Program Overview

New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program

The Australian government's prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program offers a life-changing scholarship opportunity in the Indo-Pacific region.

NCP Scholarship Program Details

• The New Colombo Plan Scholarship will be up to A$107,000, covering a living stipend, travel and relocation costs, and language and tuition fees.
• The Scholarship may be granted for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 19 months of study, work, and language training in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Students can study and work in 40 countries and territories in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Only 120 students will be selected from across Australia for the upcoming round awards.
• UTS must select you as a nominee for the Scholarship.

Key Selection Criteria

To be selected, you must:

• be an Australian citizen (dual citizens may not study in the country of their other citizenship);
• be between 18 and 30 years of age (inclusive) for non-Indigenous applicants, or between 18 and 35 years of age (inclusive) for Indigenous applicants on 1 January of that NCP Scholarship year;
• be able to study for at least one session in one of the listed 40 Indo-Pacific countries, for academic credit toward your UTS degree;
• demonstrate high academic achievement;
• demonstrate leadership and community engagement skills;
• demonstrate adaptability and resilience skills;
• understand and show commitment to the international goals of the New Colombo Plan.
  • Special consideration may be given to applicants from diverse groups including:
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
    • students from low socio-economic status backgrounds
    • students from regional/remote areas
    • students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds
    • students with a disability
    • students in non–traditional fields taking overseas study

Current and Past NCP Scholars

Since the start of the New Colombo Plan Program, twenty-three UTS students have been awarded a prestigious NCP Scholarship. Our scholars have come from a great variety of faculties (Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Engineering, IT, Law) and together they've studied and worked in many countries in the Indo Pacific, including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Nepal, etc.

UTS NCP Scholars

• 2025: Five exceptional UTS students have been selected for the prestigious New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship program!
• 2024: Prestigious scholarship transforms students into global leaders
• 2023: UTS's brightest students empowered to make global impact
• 2022: UTS students retake the global stage in the Indo-Pacific
• 2020: fLTR Richard Tong (Engineering, going to Singapore), Connor Boughton (Engineering, Malaysia), far right Millie Leggett (Engineering, Japan)
• 2019: UTS's brightest ready to learn from the Indo Pacific
• 2018: A "rite of passage" for Australia's future leaders, Building safer houses in post-disaster Nepal
• 2017: Four UTS undergraduates make their mark in the Indo-Pacific
• 2016: Watch how Thomas Da Jose (Engineering) experienced his NCP adventures in Thailand

Application Details

Applications generally open at UTS in April and close by late June each year. UTS will shortlist and conduct interviews for eligible candidates in the second week of July each year.