Australia Government Offers Short Course Scholarships for International Students and Professionals

Short courses is a great option to acquire new skills or to enhance (or refresh) your existing skills in just a short period of time. Taking a short course is the perfect option for students and professionals who do not want or have time to complete a full qualification that can take up to four years. Short courses can be completed within a few months or up to one year.

Many Australian institutions of higher education offer short courses both for domestic and foreign students and professionals. Some of the institutions also offer scholarships to support students with their studies. Even the Australian Government has their own set of funding programs.

Check out what Australia short course scholarships are available for international students!

Australia Awards Short Courses for Africans

Australia Awards aims to promote knowledge, education links and enduring ties between Australia and its neighbors through Australia’s extensive scholarship programs. The initiative aims to build a new generation of global leaders with strong links to Australia.

Australia Awards is the flagship of the Australian development cooperation program and is an important competent of Australia’s investment in education. Scholarships have been an important component of the Australian Government’s efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development opportunities to citizens from developing countries around the globe. It aims to provide enhanced leadership, knowledge and technical skills to partner governments, tertiary institutions and strategic organizations that are driving sustainable development.

In Africa, the Australian Government offers scholarships under Australia Awards for African professionals to undertake long-term and short-term training that leads to the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.

Australia Awards Short Courses are targeted programs of intensive training for selected cohorts to address specific technical or soft skills gaps. These programs are formal study or training opportunities, generally of less than three months’ duration, delivered by an approved Australian higher education provider or an Australian Registered Training Organization in Australia and/or in partner countries. Australia Awards Short Courses are managed and administered by DFAT’s overseas posts.

Short Courses offer opportunities for short-term postgraduate training delivered in Australia and/or in Africa for up to 5 weeks. The training targets experienced employees from African public, private and civil society organizations in the following fields: agriculture, extractives and public policy.

For professionals who want to apply for Australia Awards Short Courses, there is a list of eligibility requirements that need to be met. In general, the following requirements apply:

• Citizen of an eligible African country, residing and working in their country of citizenship (or working for the home government in a third country)
• Minimum academic requirement: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Mid-level to senior-level professional, currently employed in a relevant field
• Meet relevant postgraduate work experience requirements
• Demonstrate a clear vision of how the knowledge gained through the scholarship will be used to improve policy, practice or reform in their home country
• Satisfactory English proficiency to enable full participation in a training course delivered in English
• Satisfy all requirements of the Australian Government for the appropriate student visa (subclass 500)

African countries that are eligible for Short Course Awards are:

• Botswana
• Cameroon
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nigeria
• Rwanda – only eligible for in Africa short courses
• Senegal
• Somalia – only eligible for in Africa short courses
• South Africa
• South Sudan – only eligible for in Africa short courses
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Mid-level professionals who are successfully awarded a Short Course Award will attract the following benefits:

• Australian education experience
• Full tuition fees for the duration of the course
• Mobilization travel from the home country to the course delivery location(s) and the return home
• Visa expenses
• Contribution to living expenses
• Accommodation
• Medical insurance for the duration of the Short Course
• Adjustment support for women and persons with a disability, where required
• Opportunity to develop and maintain links with Australians and other Africans
• Opportunity to join a prestigious Alumni network after the scholarship
• Continued professional development after the scholarship

For more information, visit www.australiaawardsafrica.org/awards/types-of-awards.

Destination Australia Program

The Destination Australia Program aims to attract and support international and domestic students to study in regional Australia, to grow and develop regional Australian tertiary education providers and offer students a high quality learning experience. Destination Australia is funded under the Department of Education’s Outcome 2.7 – International Education Support. The objective of Outcome 2.7 is to support the sustainable growth of Australia’s high quality international education, training and research through strong government-to-government engagement, strategic policy and legislation.

Funding of $15,000 per scholarship, per year, and $1,000 in promotional and administration assistance per scholarship, per year, will be awarded to successful providers who will run their processes for allocating and awarding scholarships to students. Tertiary education providers must award scholarships to students who are studying one of the following qualification levels on a full-time basis for the duration of the scholarship:

• Certificate IV
• Accredited Diploma
• Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree
• Bachelor Degree
• Bachelors Honors Degree
• Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma
• Masters or Doctoral degrees

Students are not able to directly apply for scholarships through the community Grants Hub. Once the outcomes of the grant round are known, students may apply for a scholarship directly with a successful tertiary education provider.

You can only spend the grant on eligible expenditure you have incurred between the start date and end or completion date of eligible grant activities.

Eligible expenditure items are:

• Marketing, promotional, and administration cost — $1,500 per scholarship, per year
• Scholarships — $15,000 per year to be allocated to eligible new students ad elected by you.

For more information, visit the Community Grants Hub website.