Outline

New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship - 2027

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship is a signature initiative of the Australian Government designed to deepen Australia's connection with the Indo-Pacific. It offers an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand experience through student exchange, language training and internships across approved Indo-Pacific locations. The scholarship provides funding for up to 19 months, giving students a truly immersive global learning experience.

NCP Scholarship programs can be undertaken in approved Indo-Pacific host locations where UNSW has an Exchange agreement including P.R. China, India, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. It is important you are flexible with your exchange locations, and you are asked to indicate your location preferences in the Expression of Interest form.

Since 2015, over 75 UNSW students have been awarded this incredible scholarship!

UNSW is calling for expressions of interest from students planning to go on Student Exchange to one of the approved destinations in 2027.

Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination you must:

• Be an Australian citizen;
• Not hold citizenship or permanent residency for your proposed host location;
• Be enrolled in an undergraduate degree at UNSW and receive credit for the study (student exchange) component of the NCP Scholarship Program;
• 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 as of 1 January 2027;
• Hold a minimum 70% WAM at the time of application;
• Undertake your exchange in 2027. You need to apply for UNSW Exchange by 29 April 2026 for exchange in Term 1 2027 or 17 September 2026 for exchange in Term 3 2027;
• Receive credit from your student exchange towards your UNSW degree;
• Have remaining units of credit in your UNSW degree program after completing the NCP scholarship program;
• Not have previously received an NCP Scholarship;
• Not be an employee of the DFAT branch that administers NCP.

Before applying, please ensure you:

• Read the NCP Scholarship Program guidelines and Advice to Applicants. As the 2027 guidelines have not yet been released, refer to the 2026 guidelines and advice.
• Review the Applying for Exchange Moodle tutorial and understand the application process and deadlines.

Selection

Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria. Limit responses to 300 words per criterion:

• Alignment with the Australian Government's geographic and sectoral priorities in the Indo-Pacific region
• Focus on Indo-Pacific languages, especially priority languages
• Personal attributes for successful completion of the scholarship
• Future impact of NCP experiences regarding maintaining engagement with the Indo-Pacific

Application

To apply, please submit your Expression of Interest form by Sunday 24 May 2026.

Students selected for nomination will be invited to submit a full application to the New Colombo Plan, who will then shortlist and interview students. Successful scholars will also take part in pre-departure training and an award ceremony, traditionally held in December or January.