Scholarships in Australia for Nepali Students: 20 Verified Awards (2026)

Introduction

Studying in Australia became more expensive on 1 July 2026: the student visa (subclass 500) application fee rose to AUD 2,500, up from AUD 2,000. With tuition and living costs already high, that rise makes funding matter more than ever. The good news is that scholarships in Australia for Nepali students have not disappeared — this guide lists 20 awards still open, from fully funded government scholarships to university awards worth up to 100% of your tuition.

Every scholarship below was checked against an official government or university page in July 2026 — exact value, who can apply, and whether it needs a separate application. If you want to study in Australia with a scholarship, this is a reliable shortlist, not the expired or made-up awards aggregator sites recycle.

How We Verified This List

Hundreds of blog posts promise an easy Australia scholarship for Nepal, but many list schemes that closed years ago. Our approach to these scholarships in Australia for Nepali students was stricter:

• Every entry links to its official .gov.au or .edu.au page — no third-party aggregators.
• Each value, cut-off, and deadline was read from that official page and adversarially fact-checked in July 2026.
• Any award we could not confirm as currently open was removed or flagged as closed.

You can filter every award by study level and check whether you qualify with our interactive scholarships list with an eligibility checker, which holds the full detail for each entry.

Government Scholarships in Australia for Nepali Students

Government-funded awards are the most generous scholarships in Australia for Nepali students, but also the most competitive, and they always require a separate application.

Australia Awards Scholarships (fully funded, Masters)

Run by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), this is the flagship fully funded scholarship for Nepal, offered at Masters level in agreed development priority fields. It covers full tuition fees, return economy airfare, an establishment allowance, a fortnightly Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE), Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and pre-course English if needed.

The 2027-intake round opened 1 February 2026 and closed 30 April 2026, so the next round (2028 intake) is expected around February 2027 via the OASIS portal. Nepal's published English minimums for the 2027 intake (valid on 1 January 2027) were PTE Academic 58 overall with all communicative skills 50+, or IELTS Academic 6.5 with all bands 6.0+, or TOEFL iBT 84 with all subtests 21+. Note that Australia Awards is not a migration pathway — awardees must leave Australia for at least two years after finishing. If permanent residency is your longer-term goal, a university-scholarship route keeps more options open; you can sanity-check where you stand with our Australia PR points calculator. For the full eligibility and application walkthrough, read our dedicated Australia Awards scholarship guide for Nepal.

Research Training Program (RTP) — for PhD and research masters

For a PhD or research masters, the Research Training Program is the main fully funded route. The 2026 full-time base stipend is AUD 34,315 per year (maximum AUD 53,608 per year), plus a tuition fees offset and allowances for ancillary research costs. Doctorate support runs 3–4 years and research masters up to 2 years.

RTP scholarships are administered by individual universities, each with its own selection process — you cannot apply through the government, and you may apply at more than one. Selection is on research and academic merit.

Automatic University Scholarships (No Separate Application)

The key insight for most applicants: the majority of scholarships in Australia for Nepali students are awarded automatically with your admission offer. There is no separate form — you are assessed on your application, so your grades and English score are the real gatekeepers.

University of Melbourne

• Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship: a 25% fee remission for the whole bachelor degree for awards made before 2027; from 2027 it becomes 20% and the number of scholarships rises to 225 (at least 110 are awarded per year currently). Nepal is named on Melbourne's eligible-countries list, and it is automatic with your application — though very competitive.
• Graduate Research Scholarships: for a Masters by Research or PhD, this covers 100% fee offset plus a living allowance of AUD 39,500 per year (2026 rate), a relocation grant of AUD 3,000 for students moving from outside Australia, and single OSHC — a total benefit Melbourne states as "100% fee remission and up to $135,000". About 600 are offered automatically if you apply for a graduate research course by its closing date.

Monash International Merit Scholarship

Open to international students from all countries, so Nepali direct-entry applicants are automatically considered the moment they receive a Monash undergraduate offer. It pays AUD 15,000 per annum for the duration of your degree, up to a total of AUD 75,000 (for scholarships awarded from 2026), with 20 offered per year. It excludes Monash College pathway entrants, so plan direct entry if you want it.

Australian National University (ANU) International Achievement Award

ANU's open flagship gives a 20% tuition fee reduction for the duration of your program, up to a maximum of 4 years, applied automatically. The academic bars are a Selection Rank of 85 for undergraduate and a GPA of 5.5 (on ANU's 7-point scale) for postgraduate. Nepal is not on any exclusion list, so Nepali citizens receive the standard 20%.

University of Queensland (UQ)

• UQ International Excellence Scholarship: a 25% reduction in tuition fees per semester for the duration of your program, automatic when you apply, and open to any nationality.
• UQ International Onshore Merit Scholarship: an AUD 10,000 tuition reduction (paid as 2 × AUD 5,000 across your first two semesters), automatic, for students whose most recent qualification was completed in Australia — ideal for the Nepali diaspora already onshore.

