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

Australia Open for Term 1 2026 + Term 1 2027 entry — applications close 31 May 2026 for Term 1 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.

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

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.