Eleven scholarships have been announced this week from nine countries: Kenya, Germany, China, France, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, the U.K., and Australia. These scholarships are divided into two categories: fully-funded scholarships and partially funded scholarships.
Fully funded scholarships: Here, the scholarship provider takes care of all (or most) the financial expenses you will need to complete your studies. It usually involves, tuition, book allowance, flight fare from your country to the study destination, and a monthly stipend. The fully funded scholarships this week are:
- ARPPIS-DAAD PhD Scholarships: It is provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in partnership with the International Center of Insect Physiology in Kenya. It is a 3-year research and training program, and grantees will have access to excellent research facilities. Applicants are required to apply to both the center (study location) and to DAAD (scholarship provider) on the 22nd of December 2020 and 15th of December 2020, respectively. Study destination is Kenya
- The Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies scholarships for Female African scholars: It is provided in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). It invites female African scholars with master’s degrees, seeking to do PhDs to join their research community. It is a 4-year research program, and it begins in October 2021. The application deadline is the 24th of January 2021. Study destination is Germany.
- The Erasmus Mundus/IMRD scholarships: Also called the International Master of Science in Rural Development program, this scholarship provides an opportunity for scholars to be international experts in rural development. It is a 2-year master’s program, and 12 slots are available. The application deadline is the 28th of February 2021. Study destination is Belgium.
- KAAD Scholarships: Provided by the Catholic Academic Exchange Program (KAAD), this scholarship targets postgraduates and academics who have already had some professional experiences and are interested in postgraduate studies. It is provided at the master’s and the PhD levels. The deadlines vary but between 15th January 2021 and 30th June 2021. Study destination is Germany.
- Xi’an Jiatong University scholarship: It is provided to international students interested in studying in China. Scholarships are available at the master’s and PhD levels. The application deadline is March 15th, 2021. Study destination is China.
Partially funded scholarships: These are scholarships where the scholarship provider takes care of some of the financial expenses you will need to complete your studies. You will have to cover the rest. The partially funded scholarships this week are:
- Ampère Excellence Scholarship: This is a scholarship for international students who intend to study at the University of Lyon. Grantees will be awarded 1,000 euro per month for two academic years. The application deadline is January 8th, 2021 and the study destination is France.
- Axel Adler Scholarships: This is a scholarship targeting fee paying students accepted to the University of Gothenburg at the master’s level. It covers tuition fee only. The application deadline January 15th and the study destination is Sweden.
- The University of Sheffield scholarship: This scholarship targets fee paying international students who have been admitted to the University of Sheffield. This scholarship is provided at the undergraduate level and the application deadline is May 17th, 2021. The study destination is the U.K.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Scholarship: The scholarships are awarded for master’s Degree courses at state-owned institutions or institutions legally approved institutions in Italy. It is a part of the “Invest Your Talent in Italy” program. Grantees will receive 900 euros every quarter. Study destination is Italy
- Perth Bible College International Student Scholarship: All international students for the academic year 2021-2022 are eligible to apply for this scholarship. It covers 25% of the overall course fee and targets master’s students. The application is open with no specific deadline put in place. Study destination is Australia.
- Swinburne University of Technology Scholarships Program: the scholarship targets international students at undergraduate and post graduate levels. Grantees can start their studies online in their home countries and move to Australia after the covid19 pandemic is contained. The scholarship deadline is open to applications are welcome at any time. Study destination is Australia.
All the scholarships listed can be found here
Scholarship Tip
Recommendation letters: These are support letters written by people who know you and can attest to either your character, work ethic or academic excellence. Many scholarships ask for academic recommendation letters. This means you must contact your high school teacher (for undergraduates) or university lecturers (for postgraduates) to issue them. Teachers and lecturers are always busy so getting your recommendation letters from them can be challenging. A few tips on how you can go about it:
- Pay attention to new scholarship updates: when many scholarships are announced, applicants are usually given a minimum 3-month period to prepare and submit their applications. The earlier you are informed about a scholarship, the earlier you can start asking your teachers for recommendation letters. This gives both you and them time to prepare a good recommendation letter (and make any changes in case one is needed)
- Write a draft recommendation letter: Because teachers can be busy and some may not know you very well (If you went to a public university with huge class sizes), it is advisable to have a draft. Highlight your academic strengths in it.
- One recommendation cannot be use for every scholarship: It is easy to spot a lazily recommendation letter; very general, can apply to any student, do not have specifics of the scholarship program etc. To avoid this, build a good rapport with your teachers. Let them know you by name and know your work. When a scholarship comes up that you are interested it, make an appointment. Tell them about the details of the scholarship, why you are interested in applying to it and how it ties into your future goals or plans. That way, your teacher can write a relevant recommendation letter for you.
Good luck!
By Sylvie Watikum
She is the founder of the learnhowtogetascholarship.com blog
She has been interviewing scholarship grantees since 2016.
You can find her on Twitter @yourstruly_cv or on Facebook @learnhowtogetascholarship
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