Australian Development Scholarships (up to 1000 awards) for International Students

Australian Development Scholarships

Course(s) Offered: Identified priority areas
Course Level: Undergraduate (bachelors), Postgraduate (masters, PhD)
Provider: Australian Government
Country to Study in: Australia

Scholarship Description
Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) are long term development awards administered by AusAID. ADS aim to contribute to the long term development needs of Australia's partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.

ADS provide opportunities for people from developing countries to undertake vocational education and training courses, full time undergraduate or postgraduate degrees at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.

The study and research opportunities provided by ADS develop skills and knowledge of individuals to drive change and contribute to the development outcomes of their own country.

Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, applicants must:

• be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing the Scholarship
• be a citizen of an ADS participating country and be residing in and applying for the Scholarship from their country of citizenship
• not be married or engaged to or be a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any of the application, selection or mobilisation phases or while on-scholarship in Australia
  Note: Residents of Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are eligible but must apply for an AusAID 576 student visa.
• not be current serving military personnel
• not be applying for another long-term AusAID scholarship unless they have returned to their home country and resided there* for twice the length of the total time that they were in Australia (for example, a previous Scholar who has been on AusAID scholarship/s in Australia for four years will not be eligible to apply for another AusAID scholarship until they have been home for eight years)
• not hold or have held an Australian Government-funded scholarship (e.g. Endeavour Award) in the preceding two years, at the time of application
• satisfy any specific criteria established by the applicant’s country and/or government of citizenship
• be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the Scholarship is to be undertaken (this may mean that Post will need to withdraw a Scholarship offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements. This may not be known until Post requests a placement at selected institutions)
• be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for an AusAID Student Visa 576 (this may mean that Post will need to withdraw a Scholarship offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the visa requirements)

Eligible groups
You are eligible for ADS if you are a citizen of one of the ADS participating countries, including:

• ASIA: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
• PACIFIC: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Pacific Collectivities (New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue and Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
• AFRICA: Angola, Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia
• MIDDLE EAST: Iraq, Palestinian Territories
• CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and TobagoLATIN AMERICA: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Please note that women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Participating Institution(s)
All accredited participating Australian higher education institutions and technical colleges. More information about these institutions and the courses available can be found at the Australian Course and Education Institution Search.

Fields of study
Fields of study are targeted to address agreed priority human resource and development needs of recipient countries, in line with Australia’s bilateral aid program. These are listed on the participating country profiles (see 'country specific pages' below).

Please note that ADS are not available for:

1. undergraduate medical and veterinary science programs;
2. training in areas related to nuclear technology or flying aircraft;
3. legal workshops;
4. double degrees, unless these are in the same Faculty and can be completed within the normal time limit for the level of qualification (i.e. 3 years for Bachelor’s degrees, 2 years for Masters, 4 years for PhD);
5. courses at the undergraduate level that may be available at Institutions in the Student’s home country;
6. Military training;
7. Training of police in counter-subversion methods, the suppression of political dissent or intelligence procurement.

Number of awards
Up to 1000 Australian Development Scholarships are awarded each year across 31 countries with scholarships awarded equally between men and women.

The number of scholarships and fields of study are determined annually by each ADS participating country and in accordance with the Australian Government’s bilateral development assistance program. Some countries may limit the level of study (technical, undergraduate or postgraduate) and give priority to certain fields of study to better meet development needs and Australia’s specific aid objectives for each country.

Scholarship benefits
ADS are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, including any preparatory training. The following benefits generally apply:

• Full tuition fees.
• Return air travel—payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route.
• Establishment allowance—a once only payment of A$5,000 as a contribution towards as accommodation expenses, text books, study materials.
• Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) is a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by AusAID. From 1 January 2013, CLE payable to Scholars studying under an ADS is A$30,000 per year.
• Introductory Academic Program (IAP)—a compulsory 4-6 week program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on life and study in Australia.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award (for award holder only)—provided to cover the student's basic medical costs (with the exception of pre existing conditions).
• Pre-course English (PCE) fees—if deemed necessary PCE may be available for students for in-country and/or in-Australia training.
• Supplementary Academic Support may be available to ensure a Scholar's academic success or enhance their academic experience.
• Fieldwork (for research students only)—may be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia.

Method of Application
If you intend to apply, you must read the Scholarships handbook. The handbook provides information including general eligibility requirements, selection processes, entitlements and awardee responsibilities. AusAID may revise and update the handbook at any time without notice.

Some countries encourage and allow you to apply online (only open until 30 April 2013) while others require hard-copy applications. More information on individual country processes can be obtained from the Australian Diplomatic Mission in the country of citizenship. See 'country specific pages' below for more.

To apply, visit the official How to apply for an Australian Development Scholarship page. (You may also visit the country specific pages for detailed application information)

DEADLINES:
There is usually one annual selection round in each country. Each Country Program has different selection processes and timelines, but deadline generally falls between 1 March-30 April each year.

Check the open and close dates for your country, and select your country of citizenship/residency from the list of participating countries for specific information on eligibility, priority areas and how to apply. For the current season, deadline for Africa is 31 March 2013.

Contact
Enquiries about ADS should be made with the Australian Diplomatic Mission in your country of citizenship. Contact details are found at this page.

Application Deadline: 31 March 2013 (ONLY African countries)
Open to International students: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application

Related: Australian Development Scholarships for African Students