Australia Awards Scholarship Sri Lanka: Eligibility, Benefits and Next Round
TL;DR: The Australia Awards Scholarship Sri Lanka programme is an Australian Government scholarship for a master's degree in Australia. It pays full tuition, return airfares and a contribution to living costs. You need Sri Lankan citizenship, a bachelor's degree and three years of relevant work experience, and you must return home for two years afterwards. Applications are closed and are due to reopen in early 2027.
For working graduates, this is the Australian scholarship to plan around, and the gap before the next round is the time to prepare. Not sure your profile fits? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
What is the Australia Awards Scholarship in Sri Lanka?
Australia Awards Scholarships are funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). In Sri Lanka they support full-time postgraduate study in Australia for emerging leaders, in fields linked to the country's development (Australia Awards Sri Lanka). The DFAT Sri Lanka intake document offers it for a master's by coursework or research.
Shortlisted applicants are interviewed on academic ability, leadership and their potential to contribute to Sri Lanka's development.
The most recent DFAT document lists these priority fields: governance and public sector management, economic development, management and commerce, ICT, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, climate resilience, and stability and inclusion (including health and education). Fields can change between rounds.
Australia Awards Scholarship eligibility: the checklist
This checklist combines the DFAT document with the official Australia Awards eligibility check for Sri Lanka.
| Requirement | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Sri Lankan citizen, living in and applying from Sri Lanka |
| Age | Over 18 |
| Degree | At least equal to an Australian bachelor's degree, relevant to the study |
| Work experience | Three years after your qualification in a relevant field; public sector staff need two relevant years and confirmation in post |
| English | IELTS, TOEFL or PTE result submitted with the application, valid at course start |
| Earlier Australian funding | None in the 24 months before the closing date |
| Other checks | Not serving in the military, not applying for a visa to live in Australia, not the partner of an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident |
Applicants from priority districts or with a disability may apply with IELTS 6.0 overall and no band below 5.0, but must reach the IELTS 6.5 equivalent before starting. See our guide to Australia student visa English requirements.
Australia Awards Scholarship benefits and the return requirement
The DFAT document lists what the award pays for:
- full tuition fees
- return air travel
- a one-off establishment allowance
- a contribution to living expenses
- Overseas Student Health Cover
- an introductory academic programme and academic support
- a fieldwork allowance where fieldwork is required
See our guides to Australia tuition fees for international students and how much money you need to study in Australia.
This is a study scholarship, not a route to staying in Australia. Awardees sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia and must return to Sri Lanka for at least two years after finishing. Anyone who does not return owes a debt equal to the full value of the award. The Study Australia announcement confirms the two-year rule.
When does Australia Awards open, and how to prepare now
On 26/10/2026 the Australia Awards Sri Lanka website says applications are closed and will reopen in early 2027. No exact date is published yet. The last two rounds ran from 1 February to 30 April, but only the official site confirms the next dates.
You apply online through DFAT's OASIS system. Start the slow parts now:
- Degree certificates and transcripts, as certified copies.
- An English test whose result will still be valid when the course starts.
- Referees. A coursework master's needs one academic and one professional report on the official template; a research master's needs two academic reports, one professional report and a research proposal.
- CV, employment letter and Development Impact and Linkages Plan, using the templates on the documentation page.
If you are not selected: university scholarships in Australia
Our advice at Prosper is to plan a self-funded application in parallel, so a refusal does not cost you a year. Prosper can apply to these universities for you:
- Deakin University: the Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship covers 100% or 50% of tuition for new coursework students with an average of 85% or more. Send the form at least one month before the course starts.
- Griffith University: the Vice Chancellor's International Scholarship covers 50% of tuition with a GPA of 6.0 out of 7. For Trimester 1 starting 1 March, apply by 28 November after your offer.
- University of Wollongong: the Postgraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship gives 30% off tuition for a coursework master's with 85% in a prior degree. Students are considered automatically.
Read how to apply to university in Australia and prepare your Genuine Student answers. For UK options, see the Commonwealth Scholarship, Chevening and Erasmus Mundus.
Applying from Sri Lanka
The DFAT document names Australia Awards Sri Lanka and Maldives, at 75 1/1 Kynsey Road, Colombo 08, as the local office. Applicants working in these priority districts are strongly encouraged: Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Monaragala, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya. Public sector employees must provide official leave approval before departure.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Australia Awards Scholarship fully funded?
The Australia Awards Scholarship pays full tuition, return airfares, health cover and an establishment allowance. It makes a contribution to living costs, so plan for some expenses yourself.
How much work experience do I need for Australia Awards in Sri Lanka?
The DFAT Sri Lanka document asks for at least three years of relevant work after your qualification. Public sector applicants need two relevant years and confirmation in their post.
Do I have to return to Sri Lanka after an Australia Awards Scholarship?
Yes. Australia Awards scholars must return to Sri Lanka for at least two years. Not returning creates a debt to the Commonwealth of Australia equal to the award's full value.
When will Australia Awards applications reopen in Sri Lanka?
The Australia Awards Sri Lanka website says applications will reopen in early 2027, with no exact date published yet.
Is there an age limit for the Australia Awards Scholarship?
The official Australia Awards eligibility check for Sri Lanka asks whether you are over 18. The DFAT Sri Lanka document sets no upper age limit.
PS: A parallel self-funded plan protects your timeline while you wait for the next Australia Awards round. Check your eligibility with Prosper and we will help you build the university side of that plan.
References
- Australia Awards scholarships information for intake, Sri Lanka, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/australia-awards-sri-lanka-information-for-intake.pdf (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Australia Awards Sri Lanka home page, Australia Awards South Asia and Mongolia, https://australiaawardssrilanka.org/ (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Opportunities, Australia Awards Sri Lanka, https://australiaawardssrilanka.org/opportunities/ (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Eligibility check: Sri Lanka, Australia Awards South Asia and Mongolia, https://events.australiaawardssouthasiamongolia.org/eligibility-check/sri-lanka (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Application documentation, Australia Awards Sri Lanka, https://australiaawardssrilanka.org/application-documentation-for-intake-2027/ (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Australia Awards Scholarships: applications open, Study Australia, Australian Government, https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/tools-and-resources/news/australia-awards-scholarships-applications-2027 (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Deakin Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship, Deakin University, https://www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/deakin-vice-chancellors-international-scholarship (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Vice Chancellor's International Scholarship, Griffith University, https://www.griffith.edu.au/international/scholarships-finance/scholarships/vice-chancellors-international-scholarship (accessed 26/10/2026)
- Postgraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship, University of Wollongong, https://www.uow.edu.au/study/scholarships/international/postgraduate-academic-excellence-scholarship/ (accessed 26/10/2026)
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