How can I get a scholarship in Australia as a Nepali student?

Start by matching your profile to the right category. Automatic university merit scholarships suit strong academic records at the point of admission, while the fully funded Australia Awards Scholarship suits Master's applicants with relevant work experience and a clear development-focused study plan, applied for within its annual February to April window.

How do I apply for a PhD scholarship in Australia?

PhD funding in Australia is mostly research-based, through the Australian Government Research Training Program or university-specific research scholarships. You typically need to contact and secure in-principle agreement from a potential supervisor before submitting a formal application, rather than applying to a general scholarship pool.

Can I get a full scholarship in Australia?

Yes. The Australia Awards Scholarship is fully funded, covering tuition, airfare, living costs, and health cover. Some university flagship awards, like the Deakin Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship, also offer full tuition waivers, though these are highly competitive and awarded to a small number of top applicants each cycle.

Does Nepal's Assessment Level 3 status affect scholarship eligibility?

No, it affects your visa assessment, not scholarship eligibility. It means your visa application needs more complete financial and academic evidence upfront, regardless of whether you're funded by a scholarship or self-funded.

Scholarships in Australia for Nepali Students (2026): Complete Guide

By Jenish Published Jul 27, 2026

Australia raised its student visa bar for Nepali applicants in 2026, and the Australia Awards Scholarship window for this cycle has already closed. Neither of those things makes Australia a weaker option, but they do change how you should plan your application. This guide is current as of July 2026 and covers both Bachelor's and Master's applicants asking how to apply for scholarships in Australia for upcoming intakes.

First, the Policy Context That Changes Your Strategy

Before scholarship hunting, understand what's changed in 2026. This directly affects your visa timeline, your budget, and how strong your application needs to be.

Nepal moved to Assessment Level 3. Effective January 8, 2026, the Department of Home Affairs classified Nepal as high risk under the Simplified Student Visa Framework. This means full documentary evidence, verified English scores, and manual scrutiny of every application, with no shortcuts on financial proof.
Financial requirement increased. You now need to show access to AUD 29,710 for living costs, on top of a full year's tuition and travel, and it must be held as liquid funds (a bank balance with a clear history, or an approved education loan from an A-class commercial bank) rather than property valuations.
Visa fees have gone up. The Subclass 500 student visa fee rose to AUD 2,500 for the primary applicant from July 1, 2026, and the Temporary Graduate (485) visa fee has roughly doubled to around AUD 5,750.
The overall places cap actually increased. Australia's National Planning Level for 2026 is set at 295,000 international student places, higher than the prior year, so the system is not closing, it's just applying more scrutiny to who gets through.
Australia Awards Scholarships for the 2027 intake are closed. Applications opened February 1, 2026 and closed April 30, 2026. If you're applying now, you're planning for the next round, which typically reopens in early 2027 for intake the following year.

None of this should discourage you. It means a decision-ready application matters more than it used to: complete financial evidence, a specific Genuine Student statement tied to your actual academic and career logic, and English scores that clear the bar comfortably rather than just meeting the minimum.

Types of Scholarships Available to Nepali Students in Australia

Scholarship Type	What It's Based On	Typical Eligibility Criteria	Examples
Government-Funded (Fully Funded)	Development priority alignment, leadership potential, academic merit	Nepali citizenship, a completed qualification below the level applied for, relevant work experience, an approved English test score, commitment to return to Nepal	Australia Awards Scholarship, ACIAR John Allwright Fellowship (agriculture-linked research)
University Merit Scholarships (Automatic)	Academic record at time of admission	Strong GPA/percentage or ATAR-equivalent, assessed automatically during admission, no separate application in most cases	University of Adelaide Global Academic Excellence Scholarship, Griffith International Student Merit and Academic Excellence Scholarships, University of Sydney International Student Award
Vice-Chancellor's / Flagship Scholarships	Academic excellence, sometimes leadership or extracurricular record	Higher GPA thresholds than standard merit awards, some require a separate short application or essay	Deakin Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship (up to 100% tuition waiver), La Trobe Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship, Griffith Remarkable Scholarship
Research-Based Awards (Master's by Research / PhD)	Research proposal quality, supervisor fit, academic record	Admission into a specific research program, often requires contacting a supervisor before applying	Australian Government Research Training Program (stipend around AUD 32,500/year), university-specific graduate research scholarships
Private and Program-Specific Scholarships	Varies: subject focus, leadership, community involvement	Varies by funder, often requires essays and references	Rotary Peace Fellowships (Master's/PhD, peace and development focus), faculty-specific bursaries

Scholarships for Bachelor's Applicants

At the undergraduate level, Australia Awards is technically open to Nepali citizens applying for a higher qualification than they currently hold, but in practice the large majority of Nepal's Australia Awards places go to Master's applicants. For Bachelor's study, your realistic and strongest funding path is university merit scholarships, most of which are assessed automatically from your academic record.

