University of Adelaide Scholarships for International Students 2026/27

If you are researching scholarships at the “University of Adelaide” for a 2026 or 2027 start, you need to know one fact before anything else, because it changes which scholarships you can actually receive: the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia (UniSA) have merged to form a new institution — Adelaide University — which launched in 2026. The official website at adelaide.edu.au now presents Adelaide University, and new international students commencing in 2026/27 apply to Adelaide University and are assessed for Adelaide University’s scholarships. Those scholarships are genuinely generous — up to a 50% tuition fee reduction — but they are not identical to the old University of Adelaide awards that still fill most websites, agent brochures and YouTube videos.

This guide does two things carefully, and keeps them separate. First, it explains the scholarships that apply to new 2026/27 intakes at Adelaide University, taken from the university’s official international scholarships page. Second, it explains the legacy University of Adelaide scholarships — the Global Citizens Scholarship and the Global Academic Excellence Scholarship — that you will see quoted everywhere else, and clarifies their status, so you do not build a budget around an award name that no longer governs new admissions. Mixing the two lists into one, as many sites do, is exactly how students end up expecting a 30% “Global Citizens” discount that their Adelaide University offer never mentions.

Start with the institution itself in our University of Adelaide profile on StudyGraduate, compare funding across the country in the StudyGraduate scholarships directory, and read the national picture in our guide to scholarships in Australia.

Adelaide University Scholarships at a Glance (New 2026/27 Intakes)

Adelaide University’s official page summarises the offer plainly: the university “offers a range of scholarships of up to 50% for international students,” providing “financial support to help cover a percentage of tuition fees, with some also contributing towards relocation expenses and living costs,” and “for most scholarships, you will be automatically assessed when applying for an eligible undergraduate or postgraduate degree.” The table above is that official list. If an award name does not appear in it — however famous the name is — it is not part of the standard Adelaide University offer for new students.

Why the Merger Matters for Your Scholarship

Adelaide University is officially described as “a public Australian university established in 2026 through the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.” Mergers of this scale are rare in Australian higher education, and the scholarship consequences are practical, not just historical:

• Your offer comes from Adelaide University. The scholarship named in your offer letter — its percentage, conditions and duration — is an Adelaide University award governed by Adelaide University terms.
• Legacy award names do not transfer automatically. A sibling or friend who received a University of Adelaide Global Citizens Scholarship for an earlier intake was funded under that university’s terms for that intake. Their experience is useful background; it is not your entitlement.
• Alumni pathways deliberately bridge the merger. Note that the Adelaide Global Alumni Scholarship explicitly recognises prior study at Adelaide University, UniSA or the University of Adelaide — a designed bridge between the old institutions and the new one.
• Rankings and course pages are in transition. During 2026/27 you will find both legacy and new branding online. When sources conflict, the live page on adelaide.edu.au for Adelaide University wins.

The Adelaide University Awards in Detail

Adelaide Academic Excellence Scholarship — 50%

This is the flagship. The official description calls it “a prestigious scholarship rewarding international students commencing undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degrees,” offering a 50% tuition fee reduction, with limited places for students with a high distinction average. Unlike the automatic awards below, you must complete an application form to be considered. “Limited places” plus “high distinction” means this is a competitive award, not an entitlement for everyone above a threshold: two students can both hold high distinction averages and only one may receive it, depending on the strength of the applicant pool for that intake. Apply for it if your record is genuinely at that level — but build your financial plan so that it still works at 25% or 15%, and treat 50% as the upside.

Adelaide Emerging Leaders Award — 25%

A 25% tuition fee reduction for commencing undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students with a distinction average, automatically assessed and granted. For most strong applicants — distinction-level graduates from recognised universities — this is the realistic centre of planning: a quarter of your tuition, for the degree, without a separate scholarship application.

Adelaide Merit Scholarship — 15%

A 15% tuition fee reduction, automatically assessed and awarded to students with a credit average. A credit average is a solid but not exceptional record, which makes this award the broadest of the three merit tiers: a large share of admissible international students will qualify for at least this level, provided their program is eligible.

