If you're a high school graduate wanting to pursue a bachelor's degree abroad or an undergraduate looking for a master's programme, you must be aware of the need to sell an arm, a leg, a kidney, and basically your whole existence just to pay the tuition fees. There are, however, full scholarships funded by foreign governments that can act as your saviour.
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (MONBUKAGAKUSHO) SCHOLARSHIP (BACHELOR'S)
Japan is a dream country for many, mainly due to anime and J-pop, yet few consider it for higher education even though they really should. Japan is offering one of the best full scholarships for undergraduate students, if you are eligible. This scholarship covers 5 years of study in Japan, including one year of Japanese language training. The years vary, depending on which course you choose or are assigned. The language training is for free. The scholarship pays for a round-trip air fare and 117,000 Japanese yen to 120,000 Japanese yen per month which is amazing. Getting the scholarship, however, is not an easy task. To apply, you need to be 17 to 22 years of age and have straight A's in high school. The scholarship also requires an “Embassy Recommendation”. For this, you need to pass examinations taken by the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh on subjects related to what you wish to study at university, and after assessing your results, you will be assigned a university most fit for you. For more information, visit http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0302e-10.html
CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP-BILATERAL PROGRAMME (BACHELOR'S)
China is quickly becoming a popular choice for students pursuing an undergraduate degree. This bilateral programme provides full and partial scholarships and any high school graduate who is not a citizen of the People's Republic of China and under the age of 25 is eligible. The scholarship usually pays for registration fees, tuition fees, and dormitory fees. It covers 4-5 years of study plus 1-2 years of language training. You need to apply between early January and early April. To apply, send in your application form, transcript, study plan, and two recommendation letters through the website http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina. The applications that have qualified for the scholarship are then sent to universities to confirm placement.
TAIWAN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP (BACHELOR'S)
This scholarship covers a four year undergraduate programme and includes tuition and academic fees of NDT 40,000 per semester. The Ministry of Education also offers an allowance of NDT 15,000 per month. You must have a GPA of 3.0 or above to apply. They will take an interview via video conference to judge your character since they value good morals when considering students for this scholarship. If you are applying for an all-English programme, they will give preference to applicants with a high score on recognised English proficiency exams such as TOEFL. If not, you must provide proof of proficiency in the Chinese language by taking TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language). You must apply through the Taiwan Embassy in Bangladesh. Check out http://edu.law.moe.gov.tw/EngLawContent.aspx?Type=E&id=122 for more information.
KOREAN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP (BACHELOR'S)
South Korea is another increasingly popular country among the youth due to the rise of K-pop and K-drama. Fans can rejoice in knowing that their favourite country can also be one of their top choices for higher education. This scholarship covers 5 years of an undergraduate programme including one year of Korean language training. You must have a CGPA above 80 percent to apply. There are three rounds of selection.
Round 1: You must send your application to the Korean Embassy in Bangladesh or partnering universities in Korea. The embassy and the universities will select the winners and send them to the next round.
Round 2: The National Institute for International Education (NIIED) reviews the applicants and sends the successful ones to the final round.
Round 3: The finalists are sent to universities for review. Applicants must get admission in at least one of the universities.
Even though the selection process is difficult, this scholarship pays for round-trip air fare, 800,000 KRW as a monthly allowance, 200,000 KRW settlement allowance upon arrival, free tuition, free language training, and 20,000 KRW health insurance per month, so in the end, it's all worth it.
Visit http://www.niied.go.kr/eng/contents.do?contentsNo=78&menuNo=349 for more insight.
COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP FOR DEVELOPING COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES (MASTER'S)
This scholarship is for students wishing to pursue their master's degree in the UK. It provides round-trip air fare, tuition and examination fees for a one-year master's programme, monthly allowances, thesis grants, and initial arrival allowance. To apply, you must show academic excellence, and also prove that you have done significant work to create an impact in your developing country. Around 300 of these scholarships are awarded every year. You must apply by November.
Official website: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/scholarships-developing-cw/
SWEDISH INSTITUTE STUDY SCHOLARSHIP (MASTER'S)
This scholarship is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and covers tuition fees as well as living costs. To apply, you must have proof