FAQ

FAQ

AUSTRALIAN DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIPS
(ADS/ ADS-CHT)

1. What are the benefits of this scholarship?
Ans. Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the institution, including any preparatory training. For students commencing the ADS award in semester 1, 2010, the following benefits are applicable (however this may be subject to further revision at any time).

• Tuition
• Introductory Academic Program (IAP)- A compulsory 4-6 weeks program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on life and study in Australia
• Airfare – Payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route. A reunion airfare may also be available to eligible students.
• Establishment Allowance: A once only payment of A$5000 as a contribution towards expenses such as rental bonds, texts books, study materials, additional medical insurance, home contents insurance, excess baggage upon return home etc.
• Contribution to living expenses- a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by AusAID. The annual stipend per student is A$ 20,007 per annum.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)- provided to cover the student’s basic medical costs.
• Pre-Course English- if deemed necessary may be available for students for in country and/or in Australia training
• Supplementary Academic Support (Tutorial Assistance)- May be available when essential to improving the student’s performance to ensure their academic success.
• Fieldwork – May be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia. 

2.  Who should apply for the ADS?
Ans. Under the ADS 2010 intake announcement, only ICDDR,B employees and Government of Bangladesh (GoB) employees are eligible to apply. Candidates from all government departments such as autonomous, public service commission, corporate and constitutional institutions are also eligible to apply for the ADS scholarship. All GoB applicants should provide a forwarding letter from the relevant attached Ministry or Government Department with the completed application form.
NOTE: Public University employees are not eligible to apply for ADS. However, the Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) and other streams of Australian Scholarships are open for ALL. Please visit the Australian Scholarships website at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar for further details regarding Australian Scholarships.

3. How long does the visa processing take?
Ans: Visa processing takes approximately 8-12 weeks from the time the documents are submitted to DIAC. Please refer to the DIAC website for more details http://www.bangladesh.embassy.gov.au/daca/Visas%5fand%5fMigration.html

4. Why does it take so long to get a visa?
Ans: Visa processing may take time for various reasons including incomplete documents and delays in getting clearance of medical certificates.

5. What are the documents required for submission in order to get a visa? Ans: As soon as awardees get their scholarships, they are expected to make copies of their passport and submit it to AusAID. From personal, educational to professional documents, you need to make three copies (1 original and 2 photocopies) in order for the visa application to be processed.

• A complete visa form
• 2 copies of passport size photograph
• Medical certificates (DIAC will inform candidates in more detail regarding that)
• Educational certificates
• Professional certificates/documents/clearance
• Marriage certificate
• Birth certificate
• Police clearance certificate
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) or Government approval (as applicable) for GOB candidates only
• Any other attachments that might be requested in the visa form or by DIAC

6. What is the next step after completing the medical examination?
Ans: After the medical examination is done, the awardee will then be called in for an interview from DIAC.

7. If I don’t get the visa before my classes start, what will happen?
Ans: Inform the university contact officers and travel agencies well in advance, if you are facing any problems while getting the visa. As a delay in your arrival will result in missing the IAP which is a mandatory part of the scholarships, you need to contact AusAID Dhaka office and your institution to bring this issue to their attention. Also note that AusAID office, Dhaka should be copied into all correspondence with the University. However, to avoid such problem we advise you to submit your visa application well in advance (8-12 weeks) to the class start date.
8. What happens if my visa application gets rejected? Can I reapply?
Ans. Your scholarship offer is conditional to receiving a visa to Australia. So if your visa application is rejected your scholarship offer is also rejected. If you wish, you may reapply for the ADS program the following year.

9. How important are the Introductory Academic Programmes (IAP)?
Ans: Attendance in the IAP is mandatory.

10. After submitting all the necessary educational documents, how are the awardees contacted?
Ans: Awardees will be contacted by phone and/or by email and/or by post. Kindly ensure you have provided the correct and current details of the above in your application form.

