2017 GLOBAL KOREA SCHOLARSHIP

Korean Government Scholarship Program

Application Guidelines for

Associate Degrees

1. Objectives

  Providing opportunities for international students to study in associate degree programs in Korea

  Promoting global education and exchange

  Enhancing the quality of global education

2. Total Number of Scholars to Be Selected: 17 [from 56 countries]

   ※ Only those who hold citizenship of the countries below are eligible to apply.   

3. Academic Programs: Associate Degree Program (2 years) after preliminary Korean Language Program (1 Year)

  Scholars must take the mandatory Korean language training at a language institution that will be designated by NIIED. The institution will be specified in the letter of invitation after the announcement of final successful candidates.

  Scholars must attain a certain level on TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) as required by NIIED before the completion of the one-year Korean language program. Otherwise, scholars are not allowed to proceed to the degree program.

  Scholars with level 5 or 6 on TOPIK will be exempt from the language program and must begin their associate degree programs from Spring 2017.

4. Available Universities and Fields of Study: Associate degree programs offered at the universities below.

  Attention! Any degree program which takes more than 2 years to complete is NOT AVAILABLE under this scholarship program. All applicants cannot choose such degree programs.

  For more details on the available fields and majors, refer to the “University Information” file that is available to access in the GKS Notice board, on the Study in Korea website (www.studyinkorea.go.kr). All applicants must choose a major listed on the “University Information”.

5. Qualifications: Prospective applicants must meet all of the following conditions.

(1) CITIZENSHIP: An applicant and his or her parents must be citizens of the country where this scholarship is offered.

  Attention! Neither the applicant nor the parents should hold the Korean citizenship.

(2) AGE: An applicant must be under 25 years of age as of March 1, 2017 (Should be born after March, 1, 1992)

(3) HEALTH: An applicant must be in good health, both physically and mentally.

  Those with disabilities in good mental and physical health are eligible to apply.

  Those with severe illness are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply.

(4) LEVEL OF EDUCATION: An applicant must have graduated or be expected to graduate from a high school as of March 1, 2017

  Those who have already achieved an Associate degree or a higher degree are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply.

  Those who have graduated or are expected to graduate from a high school in Korea are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply.

(5) GRADES: An applicant must either have the cumulative grade point average (C.G.P.A.) of 75% (out of 100%), or be ranked within the top 25% throughout the entire high school period.

  C.G.P.A. should be 2.21/4.0, 2.33/4.3, 2.41/4.5, 2.68/5.0 or higher [see Appendix 2]

  If an applicant’s high school has an evaluation system different from the above scales, see 7-(2)-⑨.

(6) An applicant with plans to find jobs after graduation is eligible to apply.

(7) An applicant must have no limitations in travelling abroad.

(8) Applicants who have proficiency in the Korean or English language will be given preference.

(9) Engineering and Science majors will be given preference.

(10) An applicant is restricted to apply for ONLY ONE university.

  Applicants who apply for more than one university will be automatically disqualified and their applications will be eliminated.

6. Scholarship Benefits

(1) Scholarship Period: March 1, 2017 ~ February 28, 2020

(2) Scholarship Benefits

①        Airplane Ticket or Airfare: The scholarship covers an economy class flight with the shortest route between a scholar’s country and Korea. A one-way ticket to Korea will be offered to each scholar at the beginning of the scholarship program; another one-way ticket from Korea will be offered for those who complete their studies under the scholarship program.

②        Monthly Stipend: 800,000 KRW per month

③        Tuition: The tuition fee up to 5 million KRW is covered by NIIED. In case the tuition is higher than 5 million KRW, the exceeding amount is covered by the host university. The university entrance fee is covered by the host university.

④        Settlement Allowance: 200,000 KRW upon arrival

⑤        Scholarship Completion Grants: 100,000 KRW upon completion of studies

⑥        Korean Language Training: The full cost for the 1 year is covered by NIIED and the language institution.

⑦        Medical Insurance: Scholars are covered by health insurance for major accidents and illnesses during their scholarship period.

⑧        Korean Proficiency Grants: Scholars with level 5 or 6 on TOPIK will receive 100,000 KRW won per month during the degree program.

(3) Notes

①        NIIED does not cover the expenses for the domestic travel both in a scholar’s home country and in Korea.

②        Airfare for entry into Korea will not be provided to a grantee that has been staying in Korea as of the date of announcement of successful candidates   

③        NIIED does not cover the expenses for traveler’s insurance.

④        The medical fee is to be reimbursed through the insurance company to a scholar after he or she pays first. However, the expense for dental care or chronic disease will not be covered.

⑤        In case a scholar withdraws from the scholarship program within the first 3 months after entering Korea, he or she must return all scholarship benefits offered, which includes the entry airfare, settlement allowance, monthly stipend, tuition, language training fees, Korean proficiency grants, and medical insurance.

⑥        The return flight ticket and the Scholarship Completion Grants will not be offered for those who withdraw from the scholarship program.

7. Required Documents

(1) Required Documents: 1 set of the original documents below

①        Completed Application Form (Form 1)

②        NIIED Pledge (Form 2)

③        Personal Statement (Form 3)

④        Study Plan (Form 4)

⑤        Two Recommendation Letters (Form 5)

  Must be from two separate recommenders.

  The letters must be written by someone who can give in-depth assessment on the applicant’s abilities, including a high school teacher, principal, or academic advisor.

⑥        Completed Self Medical Assessment (Form 6)

⑦        Graduation Certificate of High School

  Those who are expected to graduate may submit a provisional graduation certificate of high school.

