There are several ways of obtaining financial help or scholarships while studying abroad on the ACICIS program.
The first place to start looking is the Federal Government’s Study Overseas website.
New Colombo Plan Funding for ACICIS Programs
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is a signature initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.
The New Colombo Plan includes a prestigious Scholarships Program for study of up to one academic year and internships or mentorships of up to six months. The NCP Mobility Program provides grants to universities for both short- and longer- term study, internships, mentorships, practicums and research.
New Colombo Plan Mobility Program:
ACICIS has New Colombo Plan Mobility Program funding available for eligible students from ACICIS member universities. See here for details of which ACICIS programs have New Colombo Plan Mobility Program funding available.
New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program:
ACICIS also supports students undertaking the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program. A number of New Colombo Plan Scholars, including the inaugural Yudhoyono Fellow to Indonesia, have undertaken ACICIS programs as part of their Scholarship. Please contact the ACICIS Secretariat for more information.
OS-HELP
Students studying in Australia on a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) may be eligible for an OS-HELP Loan. To qualify for OS-HELP you must meet certain criteria and then be selected by your home university. In 2019 the maximum OS-HELP Loan is $8,149. Students can take out the full amount, or part thereof, twice during their studies with a six-month gap in between study periods. The Loan can be used to for expenses such as airfares, accommodation, and other travel or study expenses. Students must be enrolled full-time for the study period to be eligible.
Endeavour Scholarships
Only Australian higher education providers are eligible to apply for funding for international student exchange programs under the Endeavour Scholarships program. Students (Australian and international) wishing to apply for student subsidies available under these international student exchange programmes should contact the International Office of their institution.
The Endeavour Asia Post Graduate Program for study in Asian countries, including Indonesia, is a suitable option for postgraduate students considering undertaking study on an ACICIS program. Eligible student exchanges include provisions for tuition fee waiver and credit transfers. Short-term grants of $2000 per student, semester grants of $5000 per student and language support grants of $1000 per student are available. Semester study must be for academic credit and short term study must be for academic credit or otherwise be a mandatory component of the students course.
There is another program called the Endeavour Cheung Kong Student Exchange Program for Australian undergraduates to study in Asian countries, including Indonesia. Grants of $5000 per student are available. Study must be for academic credit and equivalent to at least one full study period as recognised by the Australian higher education provider, up to a maximum of 12 months in duration. This program requires a partnership agreement to support tuition fee waiver and credit transfer.
Applications for the 2016 round of Endeavour Grants are closed. Applications for the 2017 round of Endeavour Grants are expected to open in April 2016. Please visit the Endeavour Scholarships Program Page for more information.
The Hamer Scholarships Program
“The Victorian Government Hamer Scholarships Program is a language and cultural immersion program designed to build the Asia-engagement capabilities of Victorians and to help strengthen cultural awareness and partnerships between Victoria and Asia. The program provides scholarships for Victorians to undertake intensive language study at nominated universities or institutions in China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea.”
The Scholarship amount for Indonesia was $10,000 in 2019. Applicants must be aged 21 or over and residents of Victoria. See here for application dates, further information about the scholarships and how to apply.
AIIA WA Bursary for Studies in Asia
The Australian Institute for International Affiars (AIIA) is offers two AUD$2,000 Bursaries for Australian Students at Western Australian universities to undertake educational activities in Asia. Students from all study disciplines – undergraduate or postgraduate – are welcome to apply. For more information see here.
The Walter Mangold Trust
The Walter Mangold Trust Study Abroad Scholarships are available to full-time Indonesian language students studying at an institution in Victoria (who will achieve second-year undergraduate standard or higher before departure) and who intend to study abroad in Indonesia. The grants are worth between $5,000 and $20,000.
Centrelink
Any student who is enrolled full time at an Australian university, and gets an allowance from Centrelink such as Youth Allowance or Austudy, can continue to get this allowance while studying overseas with ACICIS full time in Indonesia. Students who are on other Centrelink allowances may have restrictions placed on their ability to continue to get that allowance. For example, students on a disability pension who are overseas need to return to Australia every 3 months or their pension will be cancelled.
Students can request a ‘Mobility Confirmation Letter’ from their home university which is to be uploaded to their MyGov account. Students are encouraged to confirm the mobility with Centrelink to avoid payments being accidentally cut-off.
Postgraduate Scholarship Database for Australia
The Joint academic scholarship on-line network (JASON for short), is a program developed jointly by a number of universities. It aims to assist students wishing to pursue postgraduate studies (either within Australia or internationally) gain access to current information regarding funding opportunities through various scholarship programs run through universities, charitable foundations, government and private institutions.
Your Home University
Australian universities have a variety of grants and scholarships available to help their students to study overseas. Students should check with their faculty and their International Office for details. For example:
| Monash University | Most students who are accepted on an short term International Study Program receive a Monash Abroad travel scholarship. |
| University of Melbourne | A Melbourne Global Scholarship for exchange students provides a one-off payment of $2,500. |
| Murdoch University | The Professor S T Leong Memorial Scholarship is also available for Murdoch students who intend to study abroad in South East Asia, China or Japan. |
| University of New South Wales | UNSW have many scholarships available. |
| University of Sydney | University of Sydney has a variety of student scholarships available. |
| University of Queensland | They have Student Exchange Scholarships and Faculty travel scholarships. |
| Curtin University | Curtin have Education Abroad Travel Grants. |
| University of Western Australia | UWA have a range of bursaries and scholarships and a student loan scheme. |
Scholarships for American citizens
Fulbright Scholarships
Fulbright has added Indonesian to the list of eligible languages for Critical Language Enhancement Award funding. Students interested in proposing study or research in Indonesia, including music, dance and theatre, have an excellent chance of receiving extra funding.
Boren Scholarships
In recent years some American students have studied with ACICIS and have been awarded Boren Scholarships.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
This is a study abroad scholarship for US undergraduate students currently receiving a Federal Pell Grant to fund their study. The Gilman Scholarship Program seeks to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Specifically, the Gilman Program offers scholarships for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in education abroad.
USINDO Travel Grant
All U.S. citizens are welcome to apply. Student applicants must be enrolled in a degree program. USINDO Travel Grants are open to any person seeking to travel to Indonesia to conduct field research or other professional projects, including conferences.