11. Can we take spouse or children in Australia?
Ans: The Australian Government does not provide any financial or other support for the dependants of ADS Students. Students must indicate in their ADS application form if they intend to take dependant family members with them to Australia. Students must first get the necessary approval from the university as well as post to take their dependants. Once the approval is received the students should contact DIAC or their designated office (VFS, Bangladesh) directly to ascertain the current requirements for family entry.

Dependents (spouse and children) should meet all the visa requirements of DIAC. They will travel at their own personal expense. AusAID will not provide any provide any support for processing the visa of the dependants. The ADS students / or their dependants are responsible for processing the visa and meet all visa requirements. Under Australian visa requirements, parents, parents in law or siblings of an applicant are not considered dependents and can not accompany the scholarship recipients to Australia for the duration of their scholarship award.
The dependants must have medical insurance in place prior to their departure from their country of citizenship. Students are advised to contact university representatives/ ALO to get more information on this. Please refer to the DIAC website for more details about dependants visa processing: http://www.bangladesh.embassy.gov.au/daca/Visas%5fand%5fMigration.html

12. Can I contact AusAID Dhaka- Bangladesh, if I require any assistance during my academic year in Australia? Are there any protocols?
Ans. During the academic year, you should contact the ALO in the first instance if you require any assistance. If you need to contact AusAID Dhaka, you can do that through the AusAID Liaison Officer (ALO) or the designated representative of your university.

13. How long will it take once I apply for my family’s visa?
Ans. Students must contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) directly to ascertain the current requirements for family entry and the current visa processing time. The standard time for visa processing is 8 – 12 weeks. DIAC does not respond to any query re visa status prior to the indicated 12 week timeframe.

14. Can my spouse apply for a scholarship while s/he accompanies me during my tenure of study?
Ans. Your spouse can apply for a scholarship in his/her own merit. However, to do that your spouse must meet the conditions attached with the scholarships e.g. to be eligible for the AusAID sponsored scholarships, the candidate must reside and apply from their home country. In the event that your spouse receives a scholarship during his/her stay in Australia as your dependant, s/he must change the visa status and return to Bangladesh to apply for student visa. AusAID dependants’ visa status can not be changed while staying in Australia.

15. Can I contact my respective organisation: my employer, during my academic year?
Ans. Yes, you may contact your employer during your study abroad.

16. Do I have to maintain a minimum grade in order to continue after the first year?
Ans. Yes, students must make satisfactory progress and pass at least 80% of their first year units. Failure to do so may result in the ADS being terminated. This requirement may be higher or lower depending on the course you are undertaking.

17. Do I need to carry extra (my own) cash/funds with me when I go for the first time?
Ans. It is advisable that students carry extra personal funds with them when they go to Australia for the first time.

18. How much money do I need?
Ans. The amount of money you will need to demonstrate will depend upon whether your family members are accompanying you to Australia or not.
If you have family members, such as a spouse and dependent children, who are not accompanying you to Australia you will need to demonstrate that you have the financial capacity to support these family members for the duration of your study while they remain in your home country.
On the other hand, if your dependant family members accompany you during your stay in Australia you will need to satisfy and meet the DIAC financial requirement to demonstrate that you have enough funds to support them during their stay in Australia.

19. Do we register for classes once we reach Australia or from here?
Ans. AusAID will complete all the necessary formalities regarding course registration once candidates have been selected and confirmed that they will accept the scholarship offer.

20. What is an alternate document to the birth certificate?
Ans. There is no alternate document to the birth certificate.

21. Who pays for the candidates to take the IELTS test?
Ans. The candidates will bear the cost of the IELTS exam, which they have to undertake prior to application submission.

22. Do candidates from the government service get preference over candidates who are privately employed?
Ans. All candidates are assessed against basic eligibility criteria, merit, work experience, professional background and expression of interest submitted with the application.

23.Can I change my field of study once I reach Australia under the ADS program?
Ans. No, once selected students cannot change their field of study. Each candidate is assessed and selected against the subject they applied for.

