Self-Funded Study in Australia: How to Join the Saudi Scholarship

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Yes. A Saudi student who starts in Australia self-funded can join the Saudi scholarship later, on two conditions: prior Ministry of Education approval for self-funded study before travelling, then meeting the joining rules (GPA, a ranked university, a recommended major) inside a fixed window. A second route is applying directly to a King Salman Scholarship Program track. This guide covers both, plus what universities offer self-funded students.

What does self-funded study mean, and do you need approval?

Self-funded study (الدراسة على الحساب الخاص) means you pay tuition and living costs yourself, without a scholarship. The Ministry runs a free e-service, "Request to study abroad at own expense", on the Safeer 2 platform; it is processed within five working days and requires that you have no open request or open file in Safeer as a student or dependant, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education (as at September 2026).

This approval matters. The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia (SACM) will not open a file for a self-funded student, and will not accept a request to join the scholarship, unless the student obtained the Ministry’s approval before travelling, as stated by SACM Australia. Getting your degree attested after graduation also requires prior approval and a recommended university, according to SACM’s FAQ.

How to request approval for self-funded study

1. Log in to Safeer 2 and choose "Study at own expense".
2. Accept the terms, then select the degree level and study type.
3. Enter your personal details and previous qualifications.
4. Enter the institution and country (Australia).
5. Attach the supporting documents and submit; a decision is due within five working days according to the service description.

Secure a conditional or full offer first, because the form asks for your university and major. If you are starting from scratch, our step-by-step process explains the order: offer, approval, then visa.

What are the conditions to join the scholarship from self-funded study?

The joining rules (ضوابط الإلحاق بالبعثة) come from amendments approved by the Saudi Council of Ministers in Decision 134 dated 22/4/1437 AH, published by Al Riyadh newspaper on 2 February 2016.

Level	What you complete first at your own expense	Minimum GPA	University
Bachelor	30 credit units (one academic year)	3.0 out of 4	Top 50 in the field or top 100 worldwide
Master	First semester passed	3.3 out of 4 in the bachelor degree	Same lists
PhD	First semester (4 months)	3.3 out of 4 in the master degree	Same lists
Medicine and designated engineering and science majors	30 credit units	2.75 out of 4 for bachelor; 3.0 out of 4 to join at master level	Universities designated by the Ministry

Figures are from the joining rules published on the Ministry of Education site (UK mission) and the decision text in Al Riyadh; they are Ministry-wide rules, not country-specific. The Ministry’s "Request to join a scholarship" service page adds that the university must be in the top 50 to 100 in the field (top 200 for medicine and engineering), that the GPA must be 3.0 or above depending on level, and that the major must be recommended and not suspended, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education (as at September 2026). Check the Ministry’s current university and major lists before you enrol; choosing a university outside the lists closes the door from day one.

General conditions beyond GPA

• Prior Ministry approval for self-funded study.
• Good conduct and medical fitness; no previous dismissal from a scholarship or a Saudi university; and no previous scholarship or degree at the same level.
• Lawful residence in the country of study that allows full-time study.
• Applicants sit any tests and ranking procedures the Ministry sets, and doctors are enrolled in the clinical track (fellowship and specialisation) rather than academic degrees, according to the Ministry’s joining rules.

The Ministry is not obliged to accept every request; the then Minister of Education said joining is subject to defined rules, as reported by. Plan as if you may finish the degree self-funded, and treat joining as an opportunity.

When and how do you apply to join?

The application is online through the Qabul platform using Nafath (National Single Sign-On), free of charge, decided within three working days, and open in two windows a year: the autumn window from 1 May to 30 June, and the spring window from 1 October to 30 November, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education (as at September 2026).

1. Log in to Qabul with Nafath and confirm your personal details.
2. Enter your scholarship, language and international test details.
3. Click "Start application" and choose the request to enrol a self-funded student.
4. Upload the documents: national ID, passport, visa, academic certificates with equivalency, enrolment confirmation and offer, transcripts, English proficiency certificate and the required undertakings, per the document list on the Ministry site.
5. Track the request on the platform and use the Safeer app for queries.

