University of Melbourne Scholarships 2026 can help international students study in Australia with major tuition support and, for research degrees, a living stipend, relocation grant, and health cover. Below is an practical guide covering key scholarships, deadlines, eligibility, benefits, and how to apply.

Basic scholarship information (and deadlines)

“University of Melbourne Scholarships 2026” is an umbrella phrase—Melbourne offers many awards, but two of the most searched options for international students are: the Graduate Research Scholarships (for Master’s by Research/PhD) and the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship (for bachelor degrees).

1) Graduate Research Scholarships (2026 entry)

The University of Melbourne states the Graduate Research Scholarships (including the Melbourne Research Scholarship and the Research Training Program Scholarship) are open for automatic consideration for eligible applicants enrolling in a graduate research degree. If you’re a new student and apply for a graduate research course by that course’s closing date, you’re automatically considered for the scholarship.

Important deadline note: if you are already enrolled in a graduate research course (or you accepted and deferred to be reconsidered), the University states you must submit an online form by 31 October to be considered for a scholarship in the following year.

Duration

• Masters by Research
  • Fee + stipend: up to 2 years
• PhD
  • Stipend: up to 3.5 years
  • Fee offset: up to 4 years
• Number of Awards
  • Approx. 600 scholarships available

University/institution details

The University of Melbourne is a leading public research university in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and it offers scholarships across undergraduate and graduate research study. The University’s scholarship portal provides official scholarship listings, eligibility rules, and application steps for each award.​

For research scholarships, Melbourne emphasizes academic merit and research potential as key selection foundations, which makes your academic record and research profile central to success.

Study areas (available programs)

Both the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship and the Graduate Research Scholarships list broad eligible study areas rather than a short list of specific program names. The University of Melbourne lists the following study areas under these scholarships:

• Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
• Business & Economics
• Education
• Engineering
• Health
• IT & Computer Science
• Law
• Science
• Agriculture, Environment, Architecture, Music & more

University of Melbourne Scholarships benefits (what you get)

Graduate Research Scholarships (major benefits)

The University of Melbourne lists two main benefit types: stipend + fee offset scholarships and fee offset scholarships. Key benefits include:

• 100% tuition fee remission
• Living allowance:
  • AUD $39,500 per year (2026 rate)
  • Paid fortnightly
  • Indexed annually
• Total value: up to $135,000
• Relocation grant:
  • $2,000 (within Australia, outside Victoria)
  • $3,000 (from outside Australia)
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for international students
• Paid leave benefits (sick, parental, family violence leave)

The scholarship page also states a headline “benefit amount” of 100% fee remission and up to $135,000 and lists a quantity of 600 scholarships.

Leave Entitlements

• 20 days paid recreational leave/year
• 10 days paid personal leave/year
• Extra paid leave for:
  • Illness
  • Maternity, parental & partner leave
  • Family violence leave

Benefits not included

Even with generous scholarships, students usually still pay certain costs out-of-pocket:

• The Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship is a partial tuition award (25% fee remission), so it does not cover full tuition.
• The Graduate Research Scholarships include OSHC Single Membership for international students who need a visa, but the page does not state that it covers dependants’ OSHC or every personal medical cost.
• Day-to-day costs like accommodation, food, transport, and personal expenses are not automatically “free”; they’re meant to be supported by the stipend (for stipend holders) or your own funds.
• Visa application charges, flights (beyond any relocation grant), and living setup costs may still apply.

Eligibility criteria for University of Melbourne Scholarships

Graduate Research Scholarships eligibility (research)

The University of Melbourne states you must either:

• Domestic and international students
• New or currently enrolled graduate research students
• Have applied for and meet the requirements for a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne, or
• Be currently enrolled in a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne.
• English Requirements

Key Conditions

• Must start the course in the offer year (or approved deferral)
• Scholarship stops if:
  • You submit your thesis
  • You withdraw from the course
  • You provide false information
• Cannot hold another equivalent government fee scholarship
• Funding must be acknowledged in your thesis and publications

Selection Criteria

• Based on academic merit and research potential
• Consideration includes:
  • Previous academic results
  • Research experience
  • Publications or professional experience (if any)
• All domestic PhD/Masters research students receive an RTP Fee Offset automatically

Required documents (application checklist)

Because many Melbourne scholarships are automatic consideration, your “documents” are essentially your course application documents plus (for research) the standard research admissions materials. Common requirements you should prepare include:

For undergraduate applicants:

• Passport bio page (ID) for international application records.​
• Secondary school transcripts and final results (since selection is based on final results, not predicted).
• Proof you meet entry requirements for an Overseas Fee place (as part of course application).

