Information about how to finance your global experience through scholarships, grants, OS-HELP loans, continuing Centrelink payments and costs and budgeting while you’re overseas.
Can I get financial assistance?
RMIT has a range of funding options for students, including grants and scholarships worth up to $10,000.
You may qualify for one funding opportunity per global experience, and will be considered for all possible options. Please be aware that due to quotas and eligibility, we cannot guarantee that you will be eligible for financial assistance.
See below for details of funding options available and how to apply (if an application is required).
Budgeting for your global experience
Planning your finances is an important part of preparing for your global experience. You'll need to pay for all living expenses, such as accommodation, travel and food.
Living costs vary according to your destination and length of your global experience, so it’s important to prepare a budget. Be sure to check costs and inclusions for the program you're applying for in order to plan your budget.
Grants and scholarships
Global Experience grants currently unavailable
30 March 2023. Global Experience grants are currently unavailable due to limited funding. If funding becomes available, students will be contacted directly.
Amount
Between $500 - $1,000 per student.
Eligibility
Eligibility is generally defined as students who are not eligible for any other form of Global Experience funding.
How to apply
There is no application form for Global Experience grants. If there is funding available and you are eligible you will be contacted by Global Experiences with an offer.
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is an initiative of the Australian government which aims to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian students to participate in semester-based or short-term study, internships, mentorships, practicums and research in 40 host locations across the Indo-Pacific region.
NCP Mobility grants (different to NCP Scholarships – see below) are the most common form of NCP funding and support both short-term and semester-based global experiences. Mobility grants are available for specific projects selected by the Australian Government, so check the program description on Mobi to find out if there is NCP funding available for the project you are interested in.
Amount
- Short term study (less than 10 weeks) – average $3,000 per student
- Semester study (10 weeks or more) – up to $7,000 per student
- Online programs – varied amounts. Refer to Mobi for details of programs and grants available
Eligibility
If there are NCP grants available for a project, students must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor or bachelor with honours degree program
- Hold Australian citizenship
- Will receive academic credit for the program
- Have not reached the maximum NCP grant allocation (students are allowed to receive a maximum of two (2) NCP grants during their degree).
How to apply
There is no application required for NCP mobility grants. If there is funding available for the mobility project you are participating in, and you are eligible, you will be contacted by Global Experiences with an offer by email. Before you accept a grant or scholarship, view the RMIT Funding Terms and Conditions (see below).
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is an initiative of the Australian government which aims to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian students to participate in semester-based or short-term study, internships, mentorships, practicums and research in 40 host locations across the Indo-Pacific region.
The New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program offers up to 120 highly competitive scholarships to Australian students each year and supports study and internship experiences in Indo-Pacific locations.
Amount
Up to $10,000, plus additional allowances.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the NCP scholarship program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be nominated by RMIT University
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor or bachelor with honours program
- Be an Australian citizen
- Plan to undertake a semester exchange or internship in the Indo-Pacific region
- Have achieved a minimum 70% graded average at the time of application
How to apply
Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be invited by RMIT to apply for an NCP scholarship (usually towards the end of semester one each year). Before you accept a grant or scholarship, view the RMIT Funding Terms and Conditions (see below).
The Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarship offers Australian students an international experience to help develop their cross-cultural thinking and leadership skills, as well as access to networking opportunities with Australia-Asia thought leaders. The scholarship is designed to forge meaningful relationships between the next generation of Australian and Asian leaders.
Amount and number of scholarships available
Each scholarship is valued at $12,250. Approximately 35 scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduates from 14 partner universities to undertake a university-approved exchange program in Asia for one to two semesters. Current exchange locations include mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (pending no travel restrictions).
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Have a minimum of a credit average
- Be an undergraduate student (including Honours students) enrolled in the second year or beyond when commencing the exchange
- Be applying for the RMIT Exchange Program via RMIT Global Experiences and be completing at least your second year when commencing the exchange
- Not be receiving any other RMIT scholarship or financial support apart from an OS-HELP loan
- Be eligible for up to two semesters at an RMIT exchange partner institution in one of the above-mentioned countries
How to apply
Applications for the 2024 Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarships will open towards the end of 2023. Eligible students who have applied for an exchange program for 2024 will be invited to apply.
