New Colombo Plan Scholarships Program

The New Colombo Plan Scholarships Program is an Australian government initiative that provides opportunities for undergraduate university students from Australia to study in the Indo-Pacific region.

The New Colombo Plan includes options to study in 40 participating countries and territories across the region. Annually, more than 500 Australian university students will have the opportunity to undertake at least one session of study, and up to a full academic year of study in one of these destinations. Language learning and an internship/mentorship component taken before or after the study component, are also a key part of the Scholarship Program.

Note: This scholarship is available to Australian citizens only.

The following are the minimum criteria for selection required by the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship. A UTS candidate must:

• be nominated by University of Technology Sydney
• be an Australian citizen - applicants cannot undertake their scholarship in a host location where they hold dual citizenship or permanent residency or where they have previously been a citizen or permanent resident
• be enrolled in units at an on-shore campus of an Australian University during the application process
• have mandatory units to enrol and undertake in your UTS degree after you return to Australia following the end of your NCP scholarship program
• be between 18 and 30 years of age (inclusive) for non-Indigenous applicants, or between 18 and 35 years of age (inclusive) for Indigenous applicants, on 1 January of the year of the scholarship round
• be undertaking a Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree when the scholarship program commences
• demonstrate a clear study plan at the host institution you will study at
• demonstrate an interest in learning an Indo-Pacific language
• demonstrate leadership and community engagement skills
• demonstrate adaptability and resilience skills
• understand and show an ongoing commitment to the international goals of the New Colombo Plan
• demonstrate the ability to represent UTS and Australia
• not be a previous recipient of a New Colombo Plan Scholarship.

Applicants will be assessed by written application based on the following selection criteria:

1. Alignment of the application with the Australian Government’s geographic and sectoral priorities in the Indo-Pacific region (35 per cent weighting)
   Assessment of this criterion will relate to the applicant’s demonstration of how their scholarship program aligns with and will contribute to the governments’ priorities.
2. Focus on Indo-Pacific languages, especially priority languages (15 per cent weighting)
   Assessment of this criterion will relate to the applicant’s incorporation of the study of an Indo-Pacific language, especially a priority Asian language into the program and what level of capability they aim to achieve.
3. Personal attributes for successful completion of scholarship (30 per cent weighting)
   Assessment of this criterion will relate to the applicant’s ability to describe the challenges and risks they will face in the host location and how they will respond to them.
4. Future impact of NCP experiences focussed with regards to you maintaining engagement with the Indo-Pacific (20 per cent weighting)
   Assessment of this criterion will relate to the applicant’s demonstration of how they will use their NCP experience after the scholarship and how they will maintain their links in the Indo-Pacific.
   

Host university

You are strongly encouraged to apply to study at a UTS exchange partner university (opens an external site) and do the study component through the UTS Global Exchange Program or UTS International Studies Degree. That way you will continue to pay your tuition fees at UTS.

By applying to a university with which UTS has an existing relationship, you will be able to easily confirm your study placement. UTS is also able to support your enrolment into a study plan and subjects for your overseas study period.

You may apply to attend a non-partner university on the scholarship and pay enrolment fees using the NCP Scholarship. If you are considering an institution that does not have an exchange agreement with UTS, you must contact that university to apply for enrolment directly, and work with a faculty academic advisor at UTS to seek your study plan approvals.

Internship

It is the scholarship recipient's responsibility to arrange and secure an internship/mentorship before or after their period of study at the host university. However, UTS, the New Colombo Plan Secretariat and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide support.

Recipients are required to do both the study and internship components of the program in the same country in the Indo Pacific. The internship may not be undertaken in Australia.

1. To apply to the Australian Government for an NCP Scholarship, you must first apply to and be nominated by UTS as an eligible candidate.
   
   1. Meet the selection and eligibility criteria as mentioned on this page;
   2. Work your way through the New Colombo Plan Scholarship workflow on CareerHub;
   3. Lodge a written application to UTS on CareerHub;
   4. Successfully shortlisted students will be contacted via email.
2. If you are selected as one of the UTS nominees, you must:
   
   1. Compile and lodge a separate application and relevant documents to the NCP Secretariat;
   2. Be able to attend an interview with the NCP Secretariat in Canberra.
3. The NCP Secretariat will announce the NCP Scholarship awardees at the end of the year.

For further details about the scholarship and how to apply, please refer to the New Colombo Plan Scholarships Program website (opens an external site).

Global Mobility Programs Team | UTS International

Email: studyabroad.exchange@uts.edu.au

Websites: 
UTS Global Exchange
UTS NCP Scholarship
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade NCP Scholarship Program website