Can you apply directly to a scholarship track while self-funded?

Yes. The King Salman Scholarship Program (برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث الخارجي) FAQ states that a self-funded student may apply when the general conditions and the track-specific conditions are met, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. The tracks shown on the program site are Ar-Ruwaad (top 30 institutions), Emdad (top 200), Research and Development (PhD from the top 200) and Waaid; general conditions include a maximum age of 30 for bachelor applicants (except Ar-Ruwaad) and no previous scholarship at the same degree level (except Ar-Ruwaad), according to the program conditions (as at September 2026).

This route suits students holding an offer from an approved Australian university; the program’s Australia page lists 21 approved universities across the cities (updated 14 January 2024) according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. Read the details in our Ar-Ruwaad track guide and the guide to all Saudi scholarship tracks.

What do Australian universities offer self-funded students?

Fee-paying students are exactly who university merit scholarships target, and most are awarded automatically with the offer, with no separate application:

University	Offer	How it is awarded
Australian National University (ANU)	20% off first-year tuition, and a separate award of up to 50% for up to four years	Automatically considered with your application, per ANU
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)	30% (Academic Excellence), 15% (Academic Merit, 2026 commencers) and a full-tuition Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship	Automatic, per UTS
University of Newcastle	20% of the annual tuition fee, up to 25 scholarships in 2027	Per the University of Newcastle
Griffith University	20% off tuition for the whole program	Per Griffith University
University of Wollongong	Up to 30% off tuition	Per the University of Wollongong
Macquarie University	Up to AUD 10,000 towards tuition, with an ATAR equivalent of 85 or a WAM equivalent of 65	Per Macquarie University

Percentages are as published up to September 2026 and change every year, so check the university page before relying on them. Note that some well-known awards are restricted to country lists that do not include Saudi Arabia, such as the UNSW International Student Award (20%) under the eligible-country list published in April 2026, and the Sydney International Student Award (20%) for 2027 commencers, per the University of Sydney.

Instalments, language schools and pathways

• If paying tuition upfront is a strain, KD has an announced partnership with Gel Pay for fee instalments; ask your counsellor about the current terms.
• KD students have an announced discount at LSI language school, and KD partners with Navitas (academic pathway programs) and Study Group, which suit students who do not yet meet direct-entry requirements.
• Budget for living costs before tuition: SACM estimates that a person needs about SAR 10,000 (AUD 2,500) a month for accommodation and living expenses, excluding tuition, per SACM guidelines, and the student visa application charge has been AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026, per Study Australia.

How KD helps on the self-funded route

KD International works with self-funded students alongside the Saudi scholarship programs, and states that its admission service is free for students applying to scholarship-program majors at universities approved by the Ministry of Education. Your counsellor helps you choose a university inside the Ministry’s lists from day one, so that joining the scholarship stays possible, and supports you with visa guidance, accommodation and NAATI-certified translation.

Take one step now: register your details so a counsellor can compare available offers for you, or contact us if you are already studying and want to know where you stand against the joining rules.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• طلب دراسة في الخارج على الحساب الخاص — وزارة التعليم
• طلب إلحاق في بعثة — وزارة التعليم
• ضوابط إلحاق الطلاب الدارسين على حسابهم الخاص بالبعثة — وزارة التعليم (الملحقية الثقافية في بريطانيا)
• ضوابط إلحاق الطلاب الدارسين على حسابهم في الخارج — وزارة التعليم
• تعديلات على ضوابط إلحاق الدارسين على حسابهم بالبعثة (2 فبراير 2016) — صحيفة الرياض
• طلب الموافقة على الدراسة على الحساب الخاص — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
• إرشادات ونصائح — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
• الأسئلة الأكثر شيوعاً وشروط برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث — وزارة التعليم
• أستراليا: قائمة الجامعات المعتمدة — وزارة التعليم
• Scholarships — Australian National University
• International scholarships — University of Technology Sydney

Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.