The number of outbound students from Bangladesh is increasing continuously. A UNESCO report of 2017 showed that about 60000 students from Bangladesh are studying at different destinations across the globe. And Australia is one of the top destinations for prospective Bangladeshi students who want to study abroad. In this article, we are going to discuss the scholarship prospects in Australia for Bangladeshi students.

The State of Living and Cost of Education in Australia

Before getting into the details of scholarships, let's look at the living expenses and study expenses in Australia. The average living cost per year in Australia ranges from 18,000 AUD (1107663.85 BDT) to 23,000 AUD (1415348.25 BDT). This is for the students living a moderate life.

The average cost of studies per year for undergraduates is 15,000 AUD (923053.21 BDT). For master’s, the amount ranges from 20,000 AUD (1230737.61 BDT) to 37,000 AUD (2276864.58 BDT). For PhD, the amount ranges from 14,000 AUD (861516.33 BDT) to 37,000 AUD (2276864.58 BDT). 

As it may be clear, the sum is pretty significant considering the prospect of an average Bangladeshi student. As a result, scholarships can be a great option to finance the studies as well as living costs in Australia. Some scholarships offer full-ride, which means that the travel costs along with the living and study costs are covered by those scholarships. 

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What are the Scholarship Requirements in Australia?

Every scholarship is different from the other. Consequently, the scholarship requirement also varies significantly. There is a scholarship that provides sole emphasis on educational qualifications and academic excellence. There are other scholarships that focus on the ECA of the student as well as other non-academic achievements. But to generalize the requirements, the basics would be:

-          English Language Certification

-          O and A level equivalent certificate for Undergraduate

-          16 years of the education completion certificate for masters

-          Thesis and other relevant paper publication along with academic excellence for PhD

-          Extra-curricular Activities

-          Statement of Purpose or other relevant essays

-          Academic reference

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Scholarships Available for Bangladeshi Students in Australia

Undergraduate scholarships in Australia are much less compared to the post-graduate or Ph.D. level ones. As a result, most of the scholarships in this article will focus on the postgraduate leading to the Ph.D. level.

Another thing should be kept in mind here. The university scholarships are more prevalent in Australia compared to state-sponsored ones. As a result, aspiring students will have to apply directly to the university first to be eligible for these types of scholarships.

Australia Awards Scholarship

Australia Awards Scholarship was previously known as the Australian Development Scholarship. This is a state-sponsored scholarship scheme for undergraduate as well as postgraduate aspirants. This scholarship is especially lucrative for the students of Bangladesh; because, it is specifically focused on the Indo-pacific developing countries. This is a fully-funded scholarship where the student can study in one of the relevant fields of development in their home country. Students are placed in the leading universities across Australia. All the basic living expenses including the tuition and the Overseas Student Health Cover are covered as part of the scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship, visit their official site.

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Destination Australia Scholarship

This is another state-sponsored scholarship provided by the department of education. The program aims to familiarize the international student with the regional culture and life of Australia.

About 1000 students will get about 15,000 AUD each year. This is provided to support their living expenses and education. The detailed application process and timeline are listed on the official website of the department.

International Post-Graduate Research Scholarship

This scholarship is geared exclusively towards the researchers. This is more of a research grant than a scholarship. Under this program, qualifying masters and Ph.D. students will receive funding for research. The Research has to be in their relevant majoring field. They can work under the guidance of leading researchers in Australia. The main aim of the program is to boost academic research in certain key development areas. The details of the grant can be found on the education department’s official website.

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University of Sydney International Scholarship

The University of Sydney offers scholarship grants for aspiring masters and Ph.D. students. The scholarship is provided based on two criteria. They are acceptance and previous academic excellence. This is a fully found scholarship that covers living expenses, tuition fees as well as healthcare fees. Currently, the university provides an annual sum of 35,000 AUD as part of the scholarship. The application is open year-round but the details of the application and deadline for each session can be found at the official scholarship site.

Macquarie Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship

This scholarship recognizes the academic excellence of international students at Macquarie University. The scholarship applies to both undergraduate and post-graduate students. The sum of the scholarship varies up to 10,000 AUD. The scholarship is aimed to be provided as part of the tuition and is not renewable. Here the key criteria is the acceptance to the university and previous academic excellence. It also takes into account the English Language Certification. The details about the scholarship can be found on their official scholarship website.

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University of Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarship

The University of Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarship is provided to aspiring international students. It is part of the university’s effort to recognize exceptional students studying in their post-graduate program. Applicants need to have a good academic record at the undergraduate level.  There should also be considerable focus on research. This scholarship is also fully funded which covers the tuition fees, living expenses, and healthcare. The current sum of the scholarship grant is 31,000 AUD with an optional relocation grant of up to 2000 AUD. Visit the official scholarship site of the university to get a more detailed idea.

Final Thoughts

Australia has grown to be a unique study abroad destination thanks to progressive academic institutes and multi-cultural destinations. As more and more students aspire to study in Australia, more and more scholarship opportunities have opened up as well. The opportunities are there, now it is up to the students to make the best out of them.

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Disclaimer:

The conversion rate of 1 Australian dollar to Bangladeshi taka is about 61.54 taka. The conversion rate, living costs and the amounts of different Scholarship grants are subject to change.