John Monash Scholarship now worth $100,000 a year
27 March 2025 — Australia’s prestigious John Monash Scholarship, which enables talented Australians to pursue postgraduate studies at the world's best institutions, has announced a significantly higher annual stipend – $100,000 a year for up to three years.
The increased stipend, up from $80,000 last year, recognises increased cost-of-living pressures faced by John Monash Scholars when studying overseas, while also ensuring that the John Monash Scholarship remains one of the nation’s most valuable awards for graduates of Australian universities.
The Chief Executive Officer of the General Sir John Monash Foundation, Mr Paul Ramadge said:
“Winning a John Monash Scholarship is, of course, about much more than money. John Monash Scholars are outstanding individuals who uphold the values championed by General Sir John Monash, including becoming well-educated leaders who give back to their country. But the time was right to increase the annual stipend. We want scholars to have a rich and rewarding experience while overseas, and we are confident that this increase will ease some of the challenges they face. The annual stipend can be used flexibly to cover tuition, accommodation and other living expenses to help ensure scholars can access the world’s best expertise at the forefront of their academic field, at whichever international institution that may be.”
The announcement means that the following stipends apply from this year:
- One-year master’s degree – $100,000
- Two-year master’s degree – $200,000
- Three-year PhD or DPhil – $300,000
Applications for John Monash Scholarships for postgraduate study overseas commencing in 2026 open on May 1 and close on June 30. Successful applicants can be of any age, study in any field, at any institution, anywhere in the world.
The scholarship program was launched in 2004 and now has 282 recipients from fields as diverse as medicine and wellbeing, law, engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, technology, art, filmmaking, music, mathematics, physics, teaching and architecture.
“It is a talent bank for the nation, proudly supported by civil society,” Mr Ramadge said. “The program is made possible through the generosity of donors from government, business, academia and the community.”
Scholars are supported during and after their studies via the John Monash Foundation Leadership Academy, which provides leadership training, mentoring and career guidance, as well as delivering symposia and major scholar-led events. The goal is to ensure that John Monash Scholars maximise their potential to become leaders and changemakers who can make Australia more resilient, more prosperous and more socially cohesive.
For more information or to prepare an application, go to John Monash Scholarship.