Sydney Opera House and the city skyline viewed across the harbour with passenger ferries on the water.

Australia Applications open Closes 31 May 2027

UNSW Future of Change Scholarship

The UNSW Future of Change Scholarship is one of Australia's most generous undergraduate awards — AUD 20,000 paid per year for up to 3 years (AUD 60,000 total, around LKR 12.6 million), designed for international students who can articulate a clear vision for social or technological change. It's especially well-suited to Sri Lankan A-Level / IB / Edexcel A-Star achievers in Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Medicine, and Law. UNSW is a Group of Eight research university, ranked #19 globally in 2026 — the scholarship's emphasis on leadership and impact means the application is closer to a Rhodes-style essay than a pure academic merit form.

The Term 1 2027 round closed 31 May 2026. UNSW runs this scholarship on an annual cycle with a 31 May deadline, so expect the Term 1 2028 round to close around 31 May 2027 — confirm on the UNSW scholarships site.

University of New South Wales

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

AUD 20,000/yr × up to 3 yrs (~LKR 12.6M)

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Duration

Full Undergraduate Degree

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Awards

Multiple per Region

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

University of New South Wales — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

AUD 20,000 (Up to AUD 60,000 Over Degree). This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Offer for a UNSW Undergraduate Degree

You must apply for an eligible undergraduate degree at UNSW Sydney for Term 1 entry. Most undergrad programmes qualify; combined / honours degrees in Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Architecture, Law, and Medicine are all included.

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Outstanding Academic Performance

A-Levels 3-4 A*/A grades (or IB 38-42+, or equivalent national curriculum results in the top 5-10%). Sri Lankan applicants with 3 A's at A-Level + strong Edexcel / Cambridge results are competitive.

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International Student

Open to international applicants paying overseas tuition fees, including Sri Lankan citizens applying from Sri Lanka. Sponsored students (e.g. government scholarship holders) are usually not eligible.

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Leadership + Vision Statement

The Scholarship requires a 700-word statement on a real-world challenge you would tackle and what you've already done to address it. Concrete examples (community projects, school societies, internships) beat abstract aspirations.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to UNSW undergrad

Submit your UNSW undergraduate application via the UNSW Apply Online portal. You can apply before or after sitting A-Levels / IB / Edexcel finals — predicted grades are accepted at offer stage.

Complete the scholarship form by 31 May

Once you have applied for admission, complete the separate Future of Change scholarship form on the UNSW scholarships portal. Submit your 700-word vision statement plus two referee details (school principal + community / project leader).

Shortlisting + video pitch

Shortlisted candidates are invited to submit a 2-minute video pitch responding to a fresh prompt issued by UNSW (usually in July). Selection panels review video + statement together.

Outcome and acceptance

Winners are notified in August-September. The scholarship is paid in two semester instalments per year directly to the student's Australian bank account after enrolment. Renewal in years 2-3 is automatic subject to satisfactory progress (WAM 65+).

Why UNSW Sydney?

UNSW is ranked #19 in the QS World University Rankings 2026 — Australia's third-highest. It's part of the Group of Eight research-intensive universities and is particularly strong in Engineering, Computer Science, Quantum Physics, and Business. The Kensington campus is 20 minutes from central Sydney and the beaches.

#19

QS World Ranking 2026

Go8

Research Group Member

AUD 60k

Total Possible Award

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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