New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship awards up to $87,000 to Australian undergraduate students for study and work experience opportunities across multiple locations in the Indo-Pacific region from 3 months up to 19 months. La Trobe University (LTU) nominates 15 students every year to be considered for this scholarship by the Australian Government.
Applications for the NCP Scholarship 2026 round will open in March 2025.
Eligibility
To qualify you must:
- be an Australian citizen aged between 18 and 30 years as of 1 January 2026
- not undertake the Scholarship in a Host Location in which you have dual citizenship or residency rights; or in which you have previously been a citizen or permanent resident
- be undertaking a Bachelor’s or Bachelor Honours Degree, at the commencement of the Scholarship Program
- have a minimum WAM score of 60 per cent across all studies at La Trobe
- be able to demonstrate community service and/or leadership experience.
Selection process
- attend an information session
- confirm your eligibility and familiarise yourself with the NCP Scholarship guidelines
- submit an expression of interest
- commit to the rigorous application process – including nomination, written component, La Trobe mock interview and virtual interview stages with DFAT in Canberra
- apply for La Trobe University student exchange program to participate in 2026, either semester 1 or 2
- obtain credit approval to go on exchange to an eligible host country
- purchase and undergo a National Police Record Check
- commit to participate in the scholarship program if successful.
Approximate timeline
- NCP Scholarship info session - April & May
- Expression of Interest submission deadline - June
- La Trobe shortlisting applications - late June
- Nominated and unsuccessful students notified - late June
- NCP University nominations - July
- NCP Student written applications - August
- NCP Aus Gov applications shortlisted and applicants notified - September
- La Trobe Mock interviews - mid September
- NCP Virtual Interviews - September - October
- NCP All applicants notified of outcome - November
- Scholars announced - November / December
- Scholars commence scholarship - January 1 2025 - 15 December 2026
Useful links
Contact us
For further queries please contact us at studyabroad@latrobe.edu.au
Current & Past NCP Scholars
Meet our current and former NCP Scholarship recipients:
- 2025: TBA
- 2024: Ahmed Baroudi, Charlotte Bradstreet, Harrison Rule, Jane Gration, Zaakirah Ali
- 2023: Nathan Jasper, Kirsten Boehm, Quinn Forsyth, Ruby Barnard, Lily Reeves
- 2022: Madeleine Gome and Yedidya Ephrem
- 2021: Grace Thornbrough, Ebony Watts, Zi La, Hammad Shahin, Nathan Grigg
- 2020: Samuel Chung
- 2019: Stephanie Hilton, Ashley Eadon, Courtney Taylor and Jade Bujeya
- 2018: Zoe Croucher and Emeil Boddenberg
- 2017: Rebecca Thorburn (Singapore) and Sidney Mason (India)
- 2015: Jake Schatz
- 2014: Kara Menzies and Richard Garrett
Watch the video below detailing Richard, Kara and Jake's unique experiences as NCP Scholars: