Chapter 9: Fees, scholarships and grants

9.2 Postgraduate scholarships

See Scholarships and Grants links

9.2.1 Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)

This award, offered by the Australian Government, is available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents who are proposing to undertake a doctoral or masters by research course. Applicants must hold an Australian or New Zealand bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. The APA provides a yearly non-taxable stipend to full-time students. Relocation and thesis allowances may also be payable.

9.2.2 Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry) (APA(I))

This award, which aims to prepare high calibre researchers for industry research, is available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents who are proposing to undertake a doctoral or masters by research course. International students can be nominated for APA(I) scholarships from the 2009 funding rounds, however faculties, departments or the student nominated would have to meet their international fees and Overseas student health cover (OSHC). Applicants must hold an Australian or New Zealand bachelors degree with a minimum of a high upper second class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. Potential candidates are invited to submit applications to academic staff members who have been awarded a collaborative grant with a company through this scheme. These awards provide a yearly non-taxable stipend and other allowances to full-time candidates.

9.2.3 Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS)

This award, offered by Monash University, is available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and international candidates who are proposing to undertake a doctoral or masters by research course. Applicants must hold an Australian or New Zealand bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. Monash Graduate Scholarships provide a yearly non-taxable stipend to full-time students. Allowances for relocation and thesis costs may also be payable.

9.2.4 Monash Silver Jubilee Scholarship (MSJS)

This special scholarship is offered each year to groups of faculties in turn. Other MGS eligibility criteria apply.

9.2.5 Sir James McNeill Foundation Postgraduate Award (JMcN)

This prestigious scholarship is available to a candidate proposing to undertake a doctorate in music, engineering, science or medicine. Applicants must hold an Australian or New Zealand bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. Other MGS eligibility criteria apply.

9.2.6 Monash Equity Scholarship (MES)

This scholarship, offered by Monash University, is available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents who are proposing to undertake a doctoral or masters by research course. Applicants must hold an Australian or New Zealand bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. Applicants with a disability or whose academic career has been adversely affected are eligible to apply for this award.

9.2.7 Monash Indigenous Research Award (MIRA)

This scholarship, offered by Monash University, is available to Indigenous Australians who are proposing to commence a doctoral or masters by research course. The awards aim to attract Indigenous students who are eligible to enter directly into a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or masters by research. The scholarship is also available to high-achieving students who may apply for a conjoint Honours/Research Degree program. The conjoint Honours/Research Degree program includes completion of an honours year prior to commencing the research degree program (PhD, MPhil or masters by research).

9.2.8 Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (EIPRS)

This scholarship meets the cost of course fees for the candidate and compulsory health cover for the candidates and his/her dependents. It does not provide an allowance for living expenses. Only international candidates whose research interests coincide with the university’s research activities and who will be commencing postgraduate research masters or doctoral programs may apply for the awards. Applicants must hold the equivalent of an Australian bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university. Persons from all overseas countries, except New Zealand, are eligible to apply.

9.2.9 Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS)

This scholarship meets the cost of course fees, amenities fees for the candidate and compulsory health cover for the candidate and his/her dependants. It does not provide an allowance for living expenses. Both prospective candidates and those part way through their research program may apply. Applicants must hold the equivalent of an Australian bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the University. Students from all overseas countries, except New Zealand, are eligible to apply.

9.2.10 Vera Moore International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (VMIPRS)

The most prestigious of the university’s tuition awards, the Vera Moore International Postgraduate Research Scholarship is part of an award package that covers course fees for the candidate and overseas student health cover for the candidate and his/her dependants. A research allowance may also be payable. Both prospective candidates and those part way through their research program may apply. Applicants must hold the equivalent of an Australian bachelors degree with first class honours or qualifications and/or research experience deemed equivalent by the university.

9.2.11 Australian Development Scholarships (ADS)

These scholarships are available to applicants from specified developing countries. AusAID will advertise for candidates for the ADS scheme. Scholarships may be offered for both research and coursework postgraduate programs. Awards meet course fees and provide a living allowance. Closing dates for the ADS program vary. Information on application procedures for the awards may be obtained from Australian diplomatic missions or Australian Education Centres.

9.2.12 Monash Departmental Scholarships (MDS)

Many departments at Monash University offer postgraduate scholarships funded from departmental or outside funds to be used at the department’s discretion. Nominations for Monash Departmental Scholarships are submitted directly to the Monash Research Graduate School by the head of department.

9.2.13 Monash Research Scholarships (MRS)

Many departments at Monash University offer externally funded postgraduate scholarships where the sponsor indicates that the funding is to be used for a specific project under specified conditions. Nominations for Monash Research Scholarships are submitted directly to the Monash Research Graduate School by the head of department.

9.2.14 Application procedures

Each award generally offers a maximum tenure of three years (full-time) for doctoral candidates and two years (full-time) for masters candidates. Scholarships are normally awarded to full-time candidates only, but persons who for compelling social reasons are unable to pursue full-time postgraduate study are eligible to apply for part-time APA and MGS awards (excluding international candidates).

Applications for APA, MGS, MSJS, JMcN, IPRS, MIPRS and VMIPRS must be made by 31 October and offers of awards are made in December. Closing dates for other scholarships listed vary.

Candidates must enrol before a scholarship stipend can commence. Further information on conditions of award for scholarships is available from the Monash Research Graduate School website.

Note: Postgraduate scholarships are intended to support candidates engaged in full-time research and study. An award-holder is only permitted to undertake a strictly limited amount of paid employment, being no more than 15 hours of work on average in any one week. Up to a maximum of six hours only on average of this employment may be undertaken during normal working hours (9 am to 5 pm Mondays to Fridays). However, this may be extended to a maximum of eight hours if the employment is limited to one weekday.

The candidate’s supervisor(s) must be satisfied that any part-time work undertaken does not interfere with the candidate’s study program and progress. International candidates need to be aware that the employment restrictions outlined above apply, even though a student visa permits them to work up to 20 hours a week.

9.2.15 Taxation liability of scholarships

Under Australian Taxation Law, full-time awards are presently considered to be non-taxable by the Australian Government. All candidates are advised to seek independent information on the non-taxability/taxability of their scholarship.

Candidates should note that part-time awards are taxable.

9.2.16 First class honours equivalence

Applicants for centrally funded scholarships must hold a bachelors degree with first class honours. The following qualifications are automatically classed as H1:

• Australian/New Zealand bachelors degree with first class honours
• Australian/New Zealand research masters preliminary qualification formally graded at H1 level
• Australian/New Zealand research masters degree (with a research component of 66% or greater) formally graded at H1 level
• MB BS/FRACP (Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Where an applicant does not hold a qualification in one of these categories but the department and faculty nevertheless believe that the candidate has qualifications and/or research experience equivalent to an H1 degree, the relevant faculty may request that the applicant be assessed for H1 equivalence.

Some qualifications from selected overseas institutions have now been accepted by Monash as automatically meeting H1 equivalence.

Students holding the following qualifications require assessment for H1 equivalence:

• bachelors degree with second or third class honours as highest qualification
• research masters preliminary qualification without a formal H1 grade
• research masters degree without a formal H1 grade
• coursework masters degree
• graduate diploma
• all overseas qualifications (except New Zealand)
• other non-standard H1 bachelors qualifications.

A panel considers the request for H1 equivalence before ranking for the scholarships takes place. Faculties are required to submit nominations for H1 equivalence to the Monash Research Graduate School in November each year.