Scholarships and Student Loans “International Students”

Scholarships

A scholarship is a financial award given to a student on the basis of academic accomplishment and promise.
There are assortment of scholarships provided by the Australian government, individual educational institutions, and other organisations that target specific fields of study or students from various regions of the globe.
Some of the major scholarships programs available for international students:

• Australia Awards - The Australia Awards aim to encourage cognition, education links, and enduring ties between Australia and the neighbors through Australia's extensive scholarship programs. Australia Awards are prestigious international scholarships and fellowships funded by the Australian Government offering the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake study, research and professional development. The program brings together scholarships offered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIICCSRTE) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
  
  
• International Postgraduate Research Scholarships - The International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) program focuses on improving the quality of Australian research. If you already have a graduate qualification, an IPRS scholarship lets you study in Australia with some of the best researchers in your field.
  
  
• JASON (Joint Academic Scholarships Online Network) - JASON is a postgraduate scholarship search engine. Scholarships in the database apply to Australian students wishing to study at home or abroad, and to international students wishing to study in Australia.
  

Australian Government Scholarships

Managed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Australian Scholarships also include:

• The Endeavour Awards: The Endeavour Awards is a competitive, international, merit-based scholarship award program run by the Australian government for students of the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. With an emphasis on study, research, and professional development, the Awards give students the opportunity to advance their professional or academic careers.
  
  
• Australian Leadership Awards (ALA): Specifically for students who are in a position to positively affect social and economic conditions of their home countries. ALAs are postgraduate scholarships that allow students to focus on specialized research. Students who are granted an ALA are required to return to their home country or region for at least two years after study completion. In addition to scholarships, the Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) offer Fellowship programs which are intended as short term study opportunities for research and learning.
  
  
• Australian Development Scholarships (ADS):  ADS gives students the tools to create positive changes.  It is geared towards arming students with the skills to aid governance, human growth, and economic development in their home countries. ADS provide opportunities for students in underdeveloped countries to study full time in Australia in undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
  

Other sources of scholarships include charitable organizations and educational institutions. Most of these must be applied for in the student's home country.

Student Loans and Schemes

Following are the student loans available to International Students:
Short-term International Student Loan: The Short-term International Student Loan, for which no guarantor is required, is available to assist eligible International students to overcome urgent, unforeseen contingencies.

• Loan amount: Eligible students can apply for up to $1500 at any one time.
• Eligibility: All full-time students, including those in first year, are eligible to apply for this loan.
• Repayments: Payable within two calendar months, this starts four weeks from the date of the loan agreement.
• Interest: Interest-free if repaid with two calendar months or by the date outlined in the loan agreement. Otherwise, interest will start accruing at 2.5 per cent per month from the date of the loan. Any residual debt at completion or cessation of current course will attract an interest rate of 12.5 per cent per year.
  

General Purpose Loan (International Guarantor): The General Purpose Loan (International guarantor) is available to students for necessary expenses associated with educational and directly related living costs, especially where continuation of studies may be threatened.

Loan amount: An amount of up to $4,000 is available in an academic year or $8,000 in total throughout current course of study. Student Exchange loans are available up to $12,000.
Eligibility: Loans will only be considered where:

• You are enrolled as a full-time student to an approved course for a minimum of 18 credit points in a semester or 36 credit points over a complete academic year. Loans will not usually be considered in your first or final semester, with the exception of a short term cash loan.
  
  
• You are in good standing with no administrative or academic encumbrances and you can demonstrate that you have the capability to complete your current course successfully.
  
  
• Genuine financial hardship is established and you can demonstrate that a loan is essential for you to continue your current course at this particular University and that you have been unable to obtain a loan elsewhere.
  

Loans will not be issued for:

• Pre-existing debts, fines, house or property improvements and other expenses not directly related to essential course-related endeavours.
  
  
• The purpose of income support where a student has failed to investigate part-time employment to support their studies.
  
  
• University fees or fines.
  

Repayments:

The loan must be fully repaid before completion or cessation of current courses in fortnightly or monthly installments, in conformity with an agreed repayment schedule. If the loan is not fully repaid by the due date, graduation and academic transcripts may be withheld.

Interests: All loans are interest free during the current course of study. On completion or cessation of current course of study, any residual debt will attract interest for the agreed repayment period at the rate of 12 per cent.