Travelling on your scholarship

The Australia Awards Scholarship covers the cost of your journey to Australia at the beginning of your scholarship, and your return home at the end. You may also be eligible for funded travel for fieldwork, field trips and reunions (visiting your home country).

The funding for each type of travel will cover the cost of the most direct and economical route – for example, the cheapest economy airfare available between Melbourne and the airport closest to your hometown.

This page will give you an overview of the different types of travel included in your scholarship.

Types of travel

• Your scholarship includes funding for you to travel to Australia from your home country at the beginning of your scholarship.Before you leave, you’ll need to:Airport pickups and accommodationMonash offers free airport pickups (which you’ll need to book at least four working days before you arrive), and if you need short-term accommodation, we have a list of providers who offer discounted rates to Monash students. For details, see free airport pickups and short-term accommodation.For information on long-term accommodation, see preparing for your arrival.Eligibility and entitlementAll awardees are entitled to one economy class airfare to Australia from their home country at the commencement of the scholarship (via the most direct and economical route).Your airfare will be booked and paid for by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).For more information, see our page about preparing for your arrival, and section 10.7.1 of the AAS Policy.
• Fieldwork involves first-hand observations and data collection made in the field (as opposed to those observed or collected in the controlled university environment). It should be undertaken in your home country or in Australia as part of your course. (If your fieldwork destination is in some other country, funding for airfare is capped at AUD$1,500.)Eligibility and entitlementYou’re eligible for funded travel for fieldwork if you’re enrolled in a PhD or Masters by research (or coursework with a compulsory fieldwork component).For details on how to book your travel, go to forms for AA students: fieldwork travel.If your fieldwork is conducted in your home country, you won’t be eligible for reunion airfares in the year the fieldwork is undertaken.For full details about eligibility, funding, locations, and limitations, see section 12.3 of the AAS Policy.
• A field trip is a short, class-based excursion organised for the purposes of education or research to provide awardees with experiences outside their everyday course activities.Eligibility and entitlementIf your study program requires compulsory field trips within Australia, then you’re entitled to funding to cover the cost of your travel.Field trips for elective units aren’t covered, and field trips to countries outside of Australia or your home region may be approved, but funding is capped at AUD$1,500 regardless of the number of trips.If you want to take a field trip, discuss it with your Student Contact Officer.For full details, see section 12.4. of the AAS Policy.
• Reunion travel covers the cost of a return airfare to travel to your home country and back to Australia during semester breaks. (We prefer for you to be in Melbourne when your official results are released.) You’ll also continue to receive living expense payments during your trip.Eligibility and entitlementYou’re eligible for reunion airfares if you’re unaccompanied, and your total scholarship period is two years or more. If you’re accompanied by a carer, you may still be eligible – see sections 9.7 of the AAS Policy for details.Reunion travel is only available during semester breaks, and the number of reunion airfares you’re entitled to depends on the length of your scholarship. You can check your entitlements in the table in section 10.8.13 of the AAS Policy.If you undertake fieldwork in your home country, you won’t be eligible for a reunion airfare in the same year.Reunion airfares don’t accrue, and scholarship extensions won’t provide you with additional reunion airfares.For details on how to book your travel, go to forms for AA students: reunion travel.Alternatively, you can book your own flight and claim reimbursement later but you need to follow the conditions set out in section 10.6 of the AAS Policy. When you submit your reimbursement request, include your flight itinerary, invoices/receipts, and proof of payment in the form of a bank statement or banking transaction details.For full details, see section 10.8. of the AAS Policy.
• You’re allowed to travel at any time at your own expense, as long as it doesn’t have a negative impact on your studies. Just make sure to notify your Student Contact Officer before you go.Don’t forget, you’re responsible for arranging your own travel insurance for any independent travel.For full details, see section 10.8.16. of the AAS Policy.
• Your scholarship includes funding for you to travel home from Australia at the end of your scholarship.To make sure you’re thoroughly prepared for your final trip home, we’ll deliver an information session within two months of your scholarship end date.For details on how to book your travel, go to forms for AA students: completion travel. You need to book at least 30 days before your requested travel date.Eligibility and entitlementAll awardees are entitled to a single economy class airfare from Australia to the home country via the most direct and economical route at the completion of your scholarship.Your travel will be booked through Monash’s preferred travel management company. They can also assist with booking flights for your dependants, but their airfares will be at your own expense.ConditionsYou must depart Australia before your visa expires, within 30 days of your scholarship end date (for coursework students), or within 30 days of your thesis submission date (for research students) – whichever comes first. Stipend payments will cease five days after your scholarship end date.If you don't make travel arrangements to depart Australia within 30 days of your scholarship end date (if it comes before their visa end date), you'll forfeit your entitlement completion travel, and you'll be reported to the Department of Home Affairs.GraduationYou can attend a graduation ceremony in Australia if:If you're not able to attend a ceremony in Australia, you can apply to graduate in absentia and Monash University will post your testamur, academic transcript and AHEGS to your overseas address.For full details, see section 10.9. of the AAS Policy.

You can find all the travel conditions in the Australia Awards Policy, or contact us at australia.awards@monash.edu.