FAQ

The Australia Awards Africa program does not support bachelors or PhD studies.

Australia Awards Africa supports master’s degrees in the following priority sectors:

• Climate change
• Agriculture and food security
• Mining and energy
• Foreign policy and international security
• Gender, disability and social inclusion.

Applicants may chose to select any masters level course at a qualifying institution Australia Awards—Participating Institutions | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au).

Applications in any other field of study will not be considered.  Applicants must also have five years post-graduate work experience in one of the fields listed above to be eligible to apply. The following website may be helpful for you to research an appropriate degree: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, you must meet all eligibility criteria otherwise your application will not be considered.

You can use your own template if it is submitted with the official letterhead of the organisation your referee works for, signed by the referee and stamped if a stamp is available.

You can seek a referee report from someone reputable who is familiar with you like a lawyer or a religious leader or any other reputable person within your community.

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you will be required to complete an IELTS, TOEFl or PTE Academic test result: Algeria, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, and Rwanda.

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you are not required to submit an English test: Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The English proficiency requirements for entry into Australian universities are a requirement of the Australian universities and applicants are required to provide official IELTS, TOEFL or PTE Academic test scores depending on their nationality.

For your application to be considered compliant, you must submit all required documentation at the time of application. No late submission of documents will be considered.

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, you must meet all eligibility criteria otherwise your application will not be considered.

The following countries are eligible for the current round of applications:

Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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The CRICOS website is https://cricos.education.gov.au/ Click here for a video on the process of how to find your course's CRICOS code

Work experience must be paid work experience and not internships unless you are an applicant with a disability and have relevant internships or voluntary work experience in your relevant sector. This consideration is made in alignment with the Program’s equity of access principles.

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, you must meet all eligibility criteria otherwise your application will not be considered. You must have a minimum of five years post-graduate work experience to be eligible, unless you have a disability in which case, you must demonstrate at least three years post-graduate work experience.

The Australian Government has appointed Palladium International as the Managing Contractor of Australia Awards Africa.  Palladium is responsible for the administration and logistical management of the Australia Awards Africa program. If you have a specific question that is not addressed on the website, please contact Palladium by directing your queries to .

Currently, the Australia Awards program offers:

• Australia Awards Scholarships
• Short Course Awards

For more information on the types of Awards, go to https://australiaawardsafrica.org/awards/types-of-awards/

The Australia Awards Africa program does not support primary or secondary studies.

Australia Awards Scholarships are only offered to selected candidates to undertake postgraduate studies. Candidates applying must already hold a Bachelor’s degree.

PhD scholarships are currently not offered under the Australia Awards program.

Applications opened on 1 February and will close on 30 April.

On the Australia Awards Africa website, click on the “Apply for an Award” button. to check your eligibility. If you meet the eligibility criteria for your country, and if applications are open you will be directed to the online platform where you will be able to complete your application.

Yes, you may apply if you meet the eligibility criteria for an award, however, it will not guarantee that you will be awarded an Australia Awards Scholarship. You are, however, not required to have an offer of admission to apply for the scholarship. Should you be successful in receiving an Australia Awards Scholarship, the program will apply to your university of choice in Australia, on your behalf.

Australia Awards offers support to all women, particularly those who may face difficult circumstances or barriers to their full participation in the program. This support is offered at all award stages. Women who believe that they may need support should discuss their requirements with their Palladium   Awards Officer early in the process.  For more information on the support provided to women, go to “Approach to Gender Equality”. 

The Australian Government’s strategies provide a framework that ensures equal opportunities for women to participate in all Australia Award Activities. 

The Australian Government’s strategies Promoting Opportunities for All: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and Australian Aid: Promoting Prosperity, Reducing Poverty, Enhancing Stability provide a framework that ensures equal opportunities for women to participate in all Australian aid programs. Australia Awards is keen to ensure that women participate equally in the program and have equal opportunities to benefit from the Awards. Women are encouraged to apply and will be supported, as applicable, at all stages of the scholarship.

In addition, the Women in Leadership Network, which comprises female alumni, has been established to support those women wishing to participate. The network also gives peer support to female scholars. For more details, please email

Successful candidates of the Australia Award Scholarships can apply for their spouse and children to join them in Australia by applying for dependent visas. This is usually only possible after scholars arrived in Australia, commenced their course and with the approval of the University.  The program will explain the entire process during the Pre-departure Briefing.

It is important to note that Australia Awards does not provide additional financial support for scholars’ family to travel to or live in Australia.

Short Course Awards participants cannot apply for a visa for their dependents.

Australia Awards scholars are required to attend a Pre-Departure briefing, usually held in October of the year before they go to Australia. This briefing provides essential information and advice about living and studying in Australia. These events are held in a number of locations across Africa. The program will cover the cost of one’s attendance if the event is not held in one’s home city. Spouses are encouraged to attend the pre-departure briefings. However, this will be at their own cost. 

Short Course Awards participants are encouraged to read all the pre-departure material that they are sent by the training provider, research host institution in Australia, or Palladium. 

Scholars with a disability or chronic illness, as well as pregnant individuals, are encouraged to notify Palladium before mobilising to Australia. This will ensure that the required information and support is provided while in Australia. 

In addition, scholars are encouraged to conduct their own research on life in Australia.  

Australia Awards receives a large number of scholarship applications. We are only able to provide general feedback and will not be in a position to provide individual feedback to applicants.