Fiji

Australia Awards Scholarship (for study in Australia)

Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) offer Fiji citizens the opportunity to undertake full-time study in Australia in priority fields relating to Fiji’s development.

Who can apply for an AAS:

Australia Awards applicants must meet all eligibility requirements detailed in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook.

  • must be residing in Fiji at the time of application.
  • program of study must not be available locally.
  • must be a minimum of 18 years of age at 1 January 2024.
  • must not be serving an existing scholarship bond with Fiji or any other government.
  • must be able to meet the institutional entry requirements for their proposed course.
  • maximum duration for a Bachelor degree is four years and Master’s degree program is two years.
  • not hold an equivalent or higher qualification. Proposed course must be higher than current qualification.
  • applicants who wish to apply for the same level of qualification they already commenced, must not have completed more than 50% by 31 December 2023.
  • civil servants are strongly encouraged to seek prior approval from their respective Permanent Secretaries, in accordance with the Civil Service’s Learning and Development guidelines.

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria, applicants must also meet the following specific eligibility requirements to be considered for this award:

For Undergraduate level study:

  • have completed Year 12 Certificate Examination with a minimum aggregate mark of 320 out of 400 (English and three best subjects) or equivalent and be studying Year 13. Scholarship will be dependent on applicant achieving a minimum aggregate result of 320 out of 400 in 2022, OR
  • have completed Year 13 Certificate Examination with a minimum aggregate mark of 320 out of 400 (English and three best subjects) or equivalent
  • mature age applicants who have completed a qualification should have 3 years’ work experience in the priority sector
  • not hold an equivalent or higher qualification either at time of application or commencement of award (i.e. proposed courses must be progressive, higher than current qualification)

For Postgraduate level study:

  • hold a first degree relevant to priority sector, and
  • have at least three years’ work experience in the priority sector
  • not hold a Master’s degree either at time of application or commencement of award

Women, persons with disabilities and individuals from traditionally marginalised groups are encouraged to apply.

What can I study:

Australia Awards Scholarships are offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Doctoral (PhD) Awards are not available for study in 2024.

Applications for study should align with the priorities identified in Fiji’s National Development Plan and the COVID-19 Development Response plan. We encourage applications to read these documents before applying.

The Governments of Australia and Fiji regularly review the areas of study together and adjust the emphasis of the program. For Intake 2024, the Governments of Fiji and Australia have agreed on the following priority fields of study and areas of specialisation:

Environment

Agriculture*, Agroeconomics*, Argo-Security, Biosecurity, Green Recovery, Disaster Risk Reduction & Recovery, Energy Systems & Renewable Energy, Environment & Resource Economics, Food Science, Security & Technology*, Seismology, Waste Management, Water Resource Management, Meteorology.

Health

Communicable & Non-Communicable Diseases, Counselling and Psychotherapy**, Emergency Planning & Preparedness, Health System Security, Nursing (all specialisations), Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy, Psychology & Occupational Therapy*.

Governance

Criminology, Cybersecurity*, Digital Design, Innovation & Marketing, Economic Reform, Econometrics, Geographic Information Systems*, Governance, Risk Management & Compliance, Management Information Systems*, Records & Archives Management, Information Technology*.

Infrastructure

Architecture, Building and Construction, Town and Country planning, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

All courses considered at Undergraduate & Postgraduate levels, except for those marked with asterisks: *These priorities will only be considered at Postgraduate level.

Australia Awards offer emerging Fijian and Tuvaluan leaders the opportunity to undertake full-time tertiary study.

Applicants must research Australian universities to find courses that best fit their academic background, career and leadership ambitions and which will enable them to contribute meaningfully to development of Fiji. We encourage applicants to visit the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to start their search.

The application process:

Applications must be lodged online through the Online Australia Awards Information System – (OASIS)

Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship (for study in the Pacific)

Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships (AAPS) provide Fiji citizens with the opportunity to study at selected education institutions in the Pacific region.

Who can apply for an AAPS:

Australia Awards applicants must meet all eligibility requirements detailed in the Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships Policy Handbook.

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria, applicants must also meet the following AAPS specific eligibility requirements to be considered for this award:

For  Diploma:

  • must meet the institution entry requirements for the proposed course.
  • must have a minimum Year 12 aggregate result of 250 out of 400 or equivalent (for English and three best subjects)
  • mature age applicants must have at least 5 years’ relevant work experience, achieved a pass grade at Year 12/13 or have some work-related training.

For Postgraduate diploma:

  • must meet the institution entry requirements for the proposed course.
  • must hold a relevant undergraduate degree, with a minimum of GPA of 3.0 or equivalent.
  • must have 3 years’ experience in the health sector.

All AAPS applicants:

  • must apply for a qualification that is progressive (i.e. higher than their current level of study)
  • must not be serving an existing scholarship bond with any other government
  • civil servants are strongly encouraged to seek approval from their respective Permanent Secretary (in accordance with the Civil Service’s Learning and Development guidelines).

Women, persons with disabilities and individuals from traditionally marginalised groups are encouraged to apply.

What can I study:

The types of courses available for study under an Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship are reviewed and determined in collaboration with the Government of Australia and Fiji each year.

Applications for study should align with the priorities identified in Fiji’s National Development Plan.

For Intake 2024, the Governments of Fiji and Australia have agreed on the following priority fields of study and courses:

Diplomas

Postgraduate Programs 

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Fiji National University website to ensure they meet the entry requirements and understand the course content before they apply.

The application process:

Applications must be lodged online through the Online Australia Awards Scholarships Information System (OASIS)

Hardcopy applications will also be accepted from marginalised groups. Please contact us for further information on this.