New Colombo Plan Eligibility

1. Eligibility to Receive a New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant

Grant recipients must:

(a) be an Australian citizen

(b) not be a citizen or permanent resident of a Host Location in which they will undertake a Mobility Project

(c) be enrolled at Western Sydney University for the duration of the Mobility Project

(d) be undertaking a Bachelor Degree, Bachelor Honours Degree or concurrent Diploma

(e) be aged between 18 and 28 inclusive at the commencement of the Mobility Project subject to the exemptions in Section 2

(f) not be an employee of the branch of DFAT that administers the NCP

(g) does not during the course of their Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree, receive more than one NCP grant for the type of experience (Semester, Short-term, or Online). Student can receive one grant in each category. 

(h) be aware of the requirement to comply with DFAT’s Child Protection Policy 2017 and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy 2019 including the reporting obligations under these policies (see Section 10.4), and

(g) take into account the University Foreign Interference Taskforce - Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector 2019.

Project leaders are strongly encouraged to actively support the participation of a diverse range of Students in Mobility Projects including, but not limited to, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students, Students from a Low Socio-Economic Status background, Students from Regional/Remote areas, Students who are first in their immediate family to attend university, Students across Genders, female Students studying in non-traditional fields, Students with a Disability, and Students from a non-English speaking background. This includes the provision of appropriate support services to enable the participation of these Students.

2. Age requirement

Western Sydney University must ensure that at least 70 per cent of the total number of Students receiving Student Grants under any Mobility Project, must be aged 18 to 28 inclusive at the commencement of the Mobility Project.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students do not need to be aged between 18 and 28, and for the purposes of calculating the 70 per cent of Students, are to be counted as Students aged under age 28, recognising that a high proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students are mature aged Students.

If there is difficulty filling places on Mobility Projects due to age requirements, Western Sydney University may apply to DFAT for an exemption to the requirement for Students to be between 18 and 28 years of age prior to the Mobility Projects commencing. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis based on:

• the demonstrated inability of Western Sydney University to include Students within the relevant age requirements;
• the steps that Western Sydney University has taken to attempt to meet this requirement;
• the overall benefit to the NCP Mobility Program of the Mobility Project proceeding;
• and whether Western Sydney University has a high proportion of mature age Students in its overall Student population.

Find out More

Visit the New Colombo Plan Mobility Program webpage or contact the NCP ILO.