New Colombo Plan Scholarship

The Australian government’s prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program (NCP) (opens an external site) offers a life-changing scholarship opportunity in the Indo-Pacific region. Are you a high-calibre UTS undergraduate student, Australian citizen and ready to undertake a session or two of study + internship?

Are you interested, but do you still have a lot of questions about the program? The Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs has asked previous NCP scholars to answer all your questions.

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 selected from across Australia for the upcoming round awards.
UTS must select you as a nominee for the Scholarship. See the selection criteria details below.

View the full details of the scholarship.

Key selection criteria

UTS will shortlist, select and nominate up to 10 of the most suitable student applicants to the New Colombo Plan Secretariat by mid-July each year.

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 and students in non–traditional fields taking overseas study.

How to apply

Applications for the 2026 round are now open!

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.

Start your application to become a New Colombo Plan Scholar.

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, and you could be next!

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.

Read and watch how they have experienced, or are still experiencing, their NCP Scholarship adventures in the Indo Pacific.

UTS NCP Scholars 2025

Five exceptional UTS students have been selected for the prestigious New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship program!

UTS NCP Scholars 2024

Prestigious scholarship transforms students into global leaders

Six students - four male, two female - stand against a rich blue backdrop. They are wearing black suits and dresses, smiling. From left to right: Madeleine McWlliam; Cooper Crellin; Callum Burke; Matthew Dutaillis; Samantha Morris; and Sai Muthukumar.