University of Western Australia (UWA) Global Excellence Scholarship

One of the most accessible flagships here, open to all countries including Nepal. Undergraduates receive AUD 6,000–12,000 per year by ATAR tier (up to AUD 48,000 over 4 years); postgraduates receive AUD 6,000–12,000 per year by WAM tier (up to AUD 24,000 over 2 years). The entry bars are a minimum equivalent ATAR of 85.00 (undergraduate) or WAM of 65.00 (postgraduate), applied automatically.

University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Academic Excellence International Scholarship

A 30% tuition fee scholarship for the standard course duration, awarded automatically on academic merit with your admission application. UTS also runs a separate Academic Merit – South Asia scholarship (15%) at a lower merit bar, which covers Nepal.

University of Wollongong (UOW) University Excellence Scholarships

A 30% tuition fee reduction for the minimum duration of an eligible undergraduate course, issued automatically with offers from 12 June 2026 for students commencing in 2027 and beyond. There is no cap on numbers, making it one of the most attainable 30% reductions in Australia. Some health, education, social work and psychology degrees are excluded — but the Bachelor of Nursing is not, which matters as nursing is a common pathway for Nepali students.

Adelaide Emerging Leaders Award (25%)

At the merged Adelaide University (from January 2026), this is one of the current automatic awards: a 25% tuition fee reduction, awarded at the time of offer to applicants with a distinction average. Undergraduate cut-offs include ATAR 90 or IB 33; postgraduate needs a GPA of 6.0 on a 7.0 scale. It is open to international students of all nationalities.

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships Scheme

This automatic scheme awards five merit-ranked tiers: AUD 60,000 or AUD 40,000 (paid over one year in two semester instalments), or AUD 20,000, AUD 10,000 or AUD 5,000 (one semester). With no country restriction, Nepali applicants are considered automatically once they hold an unconditional offer by the round's closing date — the Semester 1, 2027 rounds close 17 August, 5 October and 16 November 2026.

Application-Based High-Value Awards

These scholarships in Australia for Nepali students are worth chasing precisely because they are harder to get — you submit a separate application, usually with a personal statement.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship

Worth 100% or 50% of your tuition fees (depending on the outcome) for the normal course duration. You need at least an 85% average and submit an application form, transcripts, two references and a 300-word personal statement. It is assessed on a rolling basis each trimester, so apply at least one month before your course starts. Miss out, and you are auto-considered for the Deakin International Scholarship (25%).

UNSW International Scientia Coursework Scholarship

UNSW's flagship coursework award — alongside Deakin's Vice-Chancellor's scholarship, one of only two awards here that can cover 100% of tuition. It provides either full tuition fee support for the minimum program duration, or an AUD 20,000 per year contribution towards tuition, plus entry to the UNSW Professional Development Program. Selection is holistic (grades plus leadership), lodged as a separate application through the Scholarship Application Online portal within the per-term round. Check the UNSW scholarships site for the next open round, as recent rounds have closed.

Adelaide Academic Excellence Scholarship (50%)

Adelaide University's highest-value international award: a 50% tuition fee reduction for the standard full-time duration. It needs a separate application assessed by a merit panel in per-semester rounds, and the bar is steep — a minimum ATAR of 99 for undergraduate, or a minimum GPA of 6.7 on a 7.0 scale. It is now open to Nepali citizens; the predecessor scheme had excluded Nepal.

Charles Darwin University Vice-Chancellor's International High Achievers Scholarships

Covers 50% of the tuition fee for the full duration of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree. The bar is high — a minimum overall score of 95% in your highest completed qualification — and you apply separately with a supporting statement of up to 600 words. If 95% is out of reach, CDU also runs an automatic 30% Global Merit Scholarship for select courses that needs no application, which suits most Nepali applicants better.

Macquarie Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship

A one-off tuition reduction of up to AUD 10,000, open year round but "very limited", so apply and accept early. The bars are reachable — a minimum ATAR equivalent of 85 for undergraduate or a WAM equivalent of 65 for postgraduate — but you must complete the application form and hold a valid offer letter.

Two more that name Nepal explicitly

• Sydney International Student Award: 20% of your tuition for the entire course, verified for students commencing in 2026 (check the official page for later intakes). Not automatic — submit a short personal statement with your admission application.
• UNSW International Student Award: a 20% contribution towards tuition every year for 2026 and 2027 commencements, stackable with other UNSW scholarships. Nepal is on the eligible-country list; it needs a personal statement of up to 500 words.

Watch Out: Scholarships That Are No Longer Open

Two well-known schemes are still pushed as scholarships in Australia for Nepali students but are not currently available — trust the official pages, not the aggregators:

• Destination Australia Program (DISCONTINUED): the Australian Government announced no further funding rounds from 1 July 2024, so there is no 2026 or 2027 intake. It previously paid AUD 15,000 per year for regional-campus study, and only existing recipients are still supported. Do not apply — it is closed.
• ANU Chancellor's International Scholarship (currently unavailable): the official ANU page states this scholarship is currently unavailable. Apply for the ANU International Achievement Award above instead.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trusting aggregator sites: many list closed schemes (like Destination Australia) or invented awards. Open the official .gov.au or .edu.au page before you rely on a number.
• Assuming everything is automatic: the biggest awards (Deakin, UNSW Scientia, Adelaide 50%, CDU VCIHAS, Macquarie) need a separate application — miss the form and you miss the money.
• Entering through a pathway when direct entry was required: Monash's award, for instance, excludes Monash College pathway students.
• Leaving English to the last minute: many automatic awards need an unconditional offer by a round deadline — impossible without meeting the English requirement first.
• Confusing a scholarship with a migration pathway: Australia Awards carries a two-year home-return rule, so it is not a route to permanent residency.

Step-by-Step Method to Win Scholarships in Australia for Nepali Students

1. Shortlist by your academics. A WAM of 65 or an ATAR equivalent of 85 already unlocks awards at UWA, Macquarie and others, while 95%+ is needed for CDU's top tier.
2. Open the official page for each award. Confirm the value, eligibility, and whether it is automatic or needs a separate application — our interactive scholarships list links straight to them.
3. Apply early. Automatic awards depend on holding an offer by a round deadline; application-based awards have their own closing dates. An early admission application helps with both.
4. Clear your English requirement early. A strong PTE Academic score converts a conditional offer into the unconditional offer most automatic scholarships require.

For the wider process — offers, CoE, and the visa — see our guide on how to apply to study in Australia.

Tips for Nepali Students

A few things make scholarships in Australia for Nepali students more winnable in practice:

• Know your grade equivalents. Australian awards use ATAR (school) and WAM or GPA (degree). Strong NEB +2 and A-Level results convert to competitive ATAR equivalents, and a solid first-division bachelor's typically maps to a WAM in the 65–75 band that unlocks several awards.
• Use onshore awards if you are already abroad. Nepali diaspora finishing Year 12, a diploma or a bachelor in Australia should look at UQ's Onshore Merit Scholarship.
• Prepare English on a time-zone-friendly schedule. Whether you are in Bharatpur, Kathmandu or working shifts in Sydney or Melbourne, PTE prep can run around your hours.
• Sharpen the real differentiator. Because so many awards are automatic, what wins is a strong application backed by an early, high English score — exactly what our 1-on-1 PTE mentorship targets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are there fully funded scholarships in Australia for Nepali students?

A: Yes. Australia Awards (DFAT) is fully funded at Masters level for Nepal, covering tuition, airfare, living allowance and OSHC. The Research Training Program fully funds PhD and research-masters students with a 2026 base stipend of AUD 34,315 per year plus a fees offset. Both need a separate application.

Q: Which Australian university scholarships do not need a separate application?

A: Many are automatic with your admission offer — awards at Melbourne, Monash, ANU, UQ, UWA, UTS, Wollongong, Adelaide (Emerging Leaders) and Sydney's Vice-Chancellor's scheme. Your grades and English score do the work.

Q: Does my PTE score affect my scholarship chances?

A: Heavily, if indirectly. Most automatic awards require an unconditional offer by a deadline, which you cannot get without meeting the university's English requirement. Australian universities widely accept PTE Academic, so a strong early score is often what converts a conditional offer in time.

Q: Do these scholarships help me get Australian PR?

A: A scholarship funds your study; it does not grant residency. Australia Awards even requires a two-year return home afterwards. If PR is your goal, a self-funded or university-scholarship route keeps your options open — check your standing with our Australia PR points calculator.

Q: How do I know a scholarship is still open and not a scam?

A: Only trust the official .gov.au or .edu.au page. Aggregators still advertise closed schemes like the Destination Australia Program (discontinued since 1 July 2024). Every scholarship in Australia for Nepali students in this guide links to its official source.

Conclusion

Australian study costs rose on 1 July 2026 — but the funding is still there. From fully funded government awards to automatic 20–30% tuition discounts and rare 100% university scholarships, there are real, verified scholarships in Australia for Nepali students in 2026. Most come automatically with a strong admission offer, so the surest way to study in Australia with a scholarship is to earn top grades and lock in an early English score.

Start by matching yourself to awards on our scholarships list with eligibility checker, and if Canada is also on your radar, compare our guide to scholarships in Canada for Nepali students. When you are ready to turn a conditional offer into a scholarship-winning one, book a free assessment and we will map the exact PTE score your target university and award require.

Official Sources

• Australia Awards — Nepal (DFAT)
• Research Training Program (Department of Education)
• Destination Australia Program — discontinued (Department of Education)
• Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship
• Monash International Merit Scholarship
• ANU International Achievement Award
• UQ International Excellence Scholarship
• UWA Global Excellence Scholarship