Australia Scholarship Calculator for Nigerians
See which scholarships you are eligible for, how much they cover, and how much funding gap remains. Covers Australia Awards, RTP, Destination Australia, and top university bursaries. Estimates only.
Australia Awards Africa 2026 priority fields: governance, agri/food security, health, education. STEM and health get priority treatment in many university scholarships too.
International tuition varies widely: Bachelor degrees A$22,000-A$50,000/year; Masters coursework A$28,000-A$55,000/year; Masters/PhD research A$25,000-A$45,000/year. Check your specific university course page. For Australia Awards, tuition is fully covered so this figure helps calculate what you would pay without it.
Destination Australia provides up to A$15,000/year for students studying in regional Australia including Adelaide, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, and other designated areas.
Your scholarship stack appears here
Select your degree, field, and tuition, then tick the eligibility signals that apply to you.
How the Scholarship Calculator Works
This tool cross-references your degree level, field of study, and eligibility profile against the main scholarship programs available to Nigerian students in Australia. It calculates a “best case stack”: the maximum total value if you were awarded the most generous scholarship for your profile, plus any stackable bursaries. It also shows what funding gap remains after the best-case scholarship.
Scholarship_Value = Best_Eligible(Tuition_covered + Stipend + Establishment)
Funding_Gap = Total_Study_Cost – Scholarship_Value
Gap_% = Funding_Gap / Total_Study_Cost × 100
The Four Main Scholarship Programs for Nigerians in Australia
1. Australia Awards Scholarship (Fully Funded)
The gold standard for Nigerian students. Administered by DFAT (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), it covers full tuition, return economy class airfare Lagos to Australia, an establishment allowance of A$5,000, and a Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) of approximately A$34,500 per year paid fortnightly. OSHC health cover is included. Pre-course English training is provided if needed.
The catch: it is very competitive, requires a commitment to return to Nigeria after studies, is primarily for Masters degrees (Nigeria intake), and has priority fields aligned with Nigeria’s development needs: governance, health, education, agriculture, and environment. Business, IT, and engineering are less commonly funded through Australia Awards Africa compared to other fields. The 2026-2027 intake deadline is 30 April 2026.
2. Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP)
Available for Masters by research and PhD students. Full tuition fee offset plus an annual living stipend. Stipend rates vary by university: University of Sydney A$41,753/year (2025), University of Melbourne A$38,500, Monash A$36,063, UNSW A$39,206. Students apply through the university, not a separate government portal. No return obligation to Nigeria.
RTP is available at over 40 Australian universities and is one of the most accessible fully funded scholarships for Nigerian research students. You must have a strong academic record and, for PhD, a credible research proposal. Competition is high for STEM and health research fields.
3. Destination Australia Scholarship
A$15,000 per year for students studying in designated regional Australia areas, including Adelaide (South Australia), Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast (Queensland), Newcastle and Wollongong (NSW), Perth (Western Australia), and others. Available for undergraduate and postgraduate, domestic and international. Does not cover full tuition but can be combined with university merit scholarships to meaningfully reduce costs.
4. University Merit Scholarships and Bursaries
Most Australian Group of Eight (Go8) universities offer merit-based partial scholarships for international students. Typical values: Monash International Merit A$10,000/year, Macquarie Vice-Chancellor’s International A$10,000, Griffith Remarkable Scholarship 50% tuition waiver, Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence 100% tuition (for highest achievers), UNSW partial waivers for top international applicants. These are competitive but do not require the same return obligation as Australia Awards.
Table of Truth: Scholarship Values for Common Nigerian Student Profiles
| Profile | Best scholarship | Annual value | Total (2yr) | Return obligation? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters (governance), strong work exp, returning | Australia Awards (fully funded) | A$68,000-75,000 | A$136,000-150,000 | Yes (return to Nigeria) |
| PhD (health research), strong proposal | RTP (University of Sydney) | A$41,753 stipend + tuition | A$230,000+ over 3.5yr | No |
| Masters (IT, coursework), exceptional grades | Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s (100% tuition) | A$32,000 (tuition only) | A$64,000 over 2yr | No |
| Bachelor (engineering), good grades, regional | Destination Australia + partial merit | A$15,000 + A$10,000 | A$100,000 over 4yr | No |
| Masters by research (agriculture) | RTP (ANU or QU) + Australia Awards | Full tuition + A$34,500 | A$90,000+ over 2yr | Depends on award accepted |
Values are estimates based on 2025-26 published scholarship amounts. Australia Awards CLE is approximately A$34,500/year (2025). Actual tuition amounts vary by university and course.
Can Nigerians Stack Multiple Scholarships?
In general, you cannot receive two government-funded scholarships simultaneously (for example, you cannot hold both an Australia Awards scholarship and an RTP scholarship at the same time). However, you can combine a government scholarship with some university-level bursaries and support grants. The Destination Australia scholarship can often be combined with university merit awards if the individual university allows stacking. Always check the specific conditions for each scholarship regarding concurrent awards.
The Australia Awards Return Obligation
Australia Awards awardees must return to Nigeria and remain there for a period equal to twice the length of the award after completing their studies. For a 2-year Masters degree, this means 4 years back in Nigeria before being eligible for Australian PR or citizenship pathways. This is written into the scholarship contract and enforced. If your goal is to stay in Australia permanently, the Australia Awards is not the right scholarship: the RTP research pathway or self-funded study with a 485 post-study work visa and subsequent skilled migration is a more realistic route.
Realistic Scenarios for Nigerian Students
Scenario 1: Public health professional applying for Australia Awards Masters
Adaeze works at a Lagos hospital and wants a Masters in Public Health. She has 4 years of experience, meets the IELTS 6.5 requirement, and plans to return to Nigeria after studies. She applies for Australia Awards Africa through the OASIS portal before 30 April 2026 for 2027 intake. If successful, she receives full tuition (approximately A$36,000-42,000/year depending on university), A$34,500 CLE stipend, A$5,000 establishment allowance, return airfare, and OSHC. Total value for a 2-year program: approximately A$148,000-166,000. The return obligation means she cannot transition to skilled PR immediately after graduation.
Scenario 2: PhD researcher in sustainable agriculture
Emeka has a first class BSc and MSc in Agricultural Science and wants a PhD at the University of Queensland, which hosts one of Australia’s largest Australia Awards cohorts. He applies for RTP (no separate application needed at UQ: apply for PhD admission and scholarship simultaneously). If awarded RTP, he receives full tuition fee offset and the UQ stipend (approximately A$34,500-36,000/year, indexed). Over a 3.5-year PhD, total value exceeds A$200,000. No return obligation. He can apply for a 485 post-study visa and pursue PR after completing his doctorate.
Scenario 3: IT student aiming for regional city merit stacking
Chinelo wants a Masters in IT at Deakin University (Melbourne, which does not qualify as regional) but a friend suggests considering a similar program at the University of Newcastle (regional). At Newcastle, she applies for Destination Australia (A$15,000/year) and the Newcastle International Academic Excellence Scholarship (25-50% tuition). For a A$38,000/year program over 2 years, her gross cost would be A$76,000. With stacked funding of A$15,000 + A$19,000 (50% waiver) = A$34,000/year = A$68,000 over 2 years, her out-of-pocket expense is approximately A$8,000 over 2 years, before living costs.
