OFID (The OPEC Fund for International Development) invites applications from qualified students who have obtained or are on the verge of completing their undergraduate degree and who wish to study for a Master’s degree. The OFID Scholarship will be awarded to support two students or candidates for Master’s degree studies. The applicant may be from any developing country, and he/she must first obtain admission to pursue a Master’s (graduate) degree in any recognized university/college in the world. The Scholarship is open to those students who wish to pursue studies in a relevant field of Development or Energy Studies.
Worth of Scholarship
The scholarship covers tuition fees, health insurance, monthly allowance to cover living expenses, books and accommodation, relocation grant, equal to two-month allowance, 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
Applicants
- 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 2012, and must maintain full-time status for the duration of the Master’s Degree
- Must be a national of a developing country (including most African 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.
Required Documents
- A completed on-line application form
- A scanned copy of the applicants 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 fulfil 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: May 28, 2012. Winners will be notified by June 14, 2012.
Important: Remember to make a separate application for admission in any university of your choice as early as possible to get accepted before applying for the scholarship. You must upload your acceptance letter with your scholarship application.
For more information, and to apply, click here