Australia Awards Scholarship 2028 for Pakistani Students | Fully Funded
1. Introduction
The Australia Awards Scholarship is the Australian Government’s flagship scholarship for students from developing countries, and Pakistan is one of its largest partner countries. Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, known as DFAT, the award sends Pakistani professionals to study a full master’s degree at an Australian university, with tuition, flights, living costs and health cover all paid.
Quick Facts
| Scholarship Name | Australia Awards Scholarship |
|---|---|
| Host Country |  Australia |
| Host University | Any participating Australian university |
| Study Level | |
| Funding Type | |
| Eligible Nationalities | Partner countries, including Pakistan |
| Study Duration | 2-4 years (varies by degree) |
| Application Deadline | |
| Scholarship Year | 2027 |
| Official Website | OASIS, the official online application system |
Read the deadline first, because it decides your timing. The 2027 intake is closed. Applications for study starting in 2027 ran from 1 February 2026 to 30 April 2026, and late applications were not accepted. The next round, the 2028 intake, is expected to open on 1 February 2027 and close around 30 April 2027. That window has not been officially announced yet, so treat it as the expected pattern from past years, not as a confirmed date. Confirm the exact dates on the official call when the cycle opens.
This scholarship is built for working professionals, not for fresh graduates. For Pakistan, applicants need 16 years of education and at least five years of relevant work experience, and the proposed field of study must match Pakistan’s development priority areas. It is a development scholarship, not a migration pathway. Every awardee signs an agreement to return to Pakistan for at least two years after finishing the degree, and the whole design of the award serves that return.
This guide covers the 2028 intake for Pakistani applicants: what the award pays, who can apply, which documents you need, how selection works, and how to apply step by step through OASIS, the official online system. Every fact here comes from DFAT’s official pages and the official Australia Awards Pakistan program, and where a detail changes between cycles, the guide says so and points you to the official call.
2. Types of Scholarship
Australia Awards runs two main streams, and Pakistani applicants should know which one fits them. The first is the Australia Awards Scholarship itself, the long-term award this guide covers. It funds a full master’s degree in Australia, usually one to two years, and it is the only stream open to Pakistani applicants for degree study. Under Pakistan’s current rules, the award is for a master’s degree only. It does not fund bachelor’s or PhD study for applicants from Pakistan.
The second stream is Australia Awards Short Courses. These are short professional development courses, usually a few weeks long, run in Australia or in the region for working professionals in priority sectors. Short courses are a separate call with their own dates and requirements, and they do not lead to a degree. If you want a full master’s degree, the long-term scholarship is the stream to apply for.
There is also an Australia Awards Fellowships stream, which supports short-term study, research and professional attachments hosted by Australian organisations. Fellowships are arranged through host organisations rather than through an open individual application, so they suit mid-career professionals who already work with an Australian partner. Check the official Australia Awards site for the current status of that stream before you plan around it.
Within the long-term scholarship, there is one more distinction worth knowing. Some partner countries fund undergraduate study under Australia Awards, but Pakistan does not. If a website tells you to apply for a bachelor’s degree under Australia Awards Pakistan, that information is wrong for this country program. For Pakistan, it is master’s study only.
3. Degree Level
For Pakistan, the Australia Awards Scholarship funds a master’s degree only. That rule is set in the Pakistan country profile, and it has held across recent cycles. You apply for a full-time master’s program at an Australian university, in a field that matches Pakistan’s development priority areas, and the award covers the full duration of the approved academic program.
Your master’s must build on 16 years of education. In Pakistan, that normally means a four-year bachelor’s degree, or a two-year bachelor’s degree followed by a two-year master’s degree. Either path adds up to 16 years, and both are accepted if the degrees are recognized. The Pakistan office checks your education history against the 16-year rule when it screens applications, so have your transcripts and degree certificates ready in the format the portal asks for.
The degree must also match the priority areas. A master’s in a field outside the priority list will not be funded, no matter how strong the rest of your application is. Download the current Pakistan Country Profile from the official Australia Awards Pakistan website once the 2028 cycle opens, and check your intended field against it before you invest time in an application.
The award does not fund a second master’s degree for the sake of it, and it does not fund a PhD for Pakistani applicants. If you already hold a master’s degree in the same field, think hard about whether a second one in that field will be seen as a good use of the award. A master’s in a new field that matches a priority area, and that clearly builds on your work experience, is a stronger case.
