Study in Australia after Grade 12 in PNG

On this page

1. What can I do after Grade 12 in PNG?
2. Can I study in Australia after Grade 12 in PNG?
3. Are there scholarships in Australia for PNG students?
4. How do I choose a course in Australia after Grade 12?
5. When are the 2026 PNG Grade 12 results released?
6. How do I find out if I was selected through NOAS?
7. What should I do after the PNG Grade 12 results come out?
8. Do you want help with your own situation?

A PNG Grade 12 leaver can study in Australia as a self-funded student on a student visa (subclass 500).9 The other main route is a place at a university or college in PNG, through the National Online Application System (NOAS).5

The PNG Grade 12 results for 2026 are not out yet. The PNG Department of Education has not published the 2026 release date. The 2025 results went online on 9 December 2025, according to a news report.4

What can I do after Grade 12 in PNG?

A Grade 12 leaver can study in PNG or in Australia. These are the four options.

In PNG

In Australia

Can I study in Australia after Grade 12 in PNG?

Yes. A PNG Grade 12 leaver can study in Australia as a self-funded student on a student visa (subclass 500). On the Studyaway course pages, 16 of the 24 courses list “Year 12 or equivalent” and age 18 as the entry level, with an English score.10 The college checks the Grade 12 certificate and the English score against its own entry requirements.

The Department of Home Affairs sets these rules for the student visa9:

• The application is made online, from outside Australia.
• The student holds a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from the college and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
• The visa allows work of up to 48 hours a fortnight (every 2 weeks) while the course is in session.
• A student with a PNG passport can include a partner and children in an application made outside Australia.

Are there scholarships in Australia for PNG students?

Australia Awards PNG offers scholarships to study in Australia, but a student straight from Grade 12 does not meet its conditions.

So for a Grade 12 leaver, study in Australia straight after school is self-funded.

How do I choose a course in Australia after Grade 12?

The career comes first, then the course that leads to it. A good choice answers three questions:

• The work: what the job does each day, and whether the student can do it for years.
• The hours: whether the course and up to 48 hours a fortnight of work fit together.
• After study: each Studyaway course page says whether the occupation has a pathway to permanent residency (PR) or runs through an employer who sponsors the graduate.

When are the 2026 PNG Grade 12 results released?

The PNG Department of Education has not yet published the 2026 date. The Department tells the public to rely on official Department updates. Its Measurement Services Division oversees the national examinations, and the 2026 Grade 12 examinations finished in October 2026.12

How do I find out if I was selected through NOAS?

The selection and the TESAS award show in the NOAS MyStatus portal.6 The Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) runs NOAS for places at registered higher education institutions in PNG.5

• The 2026 cycle, for study in 2027, opened on 11 August 2026.5
• STAT-P registration closed on 12 October 2026.5
• DHERST has not yet published the 2026 selection date. Last year the grace period ended on 14 December 2025, DHERST held the selections on 17 December 2025 and set 23 December 2025 to publish the results.6
• The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) says it will email its successful candidates by mid-December 2026, together with the candidates selected through NOAS.7

What should I do after the PNG Grade 12 results come out?

• Save a copy of the results as soon as they are out.
• For study in PNG: check the NOAS MyStatus portal for the selection and the TESAS award.6
• For study in Australia: take Career Match, read the course guide, then check the published requirements with the Eligibility Checker.

Below is a flow chart of the steps from the Grade 12 results in PNG to a student visa application.

1. The resultsThe Grade 12 results, online or from the school.
2. Find your courseCareer Match asks 14 questions. The result names one or two careers, the course for each and its course guide.
3. Check your eligibilityThe Eligibility Checker reads your answers against the published student visa requirements.
4. Apply nowStudyaway sends the application to the college. The college sends a Letter of Offer.
5. The CoEThe college issues the Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) once the offer is accepted and the deposit is paid.
6. The visa application, from PNGMade online from outside Australia with the CoE and OSHC, plus the English result and evidence of funds where the Department asks for them.

Do you want help with your own situation?

Each case turns on the results, the course and the funds.

Studyaway tools to choose a course, check your eligibility and work out your funds

This article is general information only, not migration advice. In Australia, immigration assistance may only be provided by a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner - Studyaway provides all students with access to a Registered Migration Agent.