Fees and Scholarships

PhD Fees

Fees are set by the University. Australian citizens and permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens, do not presently pay tuition fees for higher research degrees. At present they are also covered by exemptions from the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), although this is under review by the University.

All international students are required to pay a tuition fee. In 2009, the annual tuition fee is A$20,400 - the annual fees usually increase each year. Up-to-date information on fees and charges for international students can be found at: www.anu.edu.au/sas/fees/Fee Schedules/ISF.pdf.

All students will need funds for living costs.

PhD Scholarships

The Department does not have its own scholarship funding. However, the University and the Australian Government provide funding for scholarships to support fees (for international students) and stipend for living costs (for both international and Australian students).

To be eligible for consideration for scholarships offered by the ANU (most of which are funded by the Australian Government), international and Australian applicants require a First Class Honours degree (or graduate qualifications at a level deemed equivalent to an undergraduate First Class Honours degree). The ANU offers scholarships to cover tuition and living costs (stipend) for international students, and to cover living costs for Australian students. For example, international students may apply for an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), which pays tuition fees, and both international and Australian students may apply for an ANU PhD Scholarship, which covers living costs. International students from particular participating countries may apply for the Endeavour Postgraduate Award which provides tuition fees and living costs, and Australian students may apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) which covers living costs.

The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific sometimes has College-specific scholarships available for PhD research. For more information, see http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/scholarships/.

Scholarships are highly competitive and applicants should investigate a range of funding opportunities, including any that might be available from their home country if they are applying from outside Australia. The Endeavour Program, for example, has recently expanded funding opportunities for PhD students.

Closing Dates

The closing dates for scholarship applications are 31 August for international students, and 31 October for Australian and New Zealand students. A very small number of scholarships are sometimes available mid-year. The closing date for these intensely competitive scholarships is 31 May. Please note, however, that some scholarships vary in their application closing dates. Full details of the range of scholarships available can be found at http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/scholarships/

While the University accepts PhD applications for admission at any time of the year, applicants need to be aware that under current Australian Government and University rules, once enrolled, PhD students will not be eligible to apply for many of the PhD scholarships on offer. Applicants should consult the Director of PhD Studies if they are contemplating an application independently of applying for a scholarship.