Destination Australia Scholarship

Destination Australia Scholarship Program is modeled for meritorious students who wish to receive financial aid to live and study in regional Australia. The scholarships, available to both domestic and international students, are funded by Australia’s Department of Education.

Annually, the number of Australian universities and other tertiary providers of Destination Australia Scholarship change. For 2023, more than 400+ scholarships were awarded to the students.
Scholarship recipients receive 15,000 AUD+1500 AUD for one academic year, post which their scholarship is renewed based on academic performance.
The scholarship program covers tuition fees and living expenses of 1000+ recipients commencing higher education in Australia.

Destination Australia Scholarship applicants need to apply to a recognized tertiary education provider who has been accepted as a partner for this program. Students can apply for Certificate IV to Ph.D., for the reception of this scholarship.

Highlights

Scholarship Type	Easy-to-Apply ( NO RECOMMENDATION ) , Merit-Based
Offered by	Government bodies
Organization	Australian Government, Dept. of Education, Skill and Employment
Application Deadline	Mar 17 ,2023
Number of Scholarships	1000
Amount	$11,070 ($11,070)
Renewability	Yes, Yearly
International Student Eligible	Yes
Scholarship Website Link	https://study.csu.edu.au/get-support/scholarships/find-scholarship/equity/destination-australia-scholarship

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Destination Australia Scholarship Program, applicants must opt for a full-time

Residential certificate IV/Certificate IV/Accredited Diploma/ Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree
OR
Bachelor Degree/Bachelors Honours Degree
OR
Graduate Certificate/Graduate Diploma/Masters degree
OR
Doctoral degree at any partner institution.

Along with the choice of program, international students are required to fulfill the following criteria:

Be full fee-paying, non-sponsored student
Minimum 75% in the previous level of education
Have a valid Australian student visa
Enrolled in a full time degree in university campus situated in regional Australia for academic year 2021
Maintain ongoing residency in a regional area in Australia
Study a tertiary education course at the registered university

Note: Eligibility requirements for domestic students are slightly different than the international applicants.

Application Process

There is no single or common application process for Destination Australia Scholarship Program. Since applicants need to apply for the scholarship via 35 eligible education providers, it is up to them how they want to distribute these scholarships.

Amongst various regional education providers, there are institutions like University of Melbourne where eligible students will be automatically considered for the scholarship. On the other hand, there are universities like Curtin University which have a detailed application process for Destination Australia applicants. The step-by-step application process for such universities is mentioned below:

Step I: Submit an application for an eligible course of study.
Step II: Write and submit a one-page statement demonstrating “How Destination Australia Scholarship will assist you in reaching your career goals and how it will help you make tomorrow better.”
Step III: The assessment panel will evaluate your application and SOP for the scholarships.
Step IV: Outcome notifications will be sent via university to successful candidates. All unsuccessful candidates will also be notified.
Step V: Selected students will have to confirm their acceptance of Destination Australia Scholarship within the specified time and via a specified mode of confirmation like email.

Note: students must check in with respective Universities/institutes for Destination Australia Scholarship application deadlines before applying.

Selection Process

Each Australian university selects recipients for Destination Australia Scholarship on the basis of the fact that they have been offered a full-time degree program at the institute and have ongoing residency in the region of Australia where the campus is located.

For instance, students who have applied to the Edith Cowan University, will have to stay in the Burbury region for the duration of the course. Apart from the fulfillment of university-specific terms and conditions, students are shortlisted based on two factors:

Academic Merit
500-word Statement of purpose (if university required separate application)

Furthermore, interview as a criteria depends on the university enrolling students for instance, James Cook University has interview as an eligibility criteria. Students' application shall be individually assessed by committee members and a decision shall be formulated on the basis of it.

Grant Details

As mentioned, annually the number of scholarships and educational providers varies. While the details for the Destination Australia Scholarship 2023 is yet to be announced, that for scholarship session 2022 are mentioned below:

Scholarship Provider	Scholarship Type	Scholarship Numbers
Academies Australasia Institute	International Only	15
Charles Stuart University	International & Domestic	63
SAE Institute	International & Domestic	45
Southern Cross University	International & Domestic	32
TAFE NSW	International & Domestic	85
The University of New England	International & Domestic	59
The University of Wollongong	International & Domestic	25
Charles Darwin University	International & Domestic	43
Dynamic Learning Services	Domestic Only	12
Cairns Beauty Academy	International Only	10
Central Queens University	International & Domestic	38
James Cook University	International & Domestic	36
Queensland Rural Medical Education	Domestic Only	10
TAFE Queensland	International Only	28
The University of Queensland	International & Domestic	40
University of Southern Queensland	International & Domestic	34
University of the Sunshine Coast	International & Domestic	40
Flinders University	International & Domestic	12
University of South Australia	Domestic Only	20
TasTAFE	International & Domestic	17
University of Tasmania	International & Domestic	58
Australian Catholic University	International & Domestic	42
Deakin University	International & Domestic	34
Federation University Australia	International & Domestic	56
La Trobe University	International & Domestic	94
Partners in Training Australia	Domestic	20
Skillinvest Limited	International & Domestic	10
Sunraysia Institute of TAFE	International & Domestic	10
University of Melbourne	International & Domestic	18
Wodonga Institute of TAFE	Domestic Only	25
Curtin University	International & Domestic	45
Edith Cowan University	International & Domestic	22
The University of Notre Dame	Domestic Only	40
University of Western Australia	International & Domestic	15

The Destination Australia Scholarship program aims to offer students the best opportunities for education in Australia. Students get to experience the culture and habitats in Australia away from the major cities. To be shortlisted, applicants just need to focus on creating a noteworthy personal statement that highlights their academic and extracurricular achievements.