Equity Travel Grants are financial assistance for Australian students on a global experience who can demonstrate financial and educational disadvantage.
Amount
The grant provides up to $4,000, depending on your program and destination.
RMIT is fortunate to maintain relationships with a range of generous philanthropic donors who are committed to supporting RMIT students to participate global experiences. Please see below for philanthropic funding available.
Note: Australian citizenship is a requirement to be eligible for most philanthropic funding.
Storey Scholarship
Amount and eligibility
The Storey Scholarship pays AUD $10,000 as a one-off payment to 3 students per semester.
Selection criteria
Scholarships will be awarded based on:
- community service activities
- extra-curricular interests
- successful placement as an RMIT exchange student
- amount of time applicant has spent abroad
How to apply
For more information and to apply for a Storey Scholarship, please refer to the instructions and application form on Mobi.
Ma Kam Ming Grants
Amount and eligibility: Up to $15,000 each year. Available to support students participating in global experience programs in China.
How to apply: No application required. This funding will be allocated to relevant projects. Check Mobi to see if there is funding allocated to the project you are participating in and any specific eligibility requirements.
Carolyn and Hans Varney Travel Scholarship for Interior Design Excellence
Amount and eligibility: $7,000 each year to support one student studying interior design.
How to apply: Selection is based on academic performance and equity. Eligible students will be contacted directly to apply.
Andreas Florez Scholarships
Amount and eligibility: $5,000 each year to support one student participating in overseas exchange and undertaking studies in music, film or similar fields. Students from both undergraduate and vocational education courses are eligible.
How to apply: Selection is based on academic performance. Eligible students will be contacted directly to apply.
RMIT BSA Foundation Scholarships
Amount and eligibility: Up to $9,000 each year available to support students participating in global experience projects related to social impact.
How to apply: No application required. This funding will be allocated to relevant projects. Check Mobi to see if there is funding allocated to the project you are participating in and any specific eligibility requirements.
The Milan Program – Annemarie and Arturo Gandioli-Fumagalli Foundation
Amount and eligibility: $7,000 each year to support one undergraduate or postgraduate industrial design student participating in semester exchange to Milan, Italy.
How to apply: Selection is based on academic performance. Eligible students will be contacted directly to apply.
Damian Rasmussen Scholarship
Amount and eligibility: $1,400 each year to support one undergraduate or postgraduate landscape architecture student participating in a global experience.
How to apply: Selection is based on academic performance and equity. Eligible students will be contacted directly to apply.
Before you accept a grant or scholarship, view the RMIT Funding Terms and Conditions (see below).
RMIT sometimes has funding available through Destination Australia and the Cheung Kong Group to support outbound students participating in exchange programs in Asia, and inbound students studying at RMIT in Melbourne from Asia. The amount of funding available changes each year.
Eligibility: To be considered for funding through Destination Australia – Cheung Kong, you must:
- Not be receiving any other grant or scholarship through RMIT Global Experiences
- Be participating in an exchange program to/from an eligible location in Asia
How to apply: Eligible students will be invited to apply. Eligibility changes each round and is dependent on priority locations of Cheung Kong Group.
Speak to your RMIT Program Coordinator to find out about any funding that may be available specific to your academic area.
There are also funding opportunities available through external providers, including but not limited to:
- Nicolas Baudin Grants (France)
- Walter Mangold Language Scholarships
- Mitacs Globalink Funding (Canada)
- Rotary Scholarships
Above are the external grant oppotunities. RMIT does not administer this funding. Please apply directly to the relevant grants.
The Erasmus+ Programme is a European funding programme established in 1987, designed to support university students studying abroad in Europe.
Amount and eligibility: Dependent on individual partner institutions and subject to change annually; can include monthly stipends and/or travel payments. Only applicable to students allocated to a European partner institution with Erasmus+ availability for RMIT in the relevant academic year.