24. Does AusAID take the responsibility to find accommodation? Are there any provisions for on-campus accommodations for the scholarship holders?
Ans. Students are responsible for finding their own long term accommodation. AusAID is not responsible for facilitating accommodation for awardees. Students are advised to contact the University representative to find them accommodation for the initial few days until the student finds their own long term accommodation.

25. Are CHT candidates eligible to apply for Bachelors program and Masters program?
Ans. Yes, CHT candidates are eligible to apply for both the Bachelor and Masters Program. Please visit the UNDP website for more details. : http://www.un-bd.org/undp/jobs/index.html

26. Are there are any provisions for distance education under the ADS program?
Ans. Currently there are no provisions for distance education under the ADS program.

27. How many scholarships are available for this year?
Ans. The number of scholarships to be given out each year is decided after the Australian budget is announced in May in that year. However, the allocated number will be filled in only if sufficient qualified and eligible applications are received. Quality of applicants shall not be compromised to meet the allocated number.

28. How many scholarships are available for CHT candidates, both for the Bachelor and Masters program?
Ans. Approximate allocation is 20 scholarships; however actual the number of awardees is dependant on Australian Budget and receiving qualified applications.

29. What is the duration of the scholarship program?
Ans. It depends upon the individual institution and the course the candidate is enrolled in. Usually Bachelor programs are for three years and Masters programs for 12-18 months.

30. How will the candidates be short-listed?
Ans. The candidates will be judged against the specific criteria (minimum academic qualifications, English lang. requirement, work experience, age, etc). Once short listed the candidates will need to appear for a written test and interview. The written test and interview broadly assesses their analytical skills, English language skill, writing skills, knowledge of the subject applied for, commitment towards development of the country (Bangladesh) among other issues.

31. How do we choose which university to apply to and find out about Course availabilities?
Ans. The candidates are expected to have the knowledge which course they wish to apply for. However once short listed AusAID will provide you with the university list under ADS, you have to look for the courses available by searching the individual university websites/handbooks.

32. What are the documents needed with the application form?
Ans.: The required document list is attached in the last page of ADS Application form as well as mentioned in the advertisement. Please ensure that all supporting documents are attached with the application form.

33. Is the IELTS score the main determining factor for being selected? How important is the test score?
Ans.: No, it is one of the important factors. However, it is a mandatory requirement for all Australian Universities. Without a valid and minimum required IELTS score, you can not get admission in any university in Australia. It is also a mandatory requirement to get the Australian visa (student visa). Please note that an IELTS test result remains valid for two years only. Candidates must attach a valid IELTS test score with their application.

34. What are the reasons for an application to be rejected?
Ans.: All required documents mentioned in the application form MUST be submitted. Therefore, any document not attached with the application form, will automatically not be considered for further process..

35.: Is a Medical examination compulsory for obtaining Australian visa?
Ans.: Yes, medical examination is a must for visa applicants. After submission of your visa application you will be contacted by DIAC in this regard.

36: How do I collect my air-ticket? Who makes all the necessary travel arrangements?
Ans.: After receiving the Australian visa, you have to collect your air-ticket from an AusAID nominated travel agent. AusAID and (UNDP) will book the flight for you and take care of the necessary travel arrangements. You will need to show a copy of a valid visa to get the air-ticket.

37. What is the maximum weight of luggage allowed for students?
Ans.: It depends on the air-lines. The travel agent will notify you with the appropriate details.

38.: Am I at liberty to contact the respective Australian institution for admission purposes?
Ans.: Yes, you are. But you will need to keep AusAID informed.

39. Why is an Expression of Interest (EOI) necessary?
Ans.: EOI must be submitted with the application form. An EOI is necessary because the panel will assess applicant’s analytical skills, interest in his chosen field of study, his/her future career plans, future contribution plans for the development of the country (Bangladesh) and basic English language skills.

