New Colombo Plan Grant

Key scholarship details

Application status

Open for applications

Benefit amount

$2,500 - $15,000

Eligible study level

Undergraduate

Eligible student type

Domestic students

Eligible study stage

Current study

Benefit duration

One-off

Summary

Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the New Colombo Plan mobility program provides funding to Australian undergraduate students studying in the Indo-Pacific region. Students can receive grants of up to $15,000 to participate in semester based or short-term study, internships, practicums, volunteering programs and research. These grants are available for selected overseas study programs, including semester exchange programs and short-term programs during winter and summer breaks.

Benefits

Short-term grants a minimum of $4000 per student for a minimum of 28 continuous days are available for study at host locations.

Semester long study grants $15,000 are available for study at host locations.

Please see location details and dates for upcoming programs at the Program Database. For full details on New Colombo Plan eligibility, please visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

Eligibility and selection criteria

Eligibility

To be considered for this grant, you must meet all mandatory eligibility criteria.

You must:

be an Australian citizen
be at least 18 years of age before commencing the mobility project
be enrolled in an undergraduate course at an Australian onshore campus and be receiving academic credit towards your studies
agree to comply with DFAT’s Child Protection Policy and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy, including all reporting obligations
have completed DFAT’s online New Colombo Plan (NCP) pre‑departure training modules
sign an acknowledgement confirming that you have read and understood the NCP Student Code of Conduct and the New Colombo Plan Mobility Program 2026 Round Guidelines prior to departure

You must not:

be, during the mobility project, a citizen or permanent resident of the proposed host location(s)
be an employee of the DFAT branch administering the New Colombo Plan, or of the relevant program contractor
receive more than one NCP student grant for the same mobility project
receive more than two NCP student grants (Mobility or Semester Program) over the course of your undergraduate studies
participate in another offshore scholarship or mobility program at the same time as an NCP mobility project, unless otherwise approved by DFAT

Please note: all successful NCP Mobility Program applicants must complete a mandatory NCP pre-departure online training module before their grant is disbursed.

As a grant recipient, you will receive academic credit for completion of the mobility project, or the mobility will count towards the course completion requirements for your program at the University of Melbourne.

Study level:

Undergraduate

Student type:

Domestic students

Study stage type:

Current study

Study area:

Agricultural and veterinary sciences; Architecture, building, planning and design; Arts, humanities and social sciences; Business and economics; Education; Engineering; Environment; Health; Information technology and computer science; Law; Music, visual and performing arts; Science

Application

How to apply

Short-term programs: Eligible students will apply for available NCP grants as part of their University of Melbourne application to the relevant short-term program.

Semester-long exchange programs: Eligible students will apply for available NCP grants as part of their University of Melbourne application to the relevant Semester program. Only students who preference an eligible NCP host institution will apply.

Global Study Tours: Eligible students will apply for available NCP grants as part of their University of Melbourne application to their Global Study Tour.

When will I know the outcome?

Short-term programs: Your NCP grant application will be assessed after the application deadline for your selected short-term program, and you will receive an outcome within 10 business days.

Semester-long exchange programs: Your NCP grant application will be assessed after you have received your host institution allocation. Students eligible for NCP Semester grants will be advised how to apply during the semester before they depart for their program.

Global Study Tours: Your NCP grant application will be assessed after the application deadline for your global study tour.

Recipient feedback

With the use of this scholarship I strive to further deepen my connections in Japan and to increase the bilateral relationship that Australia has with this country. I hope that my knowledge of Japanese culture, language and society becomes an asset in my future aspirations. I wish to use the resources given to me by the New Colombo Plan to help achieve my goals of becoming a Japanese translator.

Peter Katsakis

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

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