Round 2 of the ACU Stipend Scholarship closed on 1 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). If this page and the official source disagree, the official page wins.
If you already have the Australian Catholic University (ACU) stipend and Graduate Research Scholarship Package pages open, this explainer is still useful. It sorts the domestic versus international labels, explains what the 2026 package does and does not cover, and translates ACU's published selection priorities into practical checks you can make before applying, including what missing the October close means under ACU's currently published April and October rounds.
Scholarship Tally editors checked the official ACU Stipend Scholarship page, Graduate Research Scholarship Package page, Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship page, How to apply page, Scholarships hub, Unsuccessful applications page, ACU Indigenous Research (HDR) Stipend Scholarship page, and Vice-Chancellor's PhD Excellence Scholarship page on 1 October 2026. Deadlines on the official pages use AEST or AEDT. We are not the Stipend Scholarship Assessment Panel. Re-check the live official pages before you submit, because rates and round dates change.
Who this page is for, and when to stop
Read on if you:
- Want a Research Doctorate or Research Masters, both Higher Degree by Research (HDR) options at ACU, with scholarship support for living costs and tuition fees
- Are a domestic or international applicant whose project can sit inside ACU's published areas of expertise and available supervision
- Need to compare the ACU stipend label with the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) label and other ACU HDR awards
- Missed or are about to miss a round close and need ACU's currently published April and October cycle explained honestly
This award may not fit if you:
- Need coursework-only postgraduate study rather than an accredited research higher degree at ACU
- Cannot name a research direction that ACU can supervise
- Are counting on award headcounts, living-cost guarantees, or dependent cover that ACU does not publish on these pages
- Need a year-round Indigenous domestic stipend track instead (that is a separate award with a different rate)
What this award is, and what it is not
This is a competitive living-allowance award for Higher Degree by Research candidates at ACU. The stipend page says it supports domestic and international candidates undertaking a Research Doctorate or Research Masters. The ACU Stipend Scholarship page says that award is funded by ACU and administered under the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy. The Graduate Research Scholarship Package page says the package is funded by the Australian Commonwealth Government and ACU, and that recipients are selected by the Stipend Scholarship Assessment Panel. Domestic candidates on the package page are labelled Australian Government Research Training Program. International candidates are labelled ACU stipend plus ACU tuition fee scholarship. Use the label on the offer, not a single funder story.
ACU currently publishes two application rounds per year, in April and October. The scholarship page publishes specific deadlines and commencement dates for each round, so applicants should use the live ACU page for the next available deadline rather than assuming an unpublished future date. The package values quoted below are the published 2026 figures, indexed annually.
It is also not a promise that every eligible applicant is funded. ACU's unsuccessful-applications page states that stipend scholarships for research degrees are highly competitive.
Domestic package versus international package
The package page and the stipend page use different labels for components that share the same 2026 rates. Read both.
On the Graduate Research Scholarship Package page:
- Domestic candidates: Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (Stipend) of AUD $34,315 per annum (full-time), plus Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee offset) valued at approximately AUD $34,728 per annum
- International candidates: ACU Stipend Scholarship of AUD $34,315 per annum (full-time), plus ACU Tuition Fee Scholarship valued at approximately AUD $34,728 per annum, plus an RTP Allowance Scholarship offering a single Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) policy and relocation allowance of up to AUD $2,000
On the ACU Stipend Scholarship page, successful applicants are described as receiving a package of the stipend (AUD $34,315 full-time), a full fee offset (approximately AUD $34,728), and for international applicants a single OSHC policy and relocation allowance of up to AUD $2,000.
Do not invent a story that “smooths” those labels. If you are domestic, the package page puts you on the Australian Government RTP wording. If you are international, the three-component international package is the clearest official list. The dollar figures for stipend and fee support in 2026 match across these pages; the naming does not.
The package page also notes a part-time rate of AUD $17,157.50, that full-time stipends are currently considered non-taxable under Australian taxation law, and that part-time stipends are taxable. Recipients seeking tax advice are pointed to the Australian Taxation Office.
ACU stipend, RTP stipend, and the other ACU higher degree research awards
Do not conflate parallel tracks:
- ACU Stipend Scholarship and RTP Stipend Scholarship pages both publish the same 2026 full-time stipend of AUD $34,315 and the same approximate fee offset of AUD $34,728, with the same international OSHC and relocation wording. The funding source label differs (ACU-funded versus Australian Government RTP). Check which page and offer letter wording applies to you.
- Vice-Chancellor's PhD Excellence Scholarship is for outstanding international PhD or Doctor of Ministry applicants at Australian campuses (online study not eligible). Same 2026 stipend and fee figures, paid as a fortnightly stipend for up to 3.5 years, plus OSHC and relocation up to AUD $2,000. ACU says applicants are automatically considered as part of the research degree application. It closes 1 October 2026, 11:59 pm AEST on the current page, and recipients must not hold another ACU scholarship at the same time. The Vice-Chancellor page states stipend and fee support for up to 3.5 years. The standard ACU stipend and package pages do not publish that duration, so do not borrow the 3.5-year line for the ordinary stipend package.
- ACU Indigenous Research (HDR) Stipend Scholarship is for Indigenous domestic HDR candidates, with a higher 2026 living allowance of AUD $53,608 per annum (full-time) plus RTP fees offset approximately AUD $34,728. Applications are open year-round on that page.
If you are an international doctorate applicant, you may be in more than one consideration path. Confirm with Graduate Research School rather than assuming automatic stacking. The Vice-Chancellor page says you must not receive another ACU scholarship at the same time.
What the money covers, and what it does not
Published as covered (2026 values, indexed annually):
- Living stipend: AUD $34,315 per annum full-time (or the published part-time rate where applicable)
- Fee offset / tuition fee scholarship: approximately AUD $34,728 per annum
- For international recipients listed on these pages: a single OSHC policy and relocation allowance of up to AUD $2,000
Not stated on these pages (so do not assume):
- Dependants' OSHC, partner or children cover, or family allowances
- Flights beyond the capped relocation wording
- Visa application fees or a living-cost guarantee for a particular city
- Cash payment of the fee offset to you personally (it is described as a fee offset / tuition fee scholarship)
- That AUD $34,315 includes tuition (it is the stipend line; fees are the separate offset)
ACU does not publish award counts on the stipend page. Do not invent them.
Eligibility is the easy part. Selection is not
Eligibility (stipend and package pages): you must be a domestic or overseas student enrolled in an accredited research higher degree at ACU, and your proposed research must align with ACU's broad areas of expertise. The domestic how-to-apply page says meeting entry requirements does not guarantee admission, and that assessment reviews academic background, research proposal, and supervision arrangements. Stipend selection is a further competitive step. The package page publishes the priority list below. It is not a guarantee.
Selection priorities (package page): priority is given to applicants who:
- Propose a project aligned with ACU research priorities or areas of research strength
- Can be well supported by ACU's research environment (supervision and infrastructure)
- Identify as an Indigenous Australian
- Are applying for a doctoral degree with outstanding academic results, such as first-class honours or equivalent
- Have not previously undertaken doctoral-level study
Translate those into evidence a panel can see: a proposal a named supervisor can resource, results that match the “outstanding” example if you are aiming at the doctoral priority line, and an honest check against prior doctoral study. The doctoral priority criterion is specifically stated for applicants applying for a doctoral degree, so Research Masters applicants should not treat it as a published priority criterion for their application. “Encouraged to apply” is not a probability.
Research alignment and supervision
Research alignment and supervision are part of ACU's assessment process. ACU says applicants should propose research that aligns with the expertise of available supervisors, and its admission assessment considers the quality and feasibility of the research proposal and the availability of appropriate supervision.
You do not have to treat prior supervisor contact as a formal requirement. ACU says contacting a supervisor before applying is optional. If your application is successful, ACU will allocate suitably qualified supervisors in accordance with its Higher Degree Research Policy.
Practical check before applying: make sure your proposed research fits ACU's published research areas and that the University has relevant supervision expertise available. That is a safer planning test than assuming that contacting an individual supervisor guarantees support or admission.
Practical order:
- Choose the research degree. The stipend page says Research Doctorate or Research Masters. The domestic how-to-apply page names Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Philosophy, and Master of Philosophy. Confirm the course on that page before you lodge
- Check on the research degrees / how-to-apply material whether you are developing your own project, joining a scholarship-supported project, considering a Joint PhD, or an Indigenous Knowledges entry path (those paths are not listed on the stipend page itself)
- Confirm English language requirements if they apply. Appendix C of the Higher Degree Research Policy and the international research application guidance cover cases where English is not the applicant's first language or prior study was not in English (tests or prior English-taught qualifications within two years of intended start). That is not a step listed on the stipend page itself
- Only then treat the stipend round as the funding gate
The twice-yearly cycle, and what missing October means
Applications open twice per annum in April and October.
Round 2 (current published close): deadline Thursday 1 October 2026, 11:59 pm AEST. Domestic commencement: first workday in February of the following year. International commencement: first day of Research Term C in July of the following year.
Round 1 (published): deadline Wednesday 1 April 2026, 11:59 pm AEDT. Domestic commencement: first workday of August. International commencement: first day of Research Term D in October.
If you miss 1 October 2026, do not invent a February start on this stipend for that missed round. The next stipend window in the standing April/October pattern is the following April round. Confirm the next published deadline on the live stipend page when ACU updates it. You can still pursue enrolment without a stipend; ACU's unsuccessful page explains that path and names domestic contact [email protected] and international contact [email protected].