40: Once selected, what are the things that we are expected to carry to Australia?
Ans.: You will be briefed about the necessary details in the final pre-departure briefing session that AusAID will conduct specifically for you. Also, you will get a check list or information sheet regarding this.

41: Will I be able to avail domestic flights if needed on the way to/back from the respected educational institution?
Ans: You will be provided with the necessary tickets (both international and domestic) to reach your institution. The travel agent will brief you in this regard.

42: Will there be anyone from the university to receive me at the airport? Where I can stay?
Ans.: Please contact the designated University representative prior to leaving Dhaka upon receiving your visa and let them know your travel details. They will arrange airport reception (if requested) and accommodation for you until you find your own place.

43 Should applicants apply directly to Australian universities to seek admission?
Ans. No. AusAID is responsible for seeking admission only for those who are selected. It is a two step application process. Based on the initial application the candidates are short listed. Only the selected (awardee and reserve) candidates are then required to fill in the ADS application form. Based on the course and institution nominated in the ADS application AusAID will process their admission.

44. Can applicants apply for a Masters leading to a PhD?
Ans. No, the award is for Masters-level study only.

45. When does the selection process begin?
Ans. For the January intake of the following year, applications are received until April/May of the previous year and selection process commences soon after the application closing date. Within 4-6 weeks of the application closing date only the short listed will be contacted by AusAID.

46. Can applicants apply for a graduate diploma leading to a Masters program?
Ans.. A student can undertake a graduate certificate/diploma only if it leads to a Masters degree and he/she is granted only one degree from the university. However, the requirement for such program will depend on the course and institution requirement.

47. Can an applicant submit more than one application per intake?
Ans. No. AusAID accepts only one application per candidate for each intake. Duplicate applications will not be accepted and may lead to disqualification.

48. Is deferral of the scholarship allowed?
Ans. No, however it may be allowed in exceptional circumstances (e.g pregnancy, delayed visa processing,). AusAID may on a case by case basis consider a deferral for a maximum period of up to 12 months. Detailed and attested documentation for a deferral case is required.

49. Is two years work experience mandatory?
Ans. Yes, two years of work experience relevant to the field of study is the minimum requirement to be eligible for the ADS. Internships or article ship do not count towards work experience.

50. What is a “current” IELTS score?
Ans. An IELTS test result that is valid (for two years from date of the result) until the month of November of the year you are applying is considered current.

51 .Can applicants send TOEFL scores instead of IELTS?
Ans. No, Australian visa requirements in Bangladesh do not accept TOEFL scores for Australian visa purposes.

52. Are applicants holding a foreign degree exempt from submitting a current IELTS score?
Ans. No. Applicants with foreign degrees from an English speaking country (UK, USA or Canada) are still required to submit a current IELTS score.

53. Do applicants still need to submit a current IELTS score if their medium of instruction has been English throughout their academic and/or professional career?
Ans. Yes, a current IELTS score must be submitted even if the medium of instruction has been English throughout an applicant’s academic career for visa requirement.

54. Are provisional educational degrees acceptable to fulfill the “16 years education” eligibility criterion?
Ans. No. AusAID will only accept final transcripts and educational degrees from accredited educational institutions. Any educational degrees obtained after the deadline for receipt of applications will not be accepted.

55. Do applicants need to submit a research proposal with the application?
Ans. All master applicants whose study program will include at least 50 percent research must attach an outline of the proposed research project (up to 1000 words) to each application form. Details are provided on page 7 of the application form. Masters (research) applications received without such an outline will be considered invalid.

56. Do public sector applicants need to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC)?
Ans. Public sector applicants are required to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) once they have been selected.

57. Are there different eligibility criteria for Government and non-government sector applicants?
Ans. No, the eligibility criteria are consistent for both the government and non government category applicants and all applications are subject to the same short listing procedure.

58. Which is the best university in Australia?
Ans. There is no such thing as the best university in Australia. All universities maintain the same standard