Australian government scholarships for Indian and other international students

Australia has remained one of the popular study-abroad destinations despite the pandemic. There was a marked decline in the number of international students coming to the country owing to the border closures, but thanks to the online learning measures, students continue to enrol. As per a December 2020 bulletin released by the Reserve Bank of Australia, the decline in the number of enrolments was majorly observed in the case of English language and foundation programs.

There were hopes of border reopening, but it took till the end of 2021 for the first set of international students to return to Australia directly from their home country. Now that the country is ready to welcome international students back, the Australian government has released new initiatives to attract more students, especially from India. The Australian government scholarships for Indian students is one among them. Australia has also set aside a package of several million dollars to support sectors that were badly affected by the prolonged border closures.

New Scholarships Programs by the Australian Government

India is one of its major markets in the Indo-pacific region. The federal government as well as the state governments are announcing scholarships to support international students. Of these, the Maitri programs are crucial for adding value to Australia’s bilateral relationship with India.

Which are the different Maitri initiatives?

The Maitri Scholarship Program is merit-based and aims to attract high performing Indian students interested in studying STEM or health-related courses. We are yet to get a clarity on whether undergraduate and postgraduate students can apply for this scholarship.

The Maitri Grants and Fellowships Program aims to build collaboration in the field of research. It will support mid-career Indian and Australian professionals. The Cultural Partnership initiative aims to support and boost artistic talents.

Western Australia’s scholarship programs for international students

Apart from these, the Western Australia government has launched an AUD 77 million Safe Transition Industry Support Package to support industries that were hit badly by the delayed reopening of borders. The support is extended to the international education sector, tourism sector, aviation and events sectors. The support is offered to both the education providers as well as international students.

• AUD 6 million is set aside as part of the Industry Support Program for International Education Providers
• The Student Quarantine Support Program is an AUD 8 million program to support international students who had to quarantine in Western Australia upon entry. Students who were enrolled in WA institutions and arrived at Perth between 20 January and 2 March 2022 can avail of financial support as part of this program. The Quarantine Support Program is only for international students who had to quarantine upon arrival.
• An AUD 2 million University Services for Student Support Program is also part of the package.

The support packages also include accommodation subsidy and ELICOS (English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students) bursary.

The accommodation subsidy of AUD 1,500 can be availed if you have arrived at WA and are enrolled for 12-month or longer course in Semester 1 of 2022. Make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements. For example, you must not have been in Australia in 2021.

The ELICOS bursary is for international students enrolled in the ELICOS course for 20 weeks or more and the program is starting in Semester 1 of 2022. Check if you are eligible for a course fee support of up to AUD 1,500.

With the governments doing all they could to support international students as they make a come back to Australia, we firmly believe this is the best time to apply to institutions abroad and plan your study abroad journey. If you are looking to study in Australia, just fill out the form on this page and our experts will get in touch with you to help you realise your dream.

Sources: Reserve Bank of Australia, WA government, Australian Foreign Minister’s website