2026 Interpreter Scholarship Program
The Interpreter Scholarship Program works to improve the supply, quality and use of language services in Victoria by offering scholarships to eligible students seeking to undertake the following courses, commencing in 2026:
- Diploma of Interpreting
- Advanced Diploma of Interpreting
- Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set
- Introduction to Translating and Interpreting Skill Set.
Each year, the program includes a range of languages that have been identified as needing more certified interpreters. This year, scholarships are on offer to students seeking to undertake the courses in one of the following languages:
- Diploma: Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Burmese, Khmer, Macedonian, Nepali, and Samoan
- Advanced Diploma: Greek, Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Sinhalese, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese
- Skill Set: Albanian, Amharic, Bangla, Bislama, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Chichewa, Chin languages, Dinka, Fiji Hindi, Gujarati, Hakka Chinese, Hmong, Kannada, Kayah (Karenni), Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kurdish Kurmanji, Lingala, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Mauritian Creole, Nuer, Oromo, Pashto, Rohingya, Somali, Swahili, Tigre, Tigrinya, Tok Pisin, Tongan and Ukrainian
How to apply
Applications for the 2026 Interpreter Scholarship open on 11 August 2025. You are required to apply for the scholarship for your chosen interpreting course via the RMIT University online portal.
For more information on the eligibility criteria and targeted languages for the 2026 Interpreter Scholarship and how to apply, visit:
- Diploma of Interpreting
- Advanced Diploma of Interpreting
- Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set or the Introduction to Translating and Interpreting Skill Set.
Who can apply
The RMIT certifications are suitable for bilingual people who are seeking to learn or develop professional interpreting techniques.
To be eligible for scholarships to support study in 2026 you must:
- live in Victoria
- speak one of the targeted languages
- be an Australian citizen, or have permanent residency (consideration will be given to applications from people seeking asylum)
- apply to the RMIT University course (Diploma of Interpreting, Advanced Diploma of Interpreting, Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set or Introduction to Translating and Interpreting Skill Set) for the targeted language
- remain enrolled and meet attendance requirements for each unit at RMIT University for the duration of the program
- complete the application and the documentation required for meeting the entry requirements for the eligible RMIT University course by the respective application closing dates
- sit your eligible NAATI test within approximately 6-12 months of course completion in the highest qualification available to you.
Priority will be given to applicants that meet all listed eligibility requirements. Applications may close early once all available scholarships have been fully allocated.
Please note: We require a minimum number of participants for each language.
In cases of low enrolment in the Diploma or the Advanced Diploma program, students may instead be offered the option to enrol in the Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set or the Introduction to Translating and Interpreting Skill Set programs.
Supporting Victoria's future interpreters
Since 2003, the Victorian Government has offered scholarships to support students undertaking a range of translating and interpreting courses at RMIT University.
Over the last 20 years, we have helped more than 1500 people gain certification with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
On average, over 66 per cent of Victorian migrants speak a language other than English, and over 33 per cent speak English only (ABS, 2021).
The scholarships aim to bolster Victoria's supply of qualified and certified interpreters so that non-English speakers have better access to crucial government services, such as health care, justice and housing support.
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