What This Scholarship Portal Actually Is
Study Australia is the official Australian government portal for international students considering studying in Australia. It is run by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, not by a single university or scholarship body. Think of it as the front door. Behind that door sit several completely separate scholarship programmes, each with its own eligibility rules, application system, and selection process.
The biggest and best known is Australia Awards Scholarships, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This is a development aid programme. It exists to bring students from specific developing countries to Australia, train them in fields that matter for their country's progress, and send them home to use those skills. It is not an academic excellence prize open to the world. If you are from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, or China, you are not eligible. That surprises a lot of people.
Alongside Australia Awards, there is the Research Training Program for domestic and international research students, the Destination Australia programme for regional areas, the Quad Fellowship for STEM students from four specific countries, and a patchwork of university-specific awards. Each of these has different rules. One of the most common mistakes applicants make is treating them as interchangeable, or worse, assuming that the Study Australia portal is itself a scholarship application system. It is not. It is an information hub that points you toward the actual application channels.
If you have searched for the Endeavour Scholarship and landed here, you should know that programme was discontinued in 2019 when the Australian government cut its funding. There is no replacement for it. The Endeavour programme was open to citizens of all countries, including developed ones. When it ended, students from wealthy nations lost their primary pathway to Australian government scholarship funding. If you see a blog post or YouTube video telling you how to apply for Endeavour, the information is outdated. The programme does not exist anymore.
The Five Main Scholarship Streams
Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS)
The flagship. Full tuition, living allowance, return airfare, health cover, and establishment costs. Available for Master's and PhD study. Restricted to citizens of roughly 55 developing countries across the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The catch: you must return home for at least two years after finishing. You cannot choose this scholarship if your real plan is to stay in Australia permanently.
Research Training Program (RTP)
Government block grants given to Australian universities, which then allocate them to individual research students. Covers tuition fees and provides a stipend (approximately AUD $32,192 per year, tax-free). Open to both domestic and international students doing a Master's by Research or PhD. You apply directly to your chosen university, not through a central portal. Each university has its own deadlines and selection criteria. There is no return home requirement.
Destination Australia
Scholarships of up to AUD $15,000 per year for students who study at regional Australian campuses. The goal is to draw students away from Sydney and Melbourne and into towns that need the population and economic activity. Both domestic and international students can apply, but the scholarship is tied to the institution, not the student. You apply through the participating university or education provider, not through a government portal.
Australia for ASEAN Scholarships
A newer programme specifically for citizens of ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste. Targets Master's level study. This is separate from Australia Awards, though the two overlap for some ASEAN countries. The ASEAN stream has its own application process and timeline. If you are from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, or Timor-Leste, this is worth looking into alongside Australia Awards.
Quad Fellowship (STEM)
A joint initiative between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. For STEM graduate students who are citizens or permanent residents of those four countries, plus ten Southeast Asian nations. The fellowship provides funding to pursue graduate studies in STEM fields. This is not exclusively Australian; fellows can study in any of the Quad countries. But it is listed on the Study Australia portal because Australian institutions participate.
What This Guide Covers
We built this guide by reading through hundreds of questions posted on Reddit, Quora, YouTube comment sections, and student forums. The same confusions came up over and over again: people applying for scholarships they were never eligible for, people missing country-specific deadlines because they assumed one global deadline existed, people finding out about the two-year return obligation after they had already started planning a life in Australia. The official Study Australia website provides a starting point, but it does not answer the questions that applicants actually have. This guide does.
Eligibility
Who actually qualifies for each stream, which countries are in, and the requirements nobody mentions upfront.
Benefits
The full breakdown of what each scholarship actually pays for and where the gaps are.
Deadline & Timeline
When applications open, when they close, and the 12 to 18 month timeline from submission to arrival.
How to Apply
The OASIS portal, country-specific steps, and all the things the form does not tell you.
Required Documents
The complete checklist, certification rules, and referee requirements that trip people up.
Interview
What the panel asks, how they score, and the one topic every shortlisted candidate needs to nail.
Common Mistakes
The errors that get applications rejected, compiled from forums, alumni feedback, and selection panel insights.
After Selection
Visa, pre-departure, arrival, living costs, part-time work rules, and the return home obligation.
FAQ
Straight answers to the questions people keep asking on Reddit, Quora, and YouTube comment sections.
The Endeavour Scholarship Is Gone
This comes up constantly. The Endeavour Leadership Program, which included the Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships, was discontinued by the Australian government in 2019. The programme was open to students from all countries, including developed ones. It covered postgraduate study, research fellowships, vocational education, and executive development. When the government cut the funding, nothing replaced it.
If you are from a developing country listed in the Australia Awards eligible countries, you still have access to full government funding. If you are from a developed country like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, or most of Europe, your options are now limited to university-specific scholarships, the RTP for research degrees, or the Quad Fellowship if you are in STEM and from a Quad country. There is no broad Australian government scholarship available to you.
Many YouTube videos and blog posts from 2017 and 2018 still rank highly in search results and describe Endeavour as though it is active. It is not. If anyone links you to an "Endeavour Scholarship application," it is either outdated or a scam.
Quick Reality Check
The application process is long
Australia Awards applications typically take 12 to 18 months from submission to the start of classes. You apply in February to May of one year and, if selected, begin studying in January or February of the next year. That timeline includes shortlisting, interviews, medical checks, English testing, visa processing, and pre-departure briefings. If you need funding for next semester, this is not the programme for you.
The stipend is tight in big cities
The living allowance for Australia Awards is roughly AUD $3,500 per month. In Adelaide, Hobart, or Canberra, that is manageable. In Sydney or Melbourne, where rent for a modest one-bedroom apartment can run AUD $2,000 or more per month, you will need to share accommodation and budget carefully. Many scholars work part-time (allowed up to 48 hours per fortnight on a student visa) to supplement the stipend.
The return home rule is enforced
Australia Awards scholars must return to their home country for at least two years after completing their studies. This is not a suggestion. It is a contractual obligation tied to the scholarship agreement and, in some cases, to the visa conditions. If you breach it, the Australian government can pursue recovery of the scholarship costs, and it may affect your eligibility for future Australian visas. If your plan is to use this scholarship as a pathway to permanent residency, you will be disappointed.
You may not get your first-choice university
For Australia Awards, you nominate up to three university preferences. The scholarship programme manages the placement process. You are not guaranteed your first choice. Some scholars are placed at their second or third preference based on available spots and programme alignment. Unlike most other scholarships where you apply directly to the university, here the programme acts as an intermediary. If you have your heart set on one specific institution, be prepared for the possibility that you end up somewhere else.
Ready to check your eligibility?
Start with the eligibility page. It will tell you exactly which scholarship streams you qualify for based on your nationality, study level, and field.
Check Eligibility