the current table has already closed

Every country in DFAT’s own table for study commencing in 2027 has already closed, almost all on the identical 1 February to 30 April 2026 window, with only Palau running a month later. No dates for study commencing in 2028 have been published yet. If you’re outside this cycle, the practical move is to watch your own country’s Australia Awards office (for example inquiries@australiaawardsnepal.org for Nepal or info@australiaawardspakistan.org for Pakistan) for the next round opening around February rather than applying to DFAT centrally, which does not accept applications at all.