Australia’s universities attract large numbers of international applicants every year, and the government, along with individual institutions, has built a correspondingly deep pool of scholarship funding to match that demand. Research degrees in particular are well supported.
The ten programs below cover tuition and, in most cases, a living stipend for successful applicants across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral study.
1. Australia Awards Scholarships
The [Australia Awards Scholarships](/australia-awards-scholarships/) program, funded by the Australian government, supports students from partner countries across Asia, the Pacific, and Africa, covering tuition, a living allowance, airfare, and health cover for the length of the degree.
2. University of Sydney Research Training Program Scholarship
The [Sydney RTP Scholarship](/sydney-rtp-scholarship/) funds doctoral and research master’s students with a living stipend and a tuition fee waiver, drawing on the Australian government’s broader Research Training Program funding pool.
3. Macquarie International Research Training Program Scholarship
Similar in structure to Sydney’s award, the [Macquarie IRTP Scholarship](/macquarie-irtp-scholarship/) covers tuition and provides a living stipend for international research students admitted to a PhD or research master’s at Macquarie University.
4. Macquarie Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship
This coursework-focused award, the [Macquarie Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship](/macquarie-vice-chancellors-scholarship/), reduces tuition fees substantially for high-achieving international students entering undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degrees.
5. University of Melbourne Research Scholarship
This program funds doctoral and research master’s candidates with a living stipend and a full tuition fee offset, open to both domestic and international applicants admitted to a research degree at the University of Melbourne.
6. Australian National University Chancellor’s International Scholarship
ANU offers this award to high-achieving international undergraduates, covering a significant share of tuition costs for the full duration of the degree, renewable each year that academic requirements are met.
7. University of Queensland Research Training Scholarship
This award funds international PhD and research master’s students with a living stipend and tuition fee offset, administered through the same government Research Training Program framework used across most Australian universities.
8. Monash International Leadership Scholarship
Monash University offers this scholarship to international undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students who show strong academic performance, covering a substantial portion of tuition fees for the length of the degree.
9. Macquarie University Alumni Scholarship
Available to former Macquarie students returning for further study, the [Macquarie Alumni Scholarship](/macquarie-university-alumni-scholarship/) offers a tuition fee reduction for eligible postgraduate coursework programs.
10. Destination Australia Program
Funded by the Australian government to support study in regional areas, the [Destination Australia Program](/destination-australia-program/) provides an annual payment toward tuition and living costs for both domestic and international students enrolled at a regional campus.
Research-based scholarships tied to the national Research Training Program tend to follow each university’s own PhD admission cycle, so applying early to the degree itself usually matters more than a separate scholarship form.
Scholarship committees in Australia generally look beyond grades alone, weighing a clear statement of purpose, relevant work or volunteer experience, and references that speak to both academic ability and character. Building these supporting documents early, rather than rushing them in the final weeks before a deadline, tends to produce a noticeably stronger application.
Most universities also publish their own smaller faculty-level awards alongside the larger scholarships listed here, so checking a specific department.’s funding page is worth the extra few minutes before submitting any application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Australia Awards Scholarship open to every country?
No, it is limited to a defined list of partner countries across Asia, the Pacific region, and parts of Africa, with specific priority fields set for each country.
Do research scholarships in Australia cover both tuition and living costs?
Most Research Training Program scholarships, including those at Sydney, Melbourne, Macquarie, and Queensland, cover a full tuition offset plus an annual living stipend.
Are undergraduate students eligible for fully funded scholarships in Australia?
Programs like the ANU Chancellor’s International Scholarship and Monash International Leadership Scholarship target undergraduates, though full funding is more common at the research degree level.
How competitive are Group of Eight university research scholarships?
They are highly competitive, since each university allocates a limited number of government-funded research places among many strong applicants annually.
Does the Destination Australia Program require studying in a capital city?
No, it specifically supports study at regional campuses outside major capital cities, which is the defining feature of the program.
Can international students combine two scholarships at once?
Generally no, since most Australian scholarships explicitly exclude students already holding another award covering the same costs.
What English test scores are typically required?
Requirements vary by university and course, though IELTS or TOEFL scores meeting the host university’s general admission threshold are usually the minimum expectation.