10 Eligibility Tips to Note When Applying For Australia Awards Scholarships

10 Eligibility Tips to Note When Applying For Australia Award Scholarships: Formerly known as Australian Development Scholarships (ADS), the Australia Awards Scholarships are long-term awards administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The awards provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.

Australia Awards Scholarships has gained so much popularity in recent years owing to enormous benefits the awardees derive from such an award. The study and research opportunities provided by these award help in the development of skills and knowledge of individual participants to drive change and contribute to development in their own countries.

Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, including any preparatory training.

In applying to these popular Australian Government Awards scholarships, it is important that you get to understand, if not exactly, but some detailed knowledge of what you need to qualify. Here we try to expatiate on such details (eligibility tips for Australia awards).

You Can Start Application Now, if you are yet to or share to friend and family members. It is not an opportunity anybody should miss.

10 Australia Awards Eligibility Tips: You can check your eligibility with these tips [Update]

1. Citizenship: Australian Government Awards scholarships, simply Australia Awards, are basically designed for candidates from Asia, Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Application period and eligibility criteria for these regions are usually not the same. For country specific eligibility you can refer to the complete list of participating countries and know specific eligibility for your country.
2. Minimum academic requirement: The basic academic requirement you need applying for Australian Awards scholarships is a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent from recognized institution obtained either in your home country or elsewhere; the main concern will be that the awarding institution is recognized.
3. Employment Status: Scholarships, usually, are awarded on the ground of excellence academic performance and maybe with consideration of financial background of the potential awardee. The Australia awards scholarships, however also takes into consideration the applicant’s employment status; and usually preference is given to the mid-level to senior-level professional, currently employed in a field relevant to his/her proposed field of study where the scholarship is to be awarded
4. Work Experience: In addition to being currently employed in a relevant field, applicants for Australia awards scholarships who also possess relevant post-graduate work experience stand a better chance of getting the award. This probably is because the award administrators believe those with relevant work experience would be able to assimilate better and come up with tangible research work that will add value to their chosen profession.
5. Age: For Australia Awards Short Courses, the age range for applicants is required to be at least 25 years and not older than 55 years by application deadline. While applying for Australia Award Scholarships (two year master’s study), the age range for applicants must be at least 25 years and not older than 52 years at the date of application. It is obvious that, to meet eligibility criteria 2-3, you should probably be within these age ranges
6. Degree Applying For: It is required that applicants applying for Australia Awards Scholarships, should be applying for their first master’s degree. The scholarships are awarded for a two-year Master’s degree research programme. Hence, candidates would have already known what course to apply for, which school in Australia to apply to, and how to go about getting admitted in his dream master’s degree course. What research proposal you prepare is a good advantage to getting admitted to the award. You may take a look at good proposal examples from here (courtey: York St John University).  Refer to the Applicant’s Online User Manual if you need to get more guide on how to apply for the Australia awards.
7. Vision: It is also very important and maybe most important that candidates applying for the Australia awards scholarships demonstrate a clear vision of how the knowledge gained through the scholarship will be used to improve policy, practice or reform in their home country. This is done within the applicant’s personal statement and also through the research proposal.
8. English Language Requirement: Courses proposed when applying for Australia Awards Scholarships are usually instructed in English Language, hence, the need for the awardee to possess satisfactory English proficiency to enable full participation in a training course delivered in English. To demonstrate this proficiency, a number of ways are accepted; candidates can either provide proof by English Language Testing (popular ones IELTS, TOEFL, etc.). Candidates who are from countries where English is used as official language of communication and those whose first degree were taught in English will usually get a waiver and can just submit a letter to proof that.
9. Visa Requirements: Applicants are also expected to satisfy all requirements of the Australian Government for the appropriate student visa (subclass 500). Check to get more information on Australia Student Visa and also read up online.
10. Academic Excellence: Although not stated, but it should be noted that Australia Award Scholarships are subjected to high competition, hence, consideration will also be made of candidates’ previous academic performances. However, having a first class honours degree is not a guarantee that you will be awarded the scholarships. Also a third class degree is not an outright disqualification. What matters is the convincing powers embedded in your application.

These have been stated not in order of importance but certainly are some of the important notes you must understand that will guide you in your application for Australian Government Awards scholarships.

I will like to conclude by saying that comments are welcomed from those who probably have been awarded the scholarships in the past. People want to learn from you. Also everyone is welcome to contribute to the topic. If yours is enquiry, you should also use the comment section. If you are yet to apply for the award for this year you can Start Now to apply before deadline.