Scholarship scams targeting international students — the red flags

The core rule: legitimate scholarships never charge a fee to apply

This is the single most reliable test. Real university and government scholarships — Australia Awards, the Research Training Program, university merit and equity awards, named faculty scholarships — do not require you to pay a processing fee, administration charge, 'tax,' or any other payment before or during the application or selection process.

If a message asks for payment to 'unlock,' 'process,' 'confirm,' or 'release' a scholarship you've supposedly already won or been shortlisted for, that is not how any genuine Australian scholarship program operates, regardless of how official the request looks or how urgently it's framed.

This applies even if the fee is described as small or refundable — scammers frequently use a modest initial amount specifically because it feels low-risk enough that a stressed or excited student pays without stopping to verify, and a 'refund' on a fake fee never actually arrives.

Other red flags to watch for

Being contacted unsolicited — by email, text, phone call or social media message — about a scholarship you never applied for is a strong warning sign, particularly if the message claims you've already been 'selected' or 'pre-approved.' Genuine scholarship processes don't work this way; you apply, then you're assessed.

Any message using the word 'guaranteed,' or claiming a scholarship decision has been made before a genuine review process could realistically have occurred, should be treated with real scepticism — no legitimate scholarship provider can guarantee an outcome before assessing a complete application.

Official-sounding names designed to resemble a genuine government or university body — using words like 'national,' 'official,' 'federal' or a name that's a close but not exact match to a real institution — are a common scammer technique, as is a sender email address that looks similar to, but isn't quite, an official .edu.au or .gov.au domain.

Pressure to act immediately — a deadline of hours rather than weeks, or repeated urgent follow-up messages — is designed to stop you from taking the time to verify the offer independently, which is exactly the step that would expose it.

How to verify a scholarship offer is real

Go directly to the official website of the university or government program the offer claims to be from — type the address in yourself rather than clicking a link in the message — and search for the specific scholarship by name. If it's genuine, it will be listed with matching details on the institution's own current scholarships page.

For a university scholarship, contact the international student office or scholarships team using the phone number or email listed on the university's own official website, not any contact details provided in the suspicious message itself, and ask them to confirm whether the offer is genuine.

For a government award like Australia Awards, check the specific country program's official page directly, since these are run through DFAT and Australia Awards country offices, and any genuine communication about your application will reference the country-specific portal or process you actually applied through.

A quick search of the exact wording of the offer, alongside the word 'scam,' can also surface other students who've reported the same message — scam campaigns are frequently sent to large numbers of students with near-identical wording.

What to do if you've been targeted

Don't send money, banking details, copies of your passport or other identity documents, or any payment in response to an unverified scholarship offer, no matter how convincing it looks or how much urgency it conveys.

If you've already paid, contact your bank or card provider immediately to ask about reversing the payment or disputing the charge, and report the scam to the relevant authority — in Australia, Scamwatch (run by the ACCC) is the appropriate body for reporting a scam of this kind, alongside reporting it to the genuine institution being impersonated so they can warn other students.

If the scam specifically impersonated a university you have a genuine application or enrolment with, let that university's international student office know directly — they may already be tracking similar reports and can advise on next steps specific to your situation.

Do legitimate Australian scholarships ever charge an application fee?

No. Genuine university and government scholarships in Australia — including Australia Awards, the Research Training Program, and standard university merit and equity awards — do not charge a fee to apply or to be considered, at any stage of the process.

I got an email saying I've won a scholarship I never applied for — is it real?

Treat it as a strong red flag. Genuine scholarships are awarded to applicants who went through an actual application and assessment process — being unexpectedly told you've 'won' or been 'pre-selected' for something you never applied for is a common scam pattern.

How do I check if a scholarship offer is genuine?

Go directly to the official website of the university or government program (typing the address yourself, not clicking a link in the message) and search for the specific scholarship by name, or contact the institution's international office using contact details from their own official site.

What should I do if I've already paid a scholarship 'processing fee'?

Contact your bank or card provider immediately to ask about reversing the payment, and report the scam to Scamwatch (run by the ACCC) as well as to the genuine institution being impersonated.

Can a 'guaranteed' scholarship be real?

No legitimate scholarship provider can guarantee an outcome before reviewing a complete application. Any offer using the word 'guaranteed' before an assessment has genuinely taken place should be treated with real scepticism.