University of Adelaide Global Academic Excellence Scholarship: a 15% to 50% tuition fee reduction for commencing undergraduate international students with a strong academic record, assessed automatically during admission.
Griffith International Student Academic Excellence and Merit Scholarships: tuition fee reductions ranging from 20% to 25%, based on outstanding academic results and, in some cases, leadership or extracurricular achievement.
Deakin and La Trobe Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships: merit-based, with the strongest applicants eligible for a full tuition fee waiver, though competition for the full award is high.
Bond University Scholarships: a 50% tuition fee waiver for eligible undergraduate applicants.

Eligibility baseline for undergraduate merit scholarships: completed +2 or equivalent with a strong percentage or GPA (roughly 65% to 75% or higher, depending on the university and award), an English test score meeting the program's admission requirement (commonly IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5), and a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) before your visa application.

Scholarships for Master's Applicants

Master's applicants have access to the widest range of scholarships, including Australia's flagship government award and most of the larger university-funded programs.

Australia Awards Scholarship: fully funded, covering tuition, return airfare, a living allowance, health cover, and academic support for Master's by Coursework or Master's by Research. Nineteen Nepali scholars commenced their awards in 2026, and applications for the next intake reopen in early 2027. Academic merit is assessed holistically alongside leadership potential and the likely development impact back in Nepal, rather than against a strict GPA cutoff.
Deakin Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship and similar flagship awards, offering full or partial tuition waivers for high-achieving postgraduate applicants.
University of Sydney International Student Award: a 20% tuition fee reduction for eligible Master's applicants.
Southern Cross University Vice-Chancellor's Academic Excellence Scholarship and comparable partial awards at other universities, generally requiring no separate application beyond your admission file.
Rotary Peace Fellowships: fully funded, for Master's and PhD study specifically tied to peace and conflict resolution fields, covering tuition, living costs, and field-study expenses.
Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP): for Master's by Research and PhD candidates, covering tuition and providing a living stipend of roughly AUD 32,500/year.

Eligibility baseline for Master's scholarships: a completed bachelor's degree with a solid academic record, an English test score meeting program requirements (commonly IELTS 6.5 overall for competitive postgraduate programs, higher for flagship awards), and for Australia Awards specifically, a completed lower-level qualification, relevant work experience, and a study plan clearly tied to a development priority area in Nepal.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Upcoming Intakes

Decide your intake target. Semester 1 (February/March) is Australia's primary intake with the widest scholarship and program availability. Semester 2 (July) is the second major intake. Start your research at least 10 to 12 months ahead, especially if you're targeting Australia Awards.
Track the Australia Awards calendar separately. The scholarship scheme typically opens February 1 and closes April 30 each year through the OASIS portal, for intake the following year. Mark this window now if you're serious about a fully funded Master's.
Take IELTS or PTE early and aim comfortably above the minimum. Given Nepal's Assessment Level 3 status, a strong English score also strengthens your Genuine Student case, not just your admission file.
Apply for admission and university merit scholarships together. Most Australian university merit awards are auto-assessed from your application, so a complete, accurate academic file matters more than a separate scholarship form in most cases.
Write a specific, non-generic Genuine Student statement. Case officers are explicitly trained to flag template language. Be precise about why this course, this institution, and how it connects to a realistic career path in Nepal.
Prepare liquid financial evidence early, held for the required period, with a clear source of funds. Property valuations alone will not satisfy the financial requirement under Assessment Level 3.

Common Mistakes Nepali Applicants Make

Assuming Australia Awards is open year-round and missing the narrow February to April application window entirely.
Submitting a generic Genuine Student statement, which is one of the most common reasons for refusal under the current, higher-scrutiny process for Nepal.
Relying on property valuations as financial proof instead of liquid, verifiable funds held for the required history.
Assuming a scholarship covers 100% of costs by default. Most university merit awards are partial (typically 20% to 50% of tuition), and need to be paired with family funds or an education loan.

Scholarship strategy in Australia depends heavily on your degree level and how much of your budget a scholarship needs to cover, so it's worth comparing your options across countries before committing. See our guides to scholarships in the USA for Nepali students, which covers Fulbright and need-based aid at US universities, scholarships in Canada for Nepali students, which covers the 2026 study permit cap and why Master's applicants currently have the smoother path, scholarships in the UK for Nepali students, which covers Chevening, GREAT, and the 2027 Graduate Route change, and scholarships in Germany for Nepali students, for Germany's largely tuition-free public university system and DAAD funding.