The 10% awards: Sibling, Global Alumni and Partner

Three automatic 10% awards serve specific relationships with the university: the Sibling Award (a sibling currently studying at, or graduated from, Adelaide University), the Global Alumni Scholarship (you previously studied at Adelaide University, UniSA or the University of Adelaide), and the Partner Award (you arrive from an approved partner institution). These matter most when your grades sit below the merit tiers — a 10% reduction confirmed automatically is worth more than a 25% award you do not qualify for. Note that scholarship terms generally prevent stacking multiple percentage awards on the same tuition; the university applies the award you are eligible for under its terms, and your offer letter states the result.

The Legacy University of Adelaide Scholarships — Read This Before You Budget

Search for Adelaide scholarships and the first names you will meet are these two. They were real, well-documented awards of the former University of Adelaide for its own intakes. They are presented here — clearly labelled as legacy — because you will encounter them constantly, and because continuing students admitted under the old university may still hold them under their original terms.

The honest summary: the shape of Adelaide’s generosity survived the merger — there is still a 15% entry tier, a mid-tier (now 25% rather than a 30% tier), and a 50% excellence tier — but the names, thresholds and application mechanics are Adelaide University’s now. If a counsellor quotes you “Global Citizens 30%” for a 2027 start, ask them to show you that award on the current adelaide.edu.au international scholarships page. If they cannot, plan from the official list in this article instead.

Research Scholarships at Adelaide University

For Master by Research and PhD applicants, funding works differently from coursework discounts. Adelaide University’s research scholarships — funded through the Australian Government’s Research Training Program (RTP) and the university itself — are awarded competitively and typically combine:

• A full tuition fee waiver for the scholarship duration (up to two years for a research master’s and up to three and a half years for a PhD in the standard structure);
• A living allowance — reported at AUD 36,500 per year at the 2026 rate for Adelaide University research scholarships. For context, the national RTP base rate is AUD 34,315 in 2026 and AUD 35,550 in 2027, and universities may pay above base. Because rates are indexed and round-specific, confirm the exact stipend for your round in Adelaide University’s scholarships finder before you rely on it;
• A relocation allowance (reported around AUD 2,000 for international research scholars in recent Adelaide rounds) and Overseas Student Health Cover support where the specific scholarship’s terms provide it.

Research admission at Adelaide University requires meeting HDR entry standards — typically a bachelor’s with first-class or strong upper second-class honours, or a research master’s, or equivalent research output — plus English proficiency, a viable project, and, in practice, a supervisor willing to support the application. Research rounds are scheduled events with closing dates; expressions of interest and project-based rounds run on their own calendars. Start six to nine months before your intended start: supervisor conversations, proposal drafting and document certification cannot be compressed into the final fortnight of a round.

Eligibility for Coursework Awards

Across the Adelaide University coursework awards, the common eligibility frame is:

• You are an international student commencing an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree (citizens of Australia and New Zealand studying as domestic students are outside these awards);
• You meet the academic average for the tier — credit average (15%), distinction average (25%), high distinction average (50%, with application form and limited places);
• Your program is eligible — the university notes that some scholarships have “excluded programs and terms and conditions that must be met,” so check your specific degree;
• You maintain the ongoing conditions in your award terms (enrolment load and academic standing) for the reduction to continue across the degree.

Separately, you must satisfy course entry requirements (including English: IELTS/TOEFL/PTE or accepted equivalents at the level your program sets) and Australian student visa requirements, including the Genuine Student criterion and financial capacity evidence. A tuition reduction reduces the total cost of your degree; it is not cash evidence for a visa application, and Adelaide’s relatively affordable living costs — a genuine advantage of this city — still need to be evidenced in your financial planning.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Confirm you are applying to the right institution. For 2026/27 commencement, your application is to Adelaide University via adelaide.edu.au. Bookmark the official Adelaide University international scholarships page.
2. Choose your degree and check its eligibility for scholarships, including any excluded-program notes.
3. Apply for admission with complete certified documents (below). Automatic scholarships — Merit 15%, Emerging Leaders 25%, and the 10% awards — are assessed as part of this process; there is no separate form to forget.
4. If your record is at high distinction level, submit the Academic Excellence Scholarship application form as instructed on the official page. This step is not automatic — missing the form means missing the 50% award, whatever your grades.
5. Read your offer letter as a legal document. It names your scholarship, its percentage and its conditions. If the award named differs from what you expected (for example, a legacy name from an old brochure), query it with the university before accepting.
6. Accept, pay the deposit, receive your CoE, and lodge your visa application with OSHC and financial evidence, leaving realistic processing time before orientation.
7. Research applicants: find a supervisor, develop your proposal, and apply within the published research round for your intended commencement.