4. Available Subjects
There is no fixed list of subjects that stays the same every year. The subjects that qualify are the ones inside Pakistan’s development priority areas, and DFAT reviews those areas between cycles. The current priority areas for Pakistan include climate change, women’s empowerment, agriculture and water security, infrastructure, and inclusive economic development. Health, education and governance have also appeared as priority fields in recent cycles.
That means the strongest applications come from professionals already working in those sectors. A water engineer working on irrigation, a public health officer working on district health systems, a teacher trainer working on girls’ education, an energy planner working on renewables, or a civil servant working on governance reform all fit the design of the award. The link between your job, your proposed degree and a priority area must be clear in your application, because the Development Impact and Linkages Plan you submit has to make that case in writing.
Do not pick a field because it sounds popular. Pick the field where your five years of work experience already sit, and where a master’s degree will change what you can do when you return to Pakistan. Selection panels read many applications, and the ones that stand out are the ones where the degree, the job and the priority area line up in a straight line.
Because priorities can shift between cycles, never rely on last year’s list. The current Pakistan Country Profile, published by the Australia Awards Pakistan office for each cycle, is the only list that counts. Check it against your intended field once the 2028 cycle opens.
5. Scholarship Benefits
The Australia Awards Scholarship is fully funded in the full sense of the term. The award pays full tuition fees for the approved academic program, return airfare to Australia at the start of the award and back to Pakistan at the end, a one-time establishment allowance to help you settle in, a regular contribution to living expenses, and Overseas Student Health Cover, known as OSHC, for the full period of study. Academic support is also provided, including an introductory academic program and supplementary academic support where needed.
The living allowance is paid fortnightly and is meant to cover day-to-day costs such as food, transport and basic expenses. The establishment allowance is a single payment at the start of the award to help with the costs of setting up in Australia, such as textbooks, a computer and household items. The exact allowance rates are set in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook and the country profile for each cycle, so check the official call for the current figures rather than relying on a rate quoted on a third-party site.
Return airfare covers economy travel from Pakistan to Australia at the start of the award and back to Pakistan when the award ends. The award also covers the visa costs linked to the student visa process, and it provides the health cover required for study in Australia. What it does not cover is the cost of bringing family members, and it does not provide allowances for dependents. Plan your family arrangements on that basis.
Two points about money deserve emphasis. First, the award is a grant, not a loan, and nothing has to be paid back. Second, you must never pay anyone to apply. The application is free, it is submitted online through OASIS, and third-party agents who charge a fee to submit on your behalf are unnecessary. The program is explicit about that, and any agent asking for payment is not part of the official process.
6. Eligible Nationalities
Australia Awards Scholarships are open to citizens of the participating countries listed by DFAT, and Pakistan is on that list. The official DFAT participating countries page names Pakistan under Asia, with the in-country contact as info@australiaawardspakistan.org. Pakistan has been one of the program’s priority countries for more than 25 years, and it remains one of the largest recipient countries in the region.
Eligibility is country-specific. The award is not one single global program with one rulebook. It runs through bilateral arrangements with each partner country, and each country has its own profile with its own requirements, priority areas and dates. The rules in this guide are the Pakistan rules. If you are reading this from another country, check your own country page, because the requirements can differ.
For Pakistan, the nationality rule is strict. You must be a Pakistani citizen, and you must be living in Pakistan when you apply. You cannot hold Australian citizenship or permanent residency, and you cannot be actively applying for either one. The country profile also sets a residency rule for how long you must have lived in Pakistan before applying, so check the official call for the current wording of that rule when the cycle opens.
Dual nationals should read the country profile with care. If you hold another citizenship alongside Pakistani citizenship, the profile states whether that affects your eligibility. When in doubt, ask the Australia Awards Pakistan office directly at the contact address on the DFAT page. A short email before you apply is far better than a rejected application after months of work.
7. Eligibility Criteria
The Pakistan criteria are demanding by design, because the award is aimed at professionals who will return and lead change in their sectors. Check each one honestly before you apply.
- Citizenship and residence. You must be a Pakistani citizen living in Pakistan at the time you apply, and you must not hold or be applying for Australian citizenship or permanent residency.
- Education. You must have completed 16 years of education, normally a four-year bachelor’s degree or a two-year bachelor’s degree plus a two-year master’s degree.
- Work experience. You must have at least five years of relevant work experience. The experience must relate to your proposed field of study, and you will need to prove it with employment records and references.
- Age. Under the current Pakistan country profile, applicants must be 45 years of age or younger. Confirm the age rule in the 2028 profile when it is published, because country rules are reviewed between cycles.
- Field of study. Your proposed master’s degree must fall inside Pakistan’s development priority areas for the cycle you apply in.
- English. You must hold a valid English test result, IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, that meets the requirement set for the cycle. See section 8 for the detail.
- Return agreement. You must sign an agreement to return to Pakistan for a minimum of two years after completing your studies. This is a binding condition of the award, not a formality.
- Development Impact and Linkages Plan. You must submit a plan that explains how your study will help Pakistan’s development, and how you will use the degree when you return.
The five-year work experience rule is the filter that removes most ineligible applicants, so take it seriously. Five years of experience in an unrelated field does not meet it. The experience must connect to the degree you propose, and your employer references must support that connection.
8. English Language Requirements
Pakistani applicants need a valid English test result, IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, to apply for Australia Awards. The exact minimum scores are set in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook and stated in the Pakistan country profile for each cycle, so the official call is the final source for the numbers.
As a guide, most Australia Awards applicants need IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or an equivalent TOEFL or PTE score. Confirm the exact scores on the official call before you book a test, because the requirement can change between cycles and the country profile may set a higher bar for some fields. Do not rely on a score quoted on a third-party website.
Book your test early. The application window runs from February to April, and test slots in Pakistan fill up during that period. A result that arrives after the closing date is useless, because late applications are never accepted. Take the test in the months before the window opens, so the result is in hand when you start the application.
There is no exemption for applicants who studied in English. The program requires a test result from Pakistani applicants, and a medium of instruction letter from your university does not replace it. If your English is strong, treat the test as a routine step and get it done early rather than leaving it to the last weeks of the window.
9. Required Documents
Applications are submitted online through OASIS, and the documents are uploaded as color scans in single PDF files by category. Prepare them before the window opens. The standard set for Pakistani applicants is listed below, but the Pakistan country profile for the 2028 cycle is the final source, so check it against this list when it is published.
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates. Full transcripts and certificates for your bachelor’s degree and any later degrees, showing the 16 years of education.
- English test result. A valid IELTS, TOEFL or PTE result that meets the requirement for the cycle.
- Curriculum vitae. A clear CV covering your education and your five years of relevant work experience, with dates and employer details.
- Employment proof and references. Employment letters or service records that prove your work history, plus references from employers who can confirm your role and your performance.
- Development Impact and Linkages Plan. A written plan that links your proposed study to a priority area, explains the development impact you expect, and sets out how you will apply the degree when you return to Pakistan.
- Passport or national identity document. A clear scan of your passport or Computerized National Identity Card.
- Course choices. Your preferred master’s courses and Australian universities, chosen from the fields inside the priority areas.
Upload each document in the category OASIS asks for, and check that every scan is readable before you submit. A blurred transcript or a file uploaded to the wrong category can delay your application, and there is no time to fix errors after the closing date. Late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
10. Selection Criteria
Selection is run by the Australia Awards Pakistan office with DFAT, and it follows the same stages in most cycles. The first stage is an eligibility screening. Applications that fail the citizenship, education, work experience, age or field rules are removed. This stage is strict, and the five-year experience rule and the priority-area rule remove more applications than any other factor.
Shortlisted applicants are ranked on merit. The panel weighs academic strength, the quality and relevance of the work experience, the strength of the Development Impact and Linkages Plan, and the match between the proposed degree and a priority area. Leadership potential and a record of contribution to your workplace or community also count, because the award is designed to develop people who will lead change when they return.
Shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview, usually held in Pakistan. The interview tests the same themes as the written application: your goals, your understanding of the priority area, your plan for the degree, and your plan for the two years after you return. Prepare for the interview by rereading your own Development Impact and Linkages Plan, because the panel will ask about it in detail.
Final selection is made by DFAT on the panel’s recommendation. Selected awardees are then placed at an Australian university, which means DFAT arranges the university admission and the course placement after selection. You do not apply to universities directly in the first stage. After placement, there is a pre-departure briefing and the visa process, and studies begin in Australia in the intake year.
11. How to Apply: Step by Step
Follow these steps in order. The window is short, February to April, and it does not reopen, so start preparing months before it opens.
- Read the Pakistan Country Profile. Once the 2028 cycle opens, download the current profile from the official Australia Awards Pakistan website and confirm your field of study sits inside the priority areas.
- Confirm your eligibility. Check citizenship, residence, 16 years of education, five years of relevant work experience, the age rule, and the English requirement against the profile. If any one fails, do not apply in this cycle.
- Take your English test. Book IELTS, TOEFL or PTE early and hold a valid result before the window opens.
- Write your Development Impact and Linkages Plan. Link your job, your proposed degree and a priority area in a straight line, and set out what you will do in the two years after you return. This document carries real weight in selection.
- Prepare your documents. Gather transcripts, certificates, employment proof, references, your CV and your identity document as color scans in single PDFs by category.
- Create your OASIS account. When the window opens, register on OASIS, the Online Australia Scholarships Information System, and complete the online application form. There is no paper form and no emailed application.
- Choose your courses. List your preferred master’s courses and Australian universities inside the priority areas. Your choices guide placement after selection.
- Submit before the closing time. Submit before 2:00 PM AEST on the closing date. Late submissions are not accepted, with no exceptions, so submit at least a few days early.
- Wait for shortlisting and interview. If shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview in Pakistan. Final selection follows, then university placement, pre-departure briefing and the visa process.
Apply only on OASIS. No agent is needed, and no fee is charged. Any person who offers to submit the application for a fee is not part of the official process.
12. Deadline
The 2027 intake is closed. Applications for study starting in 2027 opened on 1 February 2026 and closed on 30 April 2026 at 2:00 PM AEST. For Pakistan, the official DFAT schedule listed the window as 1 February 2026, 09:00 AEDT, to 30 April 2026, 14:00 AEST. No applications for the 2027 intake are accepted now.
The next round, the 2028 intake, is expected to open on 1 February 2027 and close around 30 April 2027 at 2:00 PM AEST. That window follows the annual pattern of the program, but it has not been officially announced yet. The expected dates are a planning guide only. Wait for the official announcement on the Australia Awards Pakistan website and the DFAT pages, and confirm the exact opening and closing dates there before you plan your test and documents around them.
The closing time matters as much as the closing date. The portal shuts at 2:00 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time on the closing day, and the system does not accept late submissions. AEST is five hours ahead of Pakistan Standard Time, so 2:00 PM AEST is 9:00 AM in Pakistan on the same day. Submit at least a few days early, because a slow upload or a missing document on the last morning cannot be fixed in time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I apply for a bachelor’s or PhD under Australia Awards Pakistan?
No. For Pakistan, the award funds a master’s degree only. It does not fund bachelor’s or PhD study under the current Pakistan country profile.
Is there an age limit for Australia Awards Pakistan?
Yes. Under the current Pakistan country profile, applicants must be 45 years of age or younger. Confirm the age rule in the 2028 profile when it is published, because country rules are reviewed between cycles.
Do I really need five years of work experience?
Yes. At least five years of relevant work experience is a Pakistan-specific requirement, and the experience must relate to your proposed field of study. Employment records and references must support it.
Can I stay in Australia after the scholarship ends?
No. You must sign an agreement to return to Pakistan for a minimum of two years after completing your studies. This is a binding condition of the award. Australia Awards is a development scholarship, not a migration pathway.
Is IELTS required for Australia Awards?
Yes. Pakistani applicants need a valid IELTS, TOEFL or PTE result. As a guide, most applicants need IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or an equivalent score, but confirm the exact requirement on the official call for the cycle you apply in.
Do I need an agent to apply?
No. You apply yourself, online, through OASIS. The application is free, and no agent is needed. Any person who charges a fee to submit the application on your behalf is not part of the official process.
Apply on the official website: Applications open on OASIS, the Online Australia Scholarships Information System, when the 2028 intake opens. Check the official Australia Awards Pakistan website for the announcement and the current country profile.
Official sources: DFAT, Australia Awards participating countries (Pakistan listed) | OASIS application portal | Australia Awards Pakistan
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