OPEC Fund for International Development Scholarship 2018/2019

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 2018/2019.

Overview
OFID scholarships will be awarded to 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 spread over a maximum of two years, toward the completion of a Master’s degree, or its equivalent, at an accredited educational institution, starting in the autumn of the academic year 2018/2019.

Eligibility

• Must be between the ages of 23-32 at the time of submitting his/her application.
• Must be matriculated at an accredited university for the upcoming academic year starting August/September 2018, and must maintain full-time status for the duration of the Master’s Degree.
• Must be a national of a developing country—please refer to the list of eligible countries. Please note that nationals of OFID Member Countries (Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela) are ineligible to apply.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits:

The Award will cover the full cost of tuition fees, including any supplementary fees, required by your academic institution. The grant will also cover one round-trip flight between your home country and the university, health insurance, a relocation grant to help you cover additional costs of moving, and a monthly allowance for one year.

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.

Required Documents

• A completed on-line application form.
• A scanned copy of the applicant’s passport.
• A scanned copy of the transcripts/certificates from the highest level of education completed.
• A scanned letter of acceptance from chosen educational institution, confirming your admission, subject of study and duration of the Master’s degree program.
• 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 (or present employer).
• Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Application Guidelines

• STEP 1: Ensure that you fulfill the OFID Scholarship Award Eligibility Criteria and all necessary documents are ready for submission.

• 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, certificates/transcripts from the highest level of completed education, acceptance letter into postgraduate program, passport copy and personal 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. The application deadline is May 4, 2018. 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 2018 and announced on our website.