OFID International Scholarship 2015/2016
OFID (The OPEC Fund for International
Development) is pleased to announce that qualified applicants who have
obtained or are on the verge of completing their undergraduate degree
and who wish to study for a Master’s degree are welcome to apply for the
OFID Scholarship 2015/2016.
OFID
scholarships will be awarded to four students or candidates for master’s
degree studies. Applicants must be from a developing country (except
OFID Member Countries), and he/she must first obtain admission to pursue
a Master’s degree studies in a relevant field of development, from any
recognized university/college in the world.
Through
its scholarship scheme, OFID aims to help highly motivated, highly
driven individuals overcome one of the biggest challenges to their
careers – the cost of graduate studies. The winners of the OFID
Scholarship Award will receive a scholarship of up to US$50,000. The
funds will go towards the completion of a Master’s degree, or its
equivalent, at an accredited educational institution, starting in the
autumn of the academic year 2015/2016.
Scholarship Benefits:
The
terms and conditions of payment will be determined in coordination with
the student upon his/her selection in accordance with the following
guidelines:
The tuition fees,
including any supplementary examination fees, as may be required by the
academic institution, will be paid by OFID directly to the academic
institution. Health insurance will be paid in accordance with the
institution’s own standard medical scheme.
A
monthly allowance to cover living expenses, books and accommodation,
will be transferred to the student’s own personal bank account.
Prior
to the start of his/her first year studies, the student will be paid a
relocation grant. OFID will also pay for travel costs from the nearest
airport to the student’s place of residence, to the nearest airport to
the chosen place of study. Upon completion of the studies, the student
will be paid the cost of one-way air ticket to his/her home country.
Eligibility:
- Must be between the ages of 23-32 at the time of submitting his/her application.
- Must
have obtained or be on the verge of completing their undergraduate
degree with a Baccalaureate from an accredited college/university, or
its equivalent.
- Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 rating system, or its equivalent.
- Must
be matriculated at an accredited university for the upcoming academic
year starting August/September 2015, and must maintain full-time status
for the duration of the Master’s Degree.
- Must be a national of a developing country (except OFID Member Countries)
- Must
select a subject of study that pertains to OFID’s core mission, such
as: economics of development (poverty reduction, energy and sustainable
development), environment (desertification), or other related science
and technology fields.
Documents Required:
- A completed on-line application form.
- A scanned copy of the applicant’s passport.
- A scanned copy of the last university degree or certificate.
- A
scanned letter of acceptance from chosen educational institution,
confirming your admission, subject of study and duration of the Master’s
degree program (must not exceed one year).
- A proof of meeting any prerequisites, including language proficiency.
- A
short essay – of about 500 words in English – giving reasons for
applying for the OFID scholarship, explaining your educational goals,
and clearly describing how you will use the experience gained from your
Master’s degree studies to help in the development of your home country.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors and/or lecturers at applicant’s present university.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
How to Apply:
STEP 1: Ensure that you fulfill the OFID Scholarship Award Eligibility Criteria.
STEP
2: Register within the OFID Scholarship Portal by using your email
address. Please note you can log onto the portal as many times as
required before finally submitting the application.
STEP
3: Fill out the application form. Make sure to save data each time you
update your application. Once you are logged in, if the page remains
inactive for more than two hours, your session will time-out and you may
lose unsaved data. Do not submit your application until you have
completed the entire application process!
STEP
4: Upload necessary documents: CV, two recommendation letters,
Bachelor’s certificate/transcript, acceptance letter into postgraduate
program and essay.
STEP 5: When your application is
complete, and all additional documents are uploaded, your application is
ready to be submitted. Once your application is submitted, you can no
longer make any changes or upload any more documents.
Deadline:
The
application deadline is May 8, 2015. Please do not call or email OFID
to see if your application has been received or to inquire about your
status. You will receive an automated confirmation once your application
has been submitted. Only the winners will be notified by June 15, 2015
via our website.