Required Documents

• Passport.
• Academic transcripts and certificates for all completed qualifications, with certified English translations where applicable, plus your institution’s grading scale.
• English proficiency results (IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or an accepted alternative) unless an exemption applies.
• CV and, for many postgraduate programs, a statement of purpose.
• For the Academic Excellence Scholarship: the completed scholarship application form and any supporting statements it requests.
• Evidence supporting a 10% award where relevant (sibling enrolment/alumni status, alumni completion, partner-institution status).
• For research: research proposal, CV with publications, referee reports, and supervisor correspondence.
• Visa stage: CoE, OSHC policy, and financial capacity evidence.

Deadlines and Timeline

A note on dates: because Adelaide University is a new institution working through its first admission cycles, treat every date in third-party articles — including older University of Adelaide closing dates — as unreliable until you see it on the current official page. The university’s own scholarships finder, linked from its international scholarships page, is the single source of truth.

How Selection Works — and How to Improve Your Chances

For the automatic tiers, selection is arithmetic: your converted average places you at credit, distinction, or below threshold, and the corresponding award follows. You cannot argue your way from a credit average to the 25% tier with a personal statement — but you can lose a tier through sloppy conversion. Submit your grading scale with your transcripts; if your university grades on a 4.0 CGPA, a 10-point scale, or letter grades, the conversion table the assessor uses matters as much as the grades themselves. If your converted result lands just below a tier boundary and you hold evidence the conversion missed (a corrected transcript, an official scale published after you applied), ask for a review promptly and politely, with documents attached.

For the 50% Academic Excellence Scholarship, grades open the door and competition decides. Limited places against a high-distinction pool means the application form matters: write it like a scholarship application, not a formality. Evidence of academic trajectory (improving results, prizes, research exposure), a clear reason for choosing this program at this university, and any leadership or community contribution presented with specifics — dates, roles, outcomes — will serve you better than adjectives. And apply early: limited-place awards in a new university’s first cycles reward complete, early files.

For research scholarships, the formula is the standard Australian one, applied competitively: prior research qualifications and grades, proposal quality, supervisor support, and fit with the university’s research strengths. Adelaide University inherits two research cultures — the University of Adelaide’s depth in areas such as health, agriculture and engineering, and UniSA’s applied and industry-linked research — which widens the range of projects that can find a supervisory home. Use that breadth: if your project is applied and industry-facing, say so in the language of the proposal.

Benchmark your likely tier against costs as you plan: our scholarships directory and Australia guide collect the comparable offers, and the Adelaide profile covers the institution’s background and programs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Budgeting on the legacy Global Citizens 30% tier. For new Adelaide University offers, the mid-tier is the 25% Emerging Leaders Award. A budget built on 30% has a 5%-of-tuition hole in it, every year.
• Assuming the 50% award is automatic. At Adelaide University it requires an application form and has limited places. Eligible students who never submit the form are never considered.
• Stacking assumptions. Do not add a 10% alumni award to a 25% merit award in your spreadsheet. Percentage awards on the same tuition do not stack unless the award terms explicitly say so.
• Applying to the wrong institution’s pages. Legacy UniSA and University of Adelaide application routes belong to the transition period. New applications go to Adelaide University; if a page invites new students to apply to a predecessor institution for 2026/27, you are looking at an outdated page.
• Ignoring excluded programs. The university warns that some scholarships have excluded programs. Confirm your degree’s eligibility before you count the discount.
• Treating a discount as visa funds. A fee reduction is not money in your account. Your visa financial evidence must stand on its own.

Living in Adelaide

Adelaide’s strongest financial argument is not any single scholarship — it is the combination of competitive tuition discounts with the lowest living costs of Australia’s large university cities. Rent, transport and daily expenses generally run well below Sydney and Melbourne, the city is compact enough that many students live within a short tram or bus ride of campus, and South Australia has historically offered additional migration and lifestyle incentives to graduates who study and stay in the state (settings change — check the official South Australian and Home Affairs pages for the current position rather than relying on articles). For a student holding a 25% Emerging Leaders Award, the total cost of an Adelaide degree can undercut a nominally similar degree in a more expensive city by a margin larger than most scholarship differences elsewhere. Run the whole-of-degree, whole-of-city calculation before you decide.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the University of Adelaide the same as Adelaide University?

Adelaide University is the new university formed by merging the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, launched in 2026. New students commencing in 2026/27 apply to Adelaide University. The University of Adelaide’s own scholarships applied to its own intakes; Adelaide University now runs its own scholarship suite.

2. Can I still get the Global Citizens Scholarship (15%/30%) as a new student?

The Global Citizens Scholarship was a University of Adelaide award. New Adelaide University intakes are assessed under the Adelaide University awards — Merit 15%, Emerging Leaders 25% and Academic Excellence 50%. Do not rely on the Global Citizens name or tiers for a new offer; check the current official page.

3. How do I get the 50% scholarship?

Through the Adelaide Academic Excellence Scholarship: you need a high distinction average, places are limited, and you must complete the scholarship application form — it is not automatic. Confirm the form and closing date for your intake on adelaide.edu.au.

4. Which Adelaide University scholarships are automatic?

The Merit Scholarship (15%, credit average), Emerging Leaders Award (25%, distinction average), Sibling Award (10%), Global Alumni Scholarship (10%) and Partner Award (10%) are automatically assessed when you apply for an eligible degree.

5. I graduated from UniSA. Does that count for the alumni scholarship?

Yes — the Adelaide Global Alumni Scholarship explicitly covers students who previously studied at Adelaide University, the University of South Australia, or the University of Adelaide, at 10% for a new undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree.

6. Are there fully funded options in Adelaide?

For research degrees, yes: competitive research scholarships combine a full tuition waiver with a living allowance (reported at AUD 36,500 per year at the 2026 rate — confirm your round’s exact rate in the official scholarships finder) and, in some rounds, relocation support. Coursework awards are partial (10–50% of tuition).

7. Can I combine a merit scholarship with the Sibling or Alumni award?

Generally, percentage tuition awards do not stack; the university applies the applicable award under its terms and states it in your offer. If your circumstances genuinely fit two categories, ask the university which applies before you budget.

8. What if a website or agent quotes different Adelaide percentages?

Ask for the award’s name and its page on the current adelaide.edu.au site. The official international scholarships page lists the six coursework awards and their percentages (50/25/15/10/10/10). Anything that cannot be found there — including legacy University of Adelaide and UniSA awards — should not anchor your financial plan.

Sources & Verification

• Adelaide University — International students scholarships (official list: Academic Excellence 50% with application form and limited places; Emerging Leaders 25%; Merit 15%; Sibling, Global Alumni and Partner awards at 10%; automatic assessment for most awards; merger description — verified October 2026).
• Adelaide University — scholarships finder, linked from the official international scholarships page (research scholarships, round dates and current rates).
• Former University of Adelaide scholarship terms (Global Citizens Scholarship 15%/30% tiers; Global Academic Excellence Scholarship 50%) — cited as legacy awards of the predecessor institution for continuing students, not as offers to new Adelaide University applicants.
• Australian Government Research Training Program — base stipend rates AUD 34,315 (2026) and AUD 35,550 (2027).

Disclaimer: Adelaide University is a newly merged institution and its scholarship pages may be updated as new cycles open. Values and terms above reflect the official page at the time of writing (October 2026); always confirm deadlines and amounts on the official Adelaide University website before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, and cannot guarantee admission, scholarship selection, or visa approval.