University of Sydney Scholarships for International Students 2026

The University of Sydney does not provide in-house scholarships that cover the entire duration of your stay. However, you can consider the Australia Awards Scholarship, which is a government-funded program offering full scholarships to international students at the university. To apply, visit the official scholarship page to check the eligibility criteria, deadlines, and requirements. It is important to note that applying for external scholarships like this may involve a different admission process.

The acceptance rate at the University of Sydney is estimated to be 30%, making admission highly competitive for international students. The university receives thousands of applications each year, but the number of available seats is limited, especially for in-demand courses. Most of the time, Bachelor of Arts degrees have higher application slots than Bachelor of Science degrees.

Yes, there are scholarships connected to online study, but eligibility can be very specific.

Scholarships at the University of Sydney span a wide range of subjects, STEM, engineering, business, health, and humanities, depending on the scholarship. Real examples from Global Scholarships recipients include: Ella Suita (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), Minh-Hieu Vu (Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing & Management), Francis Danny Gomas (Master’s in Cybersecurity), Dany Koem (Master of Pharmacy), and Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko (PhD in Anthropology—humanities/social sciences).

Many University of Sydney scholarships are open to international applicants from a wide range of countries, while others target specific “priority markets” or partner-country programs (like government-funded awards). Global Scholarships recipient stories show how broad it can be in practice: Minh-Hieu Vu (Vietnam), Ella Suita (Indonesia), Francis Danny Gomas (Fiji), Dany Koem (Cambodia), and Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko (Indonesia). Also, some flagship awards are explicitly global. Minh-Hieu received a scholarship that’s promoted as being awarded internationally, and he emphasized planning early because requirements are demanding.

Often, yes, unless you meet an approved exemption through prior study in English. The University’s standard English requirement is IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 (some courses/faculties require higher). In recipient stories, English testing was a big part of “making it real”: Minh-Hieu Vu shared that for his scholarship, “You have to get an unconditional offer,” which he said came from having “your IELTS/TOEFL test score and all GPA grades.” Dany Koem met his requirements with IELTS 7.5, and Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko noted, “the overall score needed is 7.0 with no band below 6.5” for his PhD pathway.

There isn’t one single “minimum grade” for every applicant. Requirements vary by course level (undergraduate vs postgraduate) and by program (and scholarships are usually even more competitive). That said, recipient stories show the kind of academic strength that often wins awards: Minh-Hieu Vu wrote, “I acquired a notable 9.9/10 GPA,” and Ella Suita reported A-Level results of “3 A* 1 A.” At the postgraduate/research end, Dany Koem entered with a Bachelor’s GPA of 3.88/4.0, while Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko emphasized that for PhD selection, “having a strong and complete document submitted to the committee is important.”

Many University of Sydney scholarships don’t have a universal age cap; they focus more on academic merit, eligibility status (domestic/international), and the degree you’re applying for.

A strong scholarship profile usually combines (1) solid academics, (2) evidence you can handle English instruction, and (3) a clear, credible reason your degree matters. Minh-Hieu Vu described Sydney as requiring “a high proficiency level in both academic aptitude and fluency in English,” and he backed it up with an IELTS 8.0 and top grades. Ella Suita felt her edge was “my experience in organisations, holding both leadership and non-leadership roles.”

If you’re applying for research scholarships (PhD/MPhil), eligibility often revolves around research readiness. Kevin emphasized research proposal writing, supervisor fit, and submitting a strong document package rather than a “separate scholarship test.”

Exact documents depend on your degree and scholarship, but common requirements include academic transcripts/results, proof of English proficiency (or exemption evidence), identity documents (passport), and scholarship-specific statements (personal statement/essay/SOP) plus references. A very practical example comes from Minh-Hieu Vu, who said an unconditional offer was obtained by having “your IELTS/TOEFL test score and all GPA grades,” and he added that the scholarship statement of purpose “consists of 2 questions that are 1300 words long in total.” Le Khanh Nam also pointed out that admissions can involve essays: “There are also 2 essays you need to do.” For research degrees, Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko listed key PhD documents such as “curriculum vitae, academic transcripts and graduation certificates,” plus (where applicable) a writing sample, publications list, and supervisor approval letter.

Yes for many international applicants: the University of Sydney charges a non-refundable application processing fee of A$150 for international student applications (covering applications within one year)