CDU Vice-Chancellor’s International High Achievers Scholarships

Overview

The Vice-Chancellor's International High Achievers Scholarships (VCIHAS) is Charles Darwin University's (CDU) flagship merit scholarship for international students, covering 50% of tuition fees for the full duration of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree. It is awarded to students with a record of outstanding academic performance.

Charles Darwin University is located in Darwin, Northern Territory — Australia's most multicultural city and a gateway to Southeast Asia. CDU is known for its flexible, practical programmes and strong focus on social justice, sustainability, and Indigenous engagement. For Nepali students considering Australia who want a less competitive pathway than Group of Eight universities, CDU offers a solid quality education with one of the more generous partial scholarship packages among smaller Australian universities.

Beyond VCIHAS, CDU offers a broader scholarship ecosystem for international students including the CDU Global Excellence Award (50% first year, 10% subsequent years), CDU Global Leader Award (25% first year, 10% subsequent years), CDU Global Achiever Award (15% first year), and fully funded Higher Degree by Research scholarships. This page covers VCIHAS specifically — the most generous coursework option.

Eligibility

• International student — not an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen
• Applying for a full-time, on-campus undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree at CDU
• Holds an offer of admission to the degree from CDU
• Minimum overall score of 95% in highest completed qualification — this is a high bar; meeting it does not guarantee the award
• Meets CDU's academic and English language entry requirements for the chosen programme
• Not currently holding a scholarship from an Australian or foreign sponsoring agency
• Commencing in Semester 1 (February intake)

Ongoing Conditions

• Must maintain full-time enrolment of 40 credit points each semester
• Must maintain satisfactory academic progress each semester
• Must pay the remaining tuition balance on or before the start of each semester — the scholarship is credited directly to the student account up to two weeks after the census date
• Scholarship is not transferable for cash, not refundable, and cannot be transferred to another person, semester, course, or year

Who is Not Eligible

• Australian citizens and permanent residents
• New Zealand citizens
• Students already holding another scholarship from Australia or abroad
• Part-time or online students

How to Apply

The VCIHAS application is a two-step process running alongside your CDU admissions application.

1. Apply for admission to CDU — submit your application for your chosen undergraduate or postgraduate coursework programme at CDU through the international admissions portal at cdu.edu.au/international/how-apply. Ensure you have a formal offer of admission before proceeding to the scholarship application.
2. Submit the scholarship application — complete the VCIHAS scholarship application form available at cdu.edu.au VCIHAS application page. Submit alongside your degree application with all required documents including academic transcripts demonstrating your 95% or above overall result.
3. Await notification — scholarship outcomes are notified by email within one month of the scholarship application deadline.
4. Accept and enrol — if awarded, accept the scholarship and enrol full-time on campus at CDU for Semester 1.

For queries contact CDU International: international@cdu.edu.au or call 1800 061 963 (free call within Australia).