How to apply: Eligible students will be contacted directly to apply. Selection is based on host institution allocation, Erasmus+ funding availability, and academic performance.
Loans and Government support
Overseas Student HELP loans (OS-HELP) are provided by the Commonwealth government to eligible HECS-HELP students undertaking various international experiences for credit. This loan is added to your HECS-HELP debt.
Value and duration
In 2023, the maximum you can borrow for a six-month study period is:
- $7,348 (if you do not study in Asia); or
- $8,817 if you study in Asia;
- Plus an extra $1,172 if you do Asian language study in preparation for study in Asia.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this loan, you must:
- Have been selected by your education provider to receive an OS‑HELP loan
- Be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen
- a permanent humanitarian visa holder; or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder
- a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the residency requirements and who will be resident in Australia at the time of applying
- Have not received an OS-HELP loan on more than one other occasion
- Be enrolled with an Australian education provider in a Commonwealth supported place
- Have completed one EFTSL of study (usually one year of full-time study)
- Be studying full-time overseas and this study will count towards the course requirements for the Australian course you are enrolled in
- Have at least 0.125 EFTSL of your course left to complete once you have finished your overseas study – usually one unit of study
- Have a valid tax file number (TFN) at the time of applying
- Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI)
- Have submitted an OS-HELP debt confirmation form to your education provider
- have read the OS-HELP Statement of Terms and Conditions booklet
- Receive approval from RMIT Global Experiences for your overseas mobility activity
- Not apply after the completion of your overseas mobility activity
Full-time load whilst overseas
To meet this eligibility criteria a full-time load is calculated by a formula that takes account of both the credit points and the length of time of the overseas study. Travel dates to and from the study program are not included in the calculation. In general, the following are regarded as full-time study loads for OS-HELP:
- 72 credit points over two semesters (26 weeks) of overseas study
- 36 credit points over a semester (13 weeks) of overseas study
- 24 credit points taken over no more than 8 weeks of overseas study
- 12 credit points taken over no more than 4 weeks of overseas study
- 6 credit points taken over no more than 2 weeks of overseas study
Asian language supplement loan
A supplementary OS-HELP loan is available to assist with the cost of language study undertaken in preparation for overseas mobility activity in Asia (in addition to the overseas program). This study must be additional and relevant to the mobility program, not part of a student’s current RMIT award and taken at an appropriate level. The study can be taken at any institution, domestic or abroad and must be taken prior to starting the mobility program/activity. (Note: a supplementary loan amount is considered as part of an OS-HELP loan for overseas study and does not count towards the lifetime maximum of two OS-HELP loans).
Evidence such as receipts, enrolment records, or results must be supplied when you receive your offer.
How to apply
To apply, complete the OS-HELP Application Form through Mobi.
Note: you must be accepted in Mobi for your overseas mobility activity before payment is made. All information, including frequently asked questions, is provided through the link above.
Application deadline
You can apply any time. It is highly recommended that students apply for OS-HELP at least 4 weeks before the overseas mobility activity start date. Note that payment can be made a maximum of 6 months prior to your program start date.
Students cannot apply for an OS-HELP loan after they have finished their overseas mobility activity. However, an application is still possible whilst you are undertaking your overseas mobility activity, and loan approval will be dependent on current processing times.
You must complete all required steps outlined in your offer email to receive your loan prior to the completion of your mobility activity. If you have not completed all three steps once your activity is complete, your application will be automatically declined.
Terms and conditions
Your OS-HELP loan is added to your HELP debt. See Study Assist: OS-HELP loans and overseas study.
If you are currently receiving Youth Allowance or Austudy you may be able to continue to receive payments while studying overseas. If you undertake a short-term or semester-based program and are studying the equivalent of a full-time load while overseas, you should make an appointment with Centrelink to discuss your plans.
The Global Experience team will be able to support your discussion with Centrelink by providing you with a Mobility Confirmation letter. Please contact your Global Experience Advisor for more information.
Find out more about continuing your Centrelink support while overseas:
