Eligibility and selection criteria

The NSW International Student of the Year Awards recognise the contribution made by international students to the community where they study, live and work across four categories: 

• Schools 
• English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) 
• Vocational Education and Training (VET) 
• Higher Education. 

The NSW International Education Industry Awards recognise the contribution of education institutions, EdTech providers, and sector organisations that support international students to connect with the community and enhance the international student experience through programs and initiatives across three categories: 

• Education Providers 
• EdTech Engagement  
• Partnership Excellence.

• Nominations are to be submitted via the online nomination form. 
• Nominations must be submitted by close of business on Monday 6 August or as otherwise advertised on the Study NSW website.
• There is no limit to the number of students an education provider can nominate or support the submission of a nomination, as long as the education provider is comfortable that the student meets the award eligibility and selection criteria.
• Nominators need to have consent from the nominee before submitting a nomination. 
• Nominators need to have consent from the referee before submitting a nomination. 
• A selection panel comprising of community, business and international education industry representatives will assess nominations to determine finalists and a winner in each category. 
• Nominations may be transferable from one category to another at the discretion of the panel. 
• All nominees will be subject to reference checking. 
• All nominators, referees, beneficiaries, and people endorsing nominations agree they can be contacted for reference checks. 
• All nominations are kept in the strictest confidence. 
• The winner in each category will be announced at the ceremony in Sydney (Wednesday 6 November 2024 at the Museum of Contemporary Art).  
• Finalists of all Award categories will be individually notified and will be publicly announced in advance of the ceremony. Finalists need to be able to attend the ceremony. 
• Successful finalists may be required to participate in a video production that will be screened at the ceremony and used for promotional purposes. 
• Finalists may be asked to participate in promotional and media opportunities. 
• Study NSW reserves the right not to award a winner in any or all categories.  
• Winner/finalists undertake to not enter any activity that will disrepute the NSW Government.

Please complete and submit nominations by close of business day Tuesday 6 August 2024. 

Please email [email protected]External Link  and the Study NSW team will be in contact with you. 

If you are unsure which staff member you should speak to, start with talking to your lecturer/teacher or student support staff. Show them the information online about the Awards and they should be able to tell you who can help you with the nomination. If staff at your education institution have questions about the nomination process, they can contact Study NSW ([email protected]External Link ).

International students in NSW can self-nominate or be nominated by their education institution. If you are an international student who has contributed to the community, that it deserves special recognition, complete the online nomination form and make sure you approach your education provider to support your nomination by completing the Education Institution Supporting LetterExternal Link . 

If you would like to nominate another international student studying in NSW that has greatly contributed to the community, encourage them to nominate by sharing this web page with them. 

If your education provider has run excellent initiatives to connect international students to the wider community, please encourage them to nominate for the International Education Industry Award (Education Provider). Please discuss this with the initiative lead/administrator you believe should be nominated. They can self-nominate, and you can provide an endorsement as part of the nomination. If your education institution has questions about the nomination process, they can contact Study NSW.

There is no limit to the number of students an education provider can nominate or support the submission of a nomination, as long as the education provider is comfortable that the student meets the award eligibility and selection criteria. Self-nominations and nominations made by the education provider must include a letter of support on the education provider company letterhead. A template that you can apply to the company letterhead can be downloaded hereExternal Link . 

Please Contact Study NSW if you have any questions about the nomination process.

Self-nominations of programs are accepted for the NSW International Education Industry Award. Please read eligibility criteria for education providers, EdTech engagement and partnership excellence.  

If you have run a program from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, please nominate your program or initiative for the NSW International Education Industry Award. You can also nominate a partner education institution for this award category.

Finalists will be announced in early October.  

After nominations close, all nominations will be assessed by the Awards Panel and Study NSW will conduct reference checks.

Please ensure you have advised your reference to confirm their current contact details and that they will be contacted by Study NSW.

There are typically three to five finalists per category. However, there could be more or less, depending on the number of nominations and on the decision of the Awards Panel.

Study NSW will email you to let you know the good news. Then we will send you an email with all information you need to know about next steps. Contact us at [email protected]External Link  any time, if you have any questions.

The Awards ceremony will be held on 6 November 2024 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney.

Yes, each finalist can invite two guests to the ceremony. Your referee and education institution (for the NSW International Student of the Year award) will also be invited to join the ceremony.

Invitations will be sent around one month prior to the ceremony.

International Student Ambassador community consists of all previous finalists from the International Education Awards. Being a finalist for an Award automatically admits you into the Ambassador community, which will:  

• provide past year winners and the highly commended with a ticket to the following year’s International Education Awards ceremony 
• showcase profiles of previous year winners and the highly commended on the Study NSW website  
• profile previous year finalists on Study NSW social media channels 
• provide access to activities and events for all winners and finalists to connect with fellow Alumni and become an Ambassador for the international student community.