New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program

The New Colombo Plan (NCP), launched in 2014, aims to lift knowledge in Australia of the Indo-Pacific by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.

The NCP Scholarship Program offers around 120 scholarships annually to a diverse cohort of Australian undergraduates studying a variety of disciplines in up to 40 Indo Pacific locations.

Scholars undertake offshore programs including study, language training and an internship and/or mentorship for up to 19 months. The NCP Scholarship Program has an active alumni community, supporting past Scholars to share their experiences, promote the NCP and continue to develop knowledge of and professional links with the Indo Pacific.

The Strategic Objective of the NCP is to strengthen Australia’s regional standing by building a diverse cohort of Australian alumni with deeper Indo-Pacific knowledge, capability and connections.

The intended outcomes of the NCP are:

• increased number and diversity of Australian university undergraduates with Indo-Pacific capability
• deeper people-to-people and institutional relationships between Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and
• students and alumni connected with leaders in government, business and civil society in the Indo-Pacific.

The NCP Mobility Grant will entitle the student to funded study of up to 19 months, including language training, industry internship and/or mentorships in the IndoPacific region.

To be eligible for a Scholarship, and to remain eligible during their Scholarship program, an Applicant must:

1. be nominated for the NCP Scholarship Program by their home university
2. be an Australian citizen
3. not be a current citizen or permanent resident of their proposed host location(s)
4. be enrolled in and undertaking, until completion of all study components of the NCP Scholarship Program, at least one Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree at an Australian campus of an Australian university. (If a Scholar concludes their home degree requirements upon the completion of the mandatory study component of their NCP Scholarship Program, they may apply to DFAT for approval to continue to undertake any remaining component(s) of their NCP Scholarship Program. This will be considered on a case by case basis.)
5. 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 2022
6. have achieved a minimum 70 per cent graded average or equivalent for their undergraduate course at the time of application, as determined by the nominating home university
7. not be a previous recipient of an NCP Scholarship, and
8. not be an employee of the branch of DFAT that administers the NCP.

Scholars must continue to meet these eligibility requirements during the term of their Scholarship.

Unless otherwise approved by DFAT, Scholars may not commence another offshore scholarship or mobility grant while undertaking their Scholarship program.

Only students nominated by their home university can apply for a Scholarship. Students interested in applying for a Scholarship should contact the NCP Liaison Officer for Scholarships or the international office of their home university.

Each Australian university may nominate up to ten students enrolled at that university without ranking them. Each Australian university determines its own process for selecting nominees but should consider the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria.