2026-10-17
ACU Executive Dean’s International Scholarship 2027: rates and conditions
ACU's 2027 Executive Dean’s scholarship offers course-dependent tuition reductions of 20%, 15% or 10%, with nationality, course and ongoing eligibility conditions.
Australian Catholic University's Executive Dean’s International Scholarship offers eligible international students commencing in 2027 a tuition fee reduction of 20%, 15% or 10%, depending on their course. The highest percentage is not a university-wide discount: nationality, course level, subject area and exclusions all matter.
The award covers eligible study at Australian campuses, excluding online courses. Students are considered automatically through the admission process, rather than through a separate scholarship application. Automatic consideration does not mean every applicant receives an award. Selection is based on academic merit, with recipients selected by ACU’s Global Engagement team. Applicants must also meet the applicable admission, visa and university compliance requirements; a scholarship assessment is not a separate visa decision.
Who is within the nationality requirement?
The eligible nationalities are Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, South Korea and Taiwan. This is a defined list, not a scholarship for every international nationality.
An applicant must also be commencing an eligible course in 2027. Study Abroad and Exchange students are excluded. Meeting the nationality requirement is therefore only the first part of the assessment; it does not establish course eligibility or admission.
How the three tuition reductions differ
ACU's 2026 Shantou workshop sets out the following course groups for the 2027 award:
- 20%: eligible Arts diploma and bachelor courses and coursework master's degrees in the Faculty of Education and Arts; eligible bachelor courses and coursework master's degrees in the Faculty of Law and Business. One-year honours courses are excluded.
- 15%: eligible Education and Teaching diploma and bachelor courses and coursework master's degrees; eligible Health Sciences bachelor courses and coursework master's degrees, subject to the health exclusions below. One-year honours courses are excluded.
- 10%: Bachelor of Nursing, excluding one-year honours, and Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurse).
The current EDIS terms also name two Human and Digital Futures courses in the 20% category: Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Computer Science/Master of Data Science. A broad label such as “IT” is not a substitute for one of these named qualifications. Graduate Certificates and research degrees should not be treated as covered simply because they are postgraduate qualifications.
Nursing has its own 10% category rather than the general 15% Health Sciences rate. The named health exclusions are:
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Bachelor of Physiotherapy and Bachelor of Speech Pathology.
- Master of Dietetic Practice and Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology.
- All postgraduate psychology programs.
A course's faculty name alone is not a reliable basis for applying a percentage to a fee estimate.
What the percentage means for a study budget
The terms describe a reduction in course fees each semester, for the minimum registered course duration under CRICOS, Australia's register of courses for overseas students. It is not a living-cost allowance or a reduction in every expense associated with studying in Australia.
For planning, keep the course's tuition estimate separate from accommodation, transport, insurance and other expenses. Apply only the percentage confirmed for the eligible course, and keep the unreduced amount visible until the award is confirmed. A percentage discount does not turn an indicative tuition figure into a fixed total price for the whole degree.
Continued support also has conditions. Recipients must remain enrolled in the same course, pay required fees on time and meet student-ambassador obligations. The scholarship should therefore be considered alongside the course plan, not as funding that automatically follows a student into any later change of study.
Can it be added to another ACU scholarship?
The Executive Dean’s award cannot be combined with Global Horizons, Flourishing Lives or the Health Sciences Towards Brisbane 2032 scholarship. Where a student qualifies for more than one of these awards, ACU offers the higher-value scholarship.
That distinction is particularly relevant to someone comparing nursing at Brisbane with nursing elsewhere. Eligibility for a second award does not mean the two percentage reductions are added together. Compare the applicable awards as alternatives, keeping course and campus conditions attached to each.
The details to have clear before accepting an offer
A useful scholarship summary should identify the exact course, commencement year, campus and delivery mode, eligible nationality, applicable reduction and any competing award. The admission offer and scholarship confirmation should tell a consistent story about what is being funded.
For an otherwise eligible applicant, the practical benefit is a reduction linked to a defined course of study. The decision still depends on whether that course meets the applicant's academic goals and whether the remaining costs are manageable.
Source: ACU's 2026 Shantou Global Engagement workshop and Executive Dean’s International Scholarship terms. This summary concerns the 2027 award; individual entitlement remains subject to its eligibility and continuation conditions.