⑧        High School Grade Transcript (including a description of the school’s grading system)

⑨        Certificates of Citizenship of the Applicant and Parents (Examples: a birth certificate, a government-issued certificate indicating the parent-child relationship, a family register, or parents’ passport copies)

⑩        Official Test Results on Korean or English Proficiency (Optional)

  Only TOPIK results will be accepted for the Korean language proficiency.

⑪        Certificate of Health (Form 7, only for candidates who successfully pass the 2^nd  round of selection)

  The certificate of health must be completed and signed by a doctor.

⑫        Copy of the Applicant’s Passport (only for candidates who successfully pass the 2^nd round of selection)

(2) Notes

①     1 set of the original documents should be put in a single envelope. Recommendation letters should be sealed by the recommenders and submitted with the seals unbroken.

②     Original documents should be submitted. However, should they be available, copies must be authenticated by the issuing institution, confirming that they are the same with the originals.

③     The applicant’s name on the application form MUST be identical to the applicant’s passport name.

④     If there is any inconsistency in the applicant’s name or birth date on submitted documents, further evidential document must be submitted as verification.

⑤     Any applicant, who submits a provisional graduation certificate at the time of applying, must submit his or her official graduation certificate of high school upon arrival in Korea, no later than March 1, 2017.

⑥     The application documents must be arranged in the same order as written on the “Checklist” in the FORM 1. Each document may be stapled. However, DO NOT staple the entire application documents altogether, or put each document in a separate folder.

⑦     Application form and all other materials should be filled out either in Korean or in English. Any document issued in languages other than Korean or English MUST include official notarized translations.

⑧     All documents submitted must be A4 sized. If the document is smaller, attach it to A4 sized paper; if bigger, fold it to make it A4 sized.

⑨     The high school grade transcript must contain a description of the school’s grading system. In case the transcript does not have information on the applicant’s rank or percentile score, an applicant must submit an additional official certificate issued by the high school, confirming that the applicant’s academic achievement meets the requirement written on 5-(5).

⑩     All documents must be numbered and labeled on the top right corner. (Example. ⑦ Graduation Certificate of High School)

⑪     Mailing address should be stated in full including the postal-code.

⑫     Submitted documents will not be returned to the applicant. The applicants are advised to make their own copies of all application documents.

⑬     Incomplete or incorrect documents will result in the disqualification of an applicant.

8. Application Deadline: To be determined by the University [see Appendix 1]

  For details on the application deadline and the submission of application documents, applicants should contact the university of their interest.

  The first round of selection will be conducted by each university.

  All applications submitted to NIIED in the first round will NOT BE ACCEPTED and will be discarded.

9. Selection Procedure

※ NOTES

  Applicants must follow the NIIED’s regulations throughout the application procedure.

  Applicants must write the university and major of their choice in the Forms 1, 4, and 5. Applicants must choose ONE university and ONE major, listed on the “University Information”.

  In choosing the preferred university and major, it is advisable to contact the universities in advance for further information. (See Appendix 1 for the university contact information.)

  In the first round of selection, each university will select up to 10 candidates from all of the eligible countries and recommend them to NIIED. No university is allowed to recommend more than 3 candidates from a single country.

  Additional documents might be required to be submitted depending on the university or department, especially for majors in the field of fine arts, music or physical education. If asked so, the applicants must submit the requested documents to the university.

  Transferring to a different university is NOT allowed after the confirmation of an applicant’s final choice of a university.

  Regardless of the university admission, any scholar who fails to achieve the TOPIK level required by NIIED cannot proceed to his or her degree program.

10. Other Important Information

(1) Entry

①      Scholars must arrive in Korea by late February, 2017. In case a scholar does not enter Korea by the designated date, his or her scholarship will be canceled.

②      Prior to the arrival, all scholars are advised to study about Korea, Korean language and culture. In particular, it is advisable that grantees learn as much Korean as possible because most classes at a Korean university are taught in Korean. Scholars should check with their universities in advance which language is the medium of communication in the program. Below are some websites that scholars will find useful in preparing their studies in Korea.

(2) Housing 

①        Scholars will live in a university dormitory.

②        The dormitory fee will be deducted out of the monthly stipend by the university.

(3) Cancellation and Temporary Suspension of Scholarship

①     Cancellation of Scholarship: If a scholar is found engaged in any of the following activities during his or her stay in Korea, the scholarship will be suspended and then canceled.

  When any documents of the scholarship application has been found false;

  When a scholar violates the NIIED regulations s/he has pledged to keep;

  When a scholar fails to abide by the guidelines and regulations set by NIIED;

  When a scholar is punished by the university;

  When a scholar acts in a way that harms the reputation of the scholarship and/or the relevant institutions;

  When a scholar fails to reach a TOPIK level required by NIIED;

  When a scholar fails to earn the 2/3 of the registered credits of a semester;

  When a scholar leaves Korea for the purpose of joining an exchange program;

  When a scholar fails to notify NIIED of re-enrollment without any proper reasons after the end of a leave of absence;

  When a scholar receives three warnings or more;

  When a scholar forfeits the scholarship.

②     Temporary Suspension of Scholarship

  During the Korean language program, scholars may leave Korea under the language institution’s approval for up to 2 weeks during the semester and for up to 4 weeks during vacation. For the days of staying outside of Korea, the monthly allowance will not be given.

  During the Associate degree program, scholars may leave Korea for up to 60 days at a time, under the university’s approval. For the days exceeding 30 days, the monthly allowance will not be given.

11. Contact

(1)     University: Please see Appendix 1.

(2)     NIIED

  Website: www.studyinkorea.go.kr (Scholarship > Government Scholarship > GKS Notice)

  E-mail: kgspniied@korea.kr