Australia Awards Scholarship
Get full details on eligibility, benefits, and application deadlines below.
Application Status
Country
Australia
Start Date
Feb 01, 2026
Deadline
May 04, 2026
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the scholarship, Pakistani applicants must meet several key criteria:
Citizenship and Residency: Must be a Pakistani citizen and resident in Pakistan for at least the past two years. Dual nationals of Australia or New Zealand are not eligible.
Education: Must have completed at least 16 years of education with a relevant academic background and a minimum of two years of work experience in their field. For people with a disability, the minimum work experience is two years.
Age: Must not be older than 45 years of age at the time of application.
English Proficiency: Must provide a valid English language test result. The minimum required scores are:
- IELTS (Academic): Overall score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.
- TOEFL iBT: Overall score of at least 84, with a minimum of 21 in all sub-tests.
- PTE Academic: Overall score of at least 58, with no communicative skill score less than 50.
Previous Scholarships: Must not have previously received a long-term Australia Award unless they have resided outside of Australia for twice the length of their time in Australia on the previous scholarship.
Commitment: Must commit to returning to Pakistan for a minimum of two years after completing their studies to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute to the country's development.
Required Documents
Applicants must provide a comprehensive set of documents, which may need to be attested or notarized. These include:
- Proof of citizenship and identity: Attested copy of your passport.
- Academic documents: Attested degree certificates and academic transcripts from all prior higher education institutions.
- Proof of employment: A letter from your current employer and evidence of previous employment.
- English proficiency test results: A valid IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE score report.
- Referee reports: Two referee reports, one from an academic source and one from a professional source.
- Development Impact Plan (DIP): A document outlining how your proposed field of study will contribute to development challenges in Pakistan.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- No Objection Certificate (NOC): Required for public sector employees.
- Research proposal: For those applying for a master's by research, a research proposal and an email or letter showing in-principle agreement from a potential supervisor are required
Required English Language Tests
The scholarship requires all applicants to demonstrate their English proficiency through one of the following standardized tests:
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic: A minimum overall score of 6.5, with no individual band score less than 6.0.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT: A minimum overall score of 84, with a minimum of 21 in all sub-tests.
- PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic: A minimum overall score of 58, with no communicative skill score less than 50.
Scholarship Benefits
The Australia Awards Scholarship is a prestigious and comprehensive program that covers a wide range of expenses:
- Full tuition fees.
- Return air travel to and from Australia.
- A one-off establishment allowance to cover initial costs like accommodation and textbooks.
- A contribution to living expenses (CLE), paid fortnightly.
- Introductory Academic Program (IAP) to help you adjust to studying in Australia.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the scholarship.
- Supplementary academic support if needed.
- Fieldwork allowance, for research students or coursework with a compulsory fieldwork component.
Complete Application Process
The application process is entirely online via the OASIS portal. The key steps are:
- Check Eligibility: Review the eligibility criteria and country-specific requirements for Pakistan.
- Prepare Documents: Gather and prepare all the necessary documents well in advance, as some, like referee reports and test scores, take time to obtain.
- Apply Online: Create an account and submit your application through the OASIS portal during the application period. Ensure all information is accurate and complete.
- Selection and Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
- Placement and Visa: If selected, the Australia Awards office will help you secure placement at an Australian university and guide you through the student visa application process.