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R.G. Menzies Scholarship to Harvard

For Careers andScholarships Advisers.

A summary of the R.G. Menzies Scholarship to Harvard for advisers who help students find funding for graduate study, with the guides to pass on.

Get in touchHow to apply

The Scholarship in Brief

Menzies Scholars
103From the first award in 1968 to 2026. Source: Honour Roll.
Harvard schools attended
9Schools at which Menzies Scholars have studied. Source: Harvard schools and degrees.
Award value
Up to US$60,000 a yearUp to US$120,000 for a two-year degree. Source: How to apply.
Awards
Up to two each yearOffered annually, in any field of study. Source: How to apply.
Funded by
The Harvard Club of AustraliaThe scholarship’s funding body. Source: Partners and giving.
Administered by
The Australian National UniversityApplications are made through the ANU. Source: How to apply.

These figures are also on the fact sheet for journalists.

Who Is Eligible

To be eligible, you must:

  • be an Australian citizen or permanent resident who normally lives in Australia
  • hold a bachelor’s degree from an Australian university or other recognised Australian tertiary institution, with Honours or equivalent academic excellence
  • have applied for and been admitted to a full-time, in-person graduate program at Harvard University
  • intend to return to Australia after your studies, or to work overseas in a role representing Australia
  • have no current or previous postgraduate enrolment at a US university
  • not have accepted, or plan to accept, another major scholarship worth more than US$30,000, such as a Fulbright, Frank Knox, Ramsay or Monash award (awards made directly by the ANU or Harvard are an exception)

Selection is based on merit. Under the Conditions of Award, the selection committee considers academic merit, qualities of leadership and breadth of vision. How selection works.

Students can check each criterion with the eligibility check. The ANU’s Conditions of Award decide.

Application round

The 2027 round: dates to be announced by the ANU.

The 2026 round ran from 12 December 2025 to 9 February 2026; applications usually open in November or December. Check the ANU scholarship page for the current status.

ANU scholarship page (opens the ANU website) · See the key dates

When Students Should Start

Applications are made through the ANU. The 2026 round ran from 12 December 2025 to 9 February 2026. The Harvard Club of Australia says applications open in November each year and close by the following February, with interviews in March and April.

The award requires admission to a full-time Harvard graduate program, so students need to apply to Harvard well before the Menzies round closes. Planning ahead shows the deadlines Harvard’s schools have published, and the key dates calendar is on How to apply.

Guides to Send Students To

  • Eligibility check. Six questions that show how you match each published criterion. Indicative only: the ANU decides.
  • Planning ahead. Applying in a later round? What has to happen, and in what order, before the Menzies round opens.
  • Application planner. Choose your Harvard school and intake for a dated plan of its deadlines, the Menzies round and what to do when.
  • Harvard schools and degrees. Where Menzies Scholars have studied, the degrees they took, and links to each school’s own programs.
  • Application checklist. What to prepare and when, from before you apply, through the ANU form, referees and interview, to after an offer.
  • Selection criteria. How the committee judges applications, and the conditions you agree to if you accept the award.
  • Other scholarships. How the Menzies sits with Knox, Fulbright, Monash and Ramsay awards, and its rule on holding them.
  • After the offer. For incoming scholars. The award’s conditions, Harvard visa documents, the SEVIS fee, health insurance and staying in touch.
  • A year as a Menzies Scholar. From the offer to Harvard and back, what happens at each stage and what the award asks of you.
  • Applicant FAQ. Short answers to the questions applicants ask most, each linked to the guide with the full answer.
  • Glossary. The application and US study terms used on this site, from statement of purpose to I-20, SEVIS and F-1.
  • How to apply. The award at a glance, who can apply and how selection works.

Get in Touch

To talk with us about the scholarship, or to ask for a past scholar to speak with your students, use the contact form with the “Academic or institutional” topic. Questions about a student’s eligibility or application go to the ANU Coursework Scholarships Office, through the ANU scholarship page.

Referees can be sent the one-page referee brief.