A "fully funded" scholarship in Australia means: tuition + living stipend + return airfare + health cover — basically, the entire degree is paid for. They are real, they exist, and most international students never apply because they assume they're not eligible.

This is the verified 2026 list of fully funded Australian scholarships open to international students, with deadlines, eligibility, value, and the application strategy that actually works.

What "fully funded" actually covers

Be careful with the term. Most scholarships marketed as "scholarships" only cover partial tuition. To qualify as truly fully funded, you should expect:

• ✅ Full tuition fees (often capped at standard masters/PhD rate)
• ✅ Living stipend ($30,000–$45,000/year tax-free)
• ✅ OSHC health cover
• ✅ Return economy airfare to Australia and home
• ✅ Establishment allowance (one-off, ~$5,000)

If a scholarship only covers tuition, it's a tuition waiver, not fully funded.

Tier 1: Government-funded scholarships (the gold standard)

1. Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS)

The flagship Australian government scholarship for citizens of developing countries.

• Who's eligible: Citizens of ~50 partner countries (most of South & Southeast Asia, Pacific, Africa, parts of the Middle East & Latin America). Check australiaawards.gov.au for the current list.
• What's covered: Full tuition, return airfare, $30,000+ establishment allowance, monthly stipend (~$3,200), OSHC, English-language training, pre-departure briefings, supplementary academic support.
• Levels: Bachelor (limited), Masters by coursework, Masters by research, PhD.
• Total value: Often $200,000–400,000+ over the degree.
• 2026 deadline: Applications typically open mid-Feb and close 30 April for the following academic year. Check your country's intake on the AAS site.
• Catch: You must return to your home country for 2 years minimum after the scholarship before applying for any Australian residency. This is a binding contract.

How to apply: Apply directly through oasis.dfat.gov.au. Each country has slightly different priority sectors and intake numbers — get specific intel from your country's intake page.

2. Research Training Program (RTP) — for Masters by Research and PhD

The Australian government's main funding pool for research-degree students at all 43 Australian universities.

• Who's eligible: Anyone admitted to a Masters by Research or PhD at an Australian uni — domestic or international. You apply through the university, not the federal government.
• What's covered: Full tuition + stipend (~$33,000–$36,000/year tax-free in 2026) + relocation + thesis allowance.
• Duration: Up to 2 years (Masters by Research) or 3.5 years (PhD), with 6-month extension possible.
• Selection: Brutally competitive — based on academic record (typically First Class Honours or Distinction-average Masters), research proposal quality, and supervisor support.
• Catch: International student RTP places are limited (each uni gets a quota — usually 30–40% of total RTP places go to international students).

How to apply:

1. Identify a potential supervisor at an Australian uni — email them with your CV and research proposal.
2. Get informal supervisor agreement.
3. Apply for admission to the research degree.
4. Tick the box for RTP scholarship consideration in your application.
5. Universities run 2 RTP rounds per year (typically March and September deadlines).

3. New Colombo Plan / Country-specific bilateral scholarships

Various bilateral arrangements (e.g., India-Australia ANU Education Scholarship, Indonesia-Australia Bridges, Pacific Australia Skills) provide fully funded places for citizens of partner countries. Check DFAT and your home country's education ministry.

Tier 2: Major university full-fee scholarships

4. Sydney Scholars India / Sydney International Student Award

University of Sydney's flagship for high-performing international students.

• Value: Up to $40,000/year + tuition reduction of 50–100%
• Eligibility: GPA equivalent to Distinction average (75+) for postgrad; ATAR 95+ or equivalent for undergrad
• Apply: Automatic consideration when you apply for admission — no separate form for many awards
• Notes: Check sydney.edu.au/scholarships for the current year's specific awards (titles change yearly)

5. Melbourne Research Scholarship (MRS)

University of Melbourne's RTP-aligned full ride for PhD/Research Masters students.

• Value: Full fee waiver + stipend ~$36,000/year tax-free + relocation allowance
• Eligibility: First Class Honours or equivalent
• Apply: Through graduate research admission in March and October rounds

6. Monash International Merit Scholarship

• Value: $50,000 over 4 years for undergrad (=$10,000/year off tuition); higher amounts for masters
• Not fully funded on its own, but stackable with other awards
• Eligibility: Top academic performance + leadership evidence

7. UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship

UNSW's flagship — competitive even by Group of Eight standards.

• Value: $40,000/year stipend + full tuition + $10,000/year career development funding for 4 years
• Eligibility: Outstanding research record, alignment with UNSW research priorities, strong supervisor backing
• Apply: Annual round, typically July–August deadline

8. ANU Tuition Fee Scholarship + Stipend

• Value: Full tuition + ~$32,500/year stipend
• Eligibility: Research masters and PhD candidates, top academic record
• Apply: Through Higher Degree Research admission

9. Adelaide Scholarship International (ASI)

• Value: Tuition + stipend + OSHC + return airfare for PhD students
• Eligibility: Distinction-average Masters or First Class Honours
• Apply: Apply to PhD program; ASI consideration is automatic for high-ranked applicants

10. UQ Earmarked Scholarships and Graduate School Scholarships

• Value: Full tuition + ~$33,000/year stipend
• Apply: Through specific research project advertisements at scholarships.uq.edu.au

Tier 3: External / private scholarships

11. John Monash Scholarship

Australia's most prestigious private scholarship — though designed for Australians studying overseas, not the other way around. Mentioned here only because students often confuse it.

12. Fulbright Australia

For US citizens studying in Australia (or vice versa). Fully funded postgraduate research and study. Extremely competitive.

13. Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarship

For Australian students studying in Asia. Not for international inbound — but worth mentioning to clear up confusion.

Realistic application strategy

If you're applying for undergrad

Most fully funded scholarships at undergrad level are government-to-government (Australia Awards) or need a national-level competitive process (your country's department of education). The path:

1. Confirm your country has Australia Awards eligibility.
2. Build evidence early: ATAR / GPA, leadership roles, community service.
3. Get fluent IELTS scores (typically 6.5+ overall, no band below 6).

If you're applying for Masters by Coursework

Honest take: Coursework masters are rarely fully funded for international students. Realistic options:

• Australia Awards (if eligible by country)
• 50% tuition reductions via uni merit scholarships
• Country-specific bilateral programs (e.g., Indonesian LPDP, Vietnamese scholarships, Indian state government schemes that fund overseas study)

If you're applying for Masters by Research or PhD

This is where Australia is genuinely generous. The path that actually works:

1. Find a supervisor first. Browse research group pages at 5–8 universities. Email 3–4 potential supervisors with: a 1-page CV, a 1-page research idea aligned to their current work, and a clear ask ("Would you consider supervising me for an RTP-funded PhD?").
2. Get an informal yes before applying for admission.
3. Apply to the university's HDR (Higher Degree Research) admission round.
4. Tick all scholarship consideration boxes — RTP, university scholarships, faculty-specific awards.
5. Lodge a strong research proposal — 3–5 pages, tightly aligned to the supervisor's expertise.
6. Apply to multiple universities in the same round. RTP allocations are uni-specific; you can hold offers from multiple unis and pick the best-funded one.

Common mistakes (that cost people scholarships)

• Applying to scholarships without securing supervisor agreement first (for research degrees). RTP committees prioritise applicants with strong supervisor backing.
• Generic "I want to study in Australia" personal statements. Tailor every paragraph to the specific scholarship's selection criteria.
• Ignoring binding return-home requirements. Australia Awards mandates 2 years home before any Australian residency application. Plan around it.
• Missing deadlines by a day. Most scholarship applications close at 11:59pm AEST sharp — no extensions, no exceptions. Submit 48 hours early.
• Applying to one university only. For RTP, apply to 3–5 unis in the same round. Drastically improves your odds.
• Weak English scores. IELTS 6.5+ overall (no band below 6) is the floor for most fully funded scholarships. PhD-level scholarships often want 7.0+ overall.
• Not having a Plan B. Many scholarship outcomes are released after admission deadlines. Always have a backup funding plan (loan, family contribution, partial scholarship) so you don't lose your admission place.

Where to track new scholarships

• scholarships.com.au — comprehensive Australian scholarship database
• australiaawards.gov.au — official AAS portal
• Each university's "Scholarships" page — most reliable source, updated monthly
• DAAD / Chevening / Fulbright — international comparison and benchmark info
• Reddit r/AusVisa, r/sydney, r/Melbourne — students share recent scholarship outcomes (helpful for realistic odds)

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Honest bottom line: Fully funded scholarships for research degrees (Masters by Research, PhD) in Australia are realistically achievable for high-performing students from any country. Fully funded scholarships for coursework degrees are mostly limited to government-to-government schemes like Australia Awards. Plan accordingly — and if you're set on a coursework masters, focus on partial scholarships (30–50% tuition off) which are far more attainable.

Related reading:

• PR pathways for international students
• PR Points Calculator
• Skilled migration overview