The Rhodes Scholarship offers talented students the opportunity to study a postgraduate program of their choice at the University of Oxford. It was established in 1903 and every year, 9 Australian students are selected for this prestigious award. The scholarship covers course fees and provides students with an annual stipend.
The Rhodes Trust establishes the following criteria for selection:
Each Australian State Committee selects a candidate for this scholarship, whereas the remaining 3 are Australia-at-Large Scholarships awarded by a Selection Committee in Canberra. For more information for Australian candidates, and the age stipulations to be eligible, please check the Rhodes website for Australia.
A Rhodes Scholarship is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the application process will take time and effort to collate, so if you are interested in applying for a Rhodes Scholarship you need to prepare well in advance.
It is important to start thinking about it early, even if you are in the first year of your program, so that you can seek opportunities to practice your leadership skills and meet the selection criteria by the time you are on the 3rd or 4th year of your degree.
Applications for admission in 2025 will open on 3rd June 2024 and close on 12th August 2024, at 23:59 AEST.
Check the Rhodes Scholarships for Australia summary here.
The John Monash Scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding Australian graduates to support them with postgraduate study at the world’s best universities. The Scholarships are not limited by age, gender, academic field of study or choice of university, with successful applicants having demonstrated excellence in their field, leadership potential and a vision for how they can contribute to a better Australia. The John Monash Scholarships are proudly supported by the Australian Government, private sector organisations, universities and individuals.
Applicants who have been successful in securing a Rhodes, Fulbright or Ramsay scholarship are not eligible for a John Monash Scholarship.
In awarding John Monash Scholarships, factors considered include:
Three references are required. Referees should be senior people who can speak to the applicant’s leadership capabilities, whether they be academic, professional or personal.
This scholarship provides $80,000 AUD in funding per year up to maximum of 3 years of study plus travel support. The following world class universities offer partial or full fee waivers to John Monash Scholars, for certain degree types: King’s College London (UK), Cranfield University (UK), IE University Madrid (Spain) and The University of Groningen (The Netherlands).
The General Sir John Monash Scholarships will open on 1st May 2024 and will close on 1st July 2024 at 5pm AEST. These scholarships will reopen in 2024. For more information about application opening dates, please check the John Monash Foundation website.
Cambridge Australia Scholarships are aimed at high achieving students who have completed the majority of their pre-University studies in Australia and enable them to complete a Masters or PhD course at the University of Cambridge. Students do not apply directly to the Cambridge Australia Scholarship, but rather they apply for entry into a program via their Graduate Admissions Office, and tick that they wish to be considered for the scholarship.
For more information about how to apply for this scholarship, please see this information handout and consult the Cambridge Australia website.
Fulbright Scholarships offer scholarship opportunities to Australian postgraduate students to undertake research in the United Sates. The Postgraduate Scholarships allow PhD students to conduct research for 4 months (and up to 10) in the US, or supports enrolment in a graduate degree program. The Postdoctoral Scholarships allow individuals who have completed their PhD in the last five years or will have their PhD conferred before their departure date to undertake postdoctoral research in the US for a period between 4 and 10 months. The Scholar Scholarships offer the chance to undertake a short-term research program in the US of up to 4 months to academics (at Associate or full Professorial level) and mid-career professionals (with an undergraduate qualification and minimum 10 years work experience).
Applications close on the 8th July 2024.
For information about eligibility and guidelines on applying, please see the Fulbright Australia FAQs.
Hear from Professor Sandra Orgeig, Dean of Graduate studies, about these high achiever opportunities.
Hear from Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Enterprise about the Rhodes Scholarship, how to apply and what they are looking for.
Hear from Tara Whitfield, Partnerships and Program Manager at Fulbright Australia about the Fulbright Scholarship opportunities. Also hear from Associate Professor Stephanie Reuter Lange from UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences about her Fulbright experience and tips for applicants.
Hear from Sarah Ramantanis, Marketing Manager at General Sir John Monash Foundation, about the John Monash scholarship application and opportunities.
Hear from Associate Professor Joe McIntyre from UniSA Justice and Society about the Cambridge Australia opportunities and how to apply.
Please see links to these schemes and other similar opportunities on this brochure.