Prospective applicants and current students are not the same form
Future students: apply for the stipend as part of the research degree application process. Follow the how-to-apply stages: Prepare, Apply, Referee reports, Assessment, Outcome, Enrolment.
Current students: download the scholarship application form from the Student Portal and submit it with supporting documents to the Graduate Research School at [email protected].
Do not assume a late degree application after the stipend deadline is still considered for that round. ACU does not publish a “submit the degree later” exception on the stipend page. For a scholarship with a specific closing date, submit the completed application and required supporting documentation by the published scholarship deadline. ACU separately states that referee reports may be submitted by the referees within one week after that deadline. Ask Graduate Research School if your timeline is messy.
Checks to make before submitting
Check research fit: ACU says proposed research must align with its broad areas of expertise, and scholarship priority is given to research aligned with ACU's research priorities or areas of research strength.
Check supervision arrangements: ACU considers the availability of appropriate supervision as part of research degree assessment.
Do not treat a priority criterion as a guarantee: ACU describes the scholarship as competitive and merit-based.
Check the package components separately: the published stipend, fee support, and international allowances are separate components. Do not treat the stipend as tuition support.
Check the deadline for the round you are targeting: ACU publishes separate April and October scholarship deadlines.
If reapplying, show progression: ACU says a competitive reapplication should demonstrate clear progression and substantive additional achievements since the previous submission. ACU's unsuccessful-applications page also says stipend scholarships for research degrees are highly competitive, that you may pursue the degree without a scholarship, and that you may reapply in a future round with a Scholarship Re-application form. ACU recommends seeking faculty feedback before reapplying.
FAQ
Is the ACU Stipend Scholarship the same award as the RTP stipend?
They publish the same 2026 stipend and fee-offset figures on separate ACU pages. The package page assigns domestic candidates the Australian Government RTP label and international candidates the ACU stipend label. Read your offer letter for the label that applies to you.
Does AUD $34,315 cover tuition as well as living costs?
No. On these pages the AUD $34,315 line is the living stipend. Tuition support is the separate fee offset / tuition fee scholarship of approximately AUD $34,728 per annum.
Is the fee offset a cash payment?
ACU describes it as a fee offset or tuition fee scholarship, not as cash paid to you for rent. Do not budget it as spendable income.
What does “up to AUD $2,000” relocation mean?
It is a relocation allowance of up to AUD $2,000 for international applicants, alongside a single OSHC policy, on the stipend and package pages. “Up to” is not a guarantee of the full amount.
Does Overseas Student Health Cover include my partner or children?
The pages describe a single OSHC policy. They do not state cover for dependants.
Are full-time and part-time stipends taxed the same way?
The package page says full-time stipends are currently considered non-taxable under Australian taxation law and part-time stipends are taxable. Confirm with the Australian Taxation Office for your situation.
I already have a doctorate. Does that hurt this application?
Previous doctoral study is relevant because ACU lists applicants who have not previously undertaken doctoral-level study among the published priority criteria.
Do I need a supervisor before I apply?
ACU considers the availability of appropriate supervision as part of research degree assessment. Contacting a supervisor before applying is optional; ACU allocates suitably qualified supervisors if you are admitted. Still check that your topic fits published research areas.
I missed 1 October 2026. When is the next stipend close?
ACU states applications open twice per annum in April and October. After the October 2026 close, watch the live stipend page for the next April deadline. Do not invent dates that are not yet published.
I am already enrolled. Do I use the same form as a new applicant?
No. Current students use the Student Portal scholarship form and email Graduate Research School. Future students apply through the research degree application path.
If I am unsuccessful, can I reapply with the same proposal?
You may reapply in a future round, but ACU says a competitive reapplication must demonstrate clear progression and substantive additional achievements, with a Scholarship Re-application form.
Can I enrol at ACU without this stipend?
Yes. The unsuccessful-applications page describes pursuing the degree without a scholarship. Confirm with domestic contact [email protected] or international contact [email protected] as listed on that page.
How is the Indigenous HDR stipend different?
The Indigenous Research (HDR) Stipend Scholarship is for Indigenous domestic students, pays a higher 2026 stipend (AUD $53,608 full-time), and is described as open year-round on its own page.
Will this award still exist for the April round, or is it a 2027 one-off?
ACU currently publishes two application rounds per year, in April and October. Re-check the live page for the next published deadline and indexed rates rather than assuming an unpublished future date.
Official sources
- ACU Stipend Scholarship
- Graduate Research Scholarship Package
- Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship
- How to apply (Graduate Research)
- Graduate Research scholarships hub
- Unsuccessful applications
- ACU Indigenous Research (HDR) Stipend Scholarship
- Vice-Chancellor's PhD Excellence Scholarship
- Graduate Research School: [email protected]
Figures and deadlines above were checked on the linked official pages on 1 October 2026. Prefer the live ACU pages if anything differs.