For graduate research applicants:

• Academic transcripts for your last completed degree (used in merit ranking).
• Research proposal (commonly required for research admissions in many fields) and evidence of research potential such as publications, where relevant.
• Any documents required by the specific graduate research course by its closing date (since automatic scholarship consideration depends on meeting course timelines).

Always check the exact course page for program-specific requirements because course documentation drives scholarship consideration.​

Scholarship application process (step-by-step)

Step-by-step: Graduate Research Scholarships (automatic + special cases)

1. No separate application required
2. Automatic consideration when you apply for a graduate research degree
3. Identify your intended graduate research degree (Masters by Research or PhD) and prepare your admissions materials.
4. Apply for the graduate research course by the course application closing date to be automatically considered for Graduate Research Scholarships.
5. The University states you’ll receive a notification that a scholarship application has been added to your record within ten business days of submitting your course application.
6. If you are currently enrolled or have deferred to be reconsidered, submit the required online form by 31 October to be considered for a scholarship in the following year.
7. Scholarship offers (for those providing stipend + fee offset) are made separately but around the same time course offers are made.

Tips for a successful application

• Apply early for your course: the University encourages international students to submit by course closing dates so they can be considered for a wider range of scholarships.​
• For undergraduate applicants: focus on strong final results, because the University notes selection is not based on predicted results.
• For graduate research applicants: strengthen “research potential” signals—excellent grades, relevant research experience, and where applicable, refereed publications—because the University says these can be considered in ranking.
• Keep documents clean and consistent: mismatched names, unclear scans, or missing pages can delay course assessment and indirectly reduce scholarship chances tied to timelines.​
• If you’re an international research student, factor OSHC and relocation support into planning, but still budget for settling-in costs beyond the relocation grant.

Monthly living expenses in Melbourne (USD)

Scholarship pages focus on tuition/stipend benefits, but your real success depends on budgeting for Melbourne life. A realistic monthly budget for international students in Melbourne often falls in these planning ranges (USD estimates):

• Accommodation (shared): $700–$1,300
• Utilities + internet: $80–$150
• Groceries/food: $300–$550
• Local transport: $120–$180
• Phone + personal expenses: $100–$250

Estimated total: $1,300–$2,400 per month, depending on lifestyle and housing choice. (Use this as a planning range; your costs will vary.)

For graduate research scholarship holders, a stipend is designed to contribute to living costs, but you should still plan for upfront expenses like rental bonds and initial setup.

Why choose University of Melbourne Scholarships 2026? (5+ reasons)

1. Strong tuition support: research scholarships can include full fee offset for up to two years (Masters by Research) or up to four years (PhD).
2. Living support for researchers: the stipend option includes a living allowance and may be indexed annually, which helps with long study periods.
3. International student support built in: OSHC Single Membership is included for international research students who need a student visa.
4. Wide study area coverage: both undergraduate and research scholarships cover many disciplines, from IT and engineering to law, business, arts, and health.
5. Simple process for many applicants: both highlighted scholarships are “open for automatic consideration,” meaning eligible applicants don’t always need a separate scholarship application.
6. Relocation grant for research students: eligible graduate research scholarship holders can receive a relocation grant (amount depends on where you move from).

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1) Are University of Melbourne Scholarships 2026 fully funded?
Some research scholarships can be close to fully funded because they may combine full fee offset with a stipend, relocation grant, and OSHC (single).

2) Do I need a separate scholarship application?
For the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship and Graduate Research Scholarships, the University states eligible applicants are generally considered automatically when they apply for admission (with special cases requiring a form by 31 October).

3) What is the deadline for Graduate Research Scholarships for 2026?
If you are currently enrolled (or deferred for reconsideration), the University states you must submit the online form by 31 October to be considered for the following year. For new applicants, scholarship consideration depends on applying for your graduate research course by the course closing date.

4) What does the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship cover?
The University states it provides 25% fee remission for the duration of the course.

5) Who is eligible for the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship?
The University states eligibility includes citizenship of countries with GDP per capita of US$10,000 or less (per World Bank data), meeting requirements for an Overseas Fee place, completing secondary school outside Australia (or an Australian foundation program), and having no prior tertiary studies (with limited exceptions).

6) What study areas are covered?
The University lists broad eligible study areas including engineering, business and economics, health, law, IT/computer science, science, arts/humanities, education, environment, and more.7) When will I know the outcome?

Application Deadline:

31st October 2026.

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