Funding for overseas programs
Planning your finances is a crucial part of any overseas study program. With our range of funding options available, your overseas study experience could be closer than you think.
Opportunities to help you get there
Whether you’re set on immersing yourself in a new culture with an exchange, exploring global industry on a study tour or interning with one of our international partners, we offer scholarships and funding opportunities that could help you make it happen.
For Overseas Exchange programs at one of our partner universities, you won’t need to pay international tuition fees (as you will continue to pay your tuition fees to Swinburne). Overseas Study Tours and Overseas Internship programs will have a program fee you need to pay.
However, for all programs, you’ll need to consider additional program fees, airfares, insurance, accommodation, living expenses and visa costs. Plus, living and travel costs will vary considerably depending on your program length, destination, lifestyle and the current exchange rate in your host destination’s currency.
Read on to find out if you’re eligible for one of our grants, loans or scholarship options to help you cover the costs.
Loans, grants and other funding
OS-HELP is a loan available for credit-bearing international experiences, including exchange, study tours and overseas internships and is the most applied for form of funding.
This government scheme provides loans for Australian students of up to $8,245 (for study outside of Asia), or $9,893 (if you study in Asia), depending on your destination and study program. You may also apply for an extra $1,314 if you do Asian language study in preparation for study in Asia. These amounts are current for 2025.
This loan is added to your HECS debt, which you do not have to repay until your income reaches the minimum repayment threshold. To be eligible for the OS-HELP Loan, you must meet the minimum eligibility criteria below:
- have been selected by your provider to receive an OS-HELP Loan;
- be an Australian citizen or a permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the residency requirements
- have not received an OS-HELP Loan on more than one other occasion
- be enrolled with an Australian provider in a Commonwealth supported place and have completed one equivalent full-time student loan (EFTSL) — usually one year of full-time study
- be studying full-time overseas and this study will count towards the course requirements for the Australian course you are enrolled in
- have at least 0.125 EFTSL of your course left to complete once you have finished your overseas study — usually one unit of study
- have a valid tax file number (TFN) at the time of applying
- have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date (for new enrolments from 1 January 2021)
- have submitted an OS-HELP debt confirmation form to your provider; and have read the OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions.
For more information on OS-HELP visit the Study Assist website.
How to apply
OS-HELP Loans are applied for and paid only after you have been accepted into your overseas program. If you’re eligible, you will be given more information from the Swinburne Abroad team on how to apply as your application progresses.
Note: This is a loan and will need to be paid back through your HECS-debt. Therefore, students can still receive a scholarship or grant in addition to this loan.
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New Colombo Plan (NCP) funding
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) initiative, including the NCP Mobility Grants and the prestigious NCP Scholarship, could help you get overseas sooner than you think.
Overseas & virtual internships
Swinburne Abroad Travel Grants are offered to students undertaking an overseas experience, providing valuable financial support towards your travel and living expenses.
Eligibility to apply
- Domestic and international students
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students
There are several grants available for students participating in Summer 2025/2026 Overseas Internship programs.
| Internship programs | Grant amounts |
|---|---|
| Internships in Berlin | AU$2,000 |
| Internships in New York City | |
| Internships in Colombia | |
| Internships in Tokyo | |
| Internships in Barcelona and Madrid | |
| Internships in Seoul | |
| Internships in Ho Chi Minh City | |
| Internships in Kuala Lumpur | |
| Internships in Shanghai |
How to apply
Students will be prompted to apply for a Swinburne Abroad Travel Grant as part of their online application for the Overseas Internship program.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Several travel grants are available for the respective internship programs above and will be assessed on a rolling basis.
Overseas exchange
Swinburne Abroad Travel Grants are offered to students undertaking an overseas experience, providing valuable financial support towards your travel and living expenses.
Eligibility
- Domestic and international students
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students
- Must be accepted into the Swinburne Abroad Overseas Exchange Program
Note: Eligible students can be assessed for multiple forms of funding, but can only receive one of the following forms of funding: Swinburne Abroad Travel Grant, NCP funding or Cheung Kong funding.
How to apply
Students will be prompted to apply for the Swinburne Abroad Travel Grant as part of their online application for the Overseas Exchange program.
Note: Winter 2025 travel grants will be assessed on a rolling basis.
Grants available
There are many Swinburne Abroad grants available for students participating in an overseas exchange program in Winter 2025 and Semester 2, 2025 for select partner universities, as stated below.
Winter 2025
| Eligible partner institutions | Destination | Grant amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Excelia | France | AU$2,000 |
| Copenhagen Business School | Denmark | |
| Tecnologico de Monterrey | Mexico | |
| ESSCA School of Management | Various countries in Europe | |
| School of Management Fribourg | Switzerland |
Semester 1, 2026
| Eligible partner institution | Destination | Grant amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | AU$5,000 | |
| Canada | AU$3,000 | |
| China | ||
| Colombia | ||
| Denmark | ||
| Germany | ||
| Hong Kong | ||
| Japan | ||
| South Korea | ||
| Singapore | ||
|
Sweden | |
| Switzerland | ||
| UK | ||
| USA | ||
| Vietnam |
The Destination Australia Cheung Kong Exchange Program (DACKEP) offer scholarship opportunities for eligible outbound Australian students studying in select Asian countries.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
- have not previously received a grant under the Cheung Kong Exchange Program.
- participate in an overseas exchange program at an eligible partner university
Winter 2025
There are Cheung Kong Travel Grants available for the following eligible partner universities in Winter 2025.
| Eligible partner institutions | Destination | Grant amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Akita International University | Japan | AU$3,206 |
| Hong Kong Baptist University |
Hong Kong | |
| Sungkyunkwan University | South Korea | |
| Nanyang Technological University | Singapore |
How to apply
Swinburne students will be prompted to apply for the Cheung Kong Travel Grant as part of their online application for the Overseas Exchange program.
Note: Students applying for the Cheung Kong Travel Grant may also be assessed and considered for the NCP Mobility Grant for their exchange program; but can only receive one of these grants.
One of our Swinburne alumni, Michael H. Giles, received a study abroad scholarship and appreciates the transformational experiences that overseas study can offer. Today, Michael wants to support other Swinburne students who are keen to spread their wings and study overseas.
Eligibility and how to apply
Eligible students participating in an approved semester exchange program can apply for this scholarship to receive A$7,000 towards their program.
For more information, see the Giles Family Foundation Study Abroad Grant.
Butex International Scholarships, UK
This scholarship is open to all exchange students going to select UK partner institutions. To be eligible you must have been offered an exchange place at a BUTEX-affiliated UK university.
The value of each scholarship is GBP£500 and will be paid to you once you have arrived and registered at your host university.
The Nicolas Baudin Scholarship
The Embassy of France offers scholarships of $2500 for travel fees for students going to France on exchange. There is also a dedicated internship program for students to undertake an internship in France and receive 5000$ in a shared grant between the embassy and the university. Applications are open from May - June. Learn more about The Nicolas Baudin Scholarship.
Baden-Württemberg Scholarship
The Baden-Württemberg Scholarship provides financial support for study abroad by university students at Baden-Württemberg institutions (south-west of Germany). You may be nominated for the scholarship by Swinburne as an exchange student studying at an eligible partner university in Germany. Scholarship can amount to €600 to €1,400 per month.
Other countries
Check with the consulate or embassy of your proposed host country to explore other scholarships that may be available.
Partner institutions
Some of our partner institutions may also offer their own scholarships for incoming exchange students - see a list of some scholarships below. We recommend checking out the partner institution's website for up-to-date information on any funding or scholarships you may be able to apply for.
- School of Management Fribourg, Switzerland - mobility grants awarded to students.
Mangold Study Abroad Scholarships
Eligible students who have reached certain levels of language proficiency can apply for this scholarship to receive funds towards an approved exchange semester abroad.
For more information, visit the Walter Mangold Trust Fund website.
Eligible students studying Aviation or Aviation Management can apply for this scholarship to receive A$5,000 towards an exchange semester abroad at selected partner universities.
For more information see the Piers Fowler Exchange Scholarship.
Overseas study tours
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Program provides funding to Australian universities to support Australian undergraduate students to participate in semester-based or short-term study, and internships in 40 host locations across the Indo-Pacific region.
There are NCP grants available to eligible students participating in eligible Overseas Study Tour programs during Sumnmer 2025/2026
How to apply
Eligible students can apply as part of their online application for the Overseas Study Tours program.
| Study Tour programs | Grants available | Grant amount |
|---|---|---|
| Business Consulting Project in Indonesia | 20 | AU$3,000 |
| Design Vietnam Study Tour - Immersive Learning Experiences | 16 | AU$4,000 |
| Cultural Immersion and Business Consulting in Vietnam | 16 | AU$5,000 |
| Cultural Immersion and Business Consulting in Indonesia | 16 | AU$5,000 |
| Study Tour programs | Grants available | Grant amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Leaders Study Tour | 18 | AU$2,000 |
All overseas programs
Recipients of this scholarship are eligible to receive a one-off payment of A$2,000 towards an international study experience.
For more information, see the Vice Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship.
If you currently receive Austudy or Youth Allowance from Centrelink, you may still be eligible to continue receiving these benefits while on your overseas study program.
For exchange programs, you will need to provide Centrelink with evidence that you will be studying full-time in an approved student exchange program that will be credited to your Swinburne degree. Swinburne Abroad can provide you with a letter to meet Centrelink requirements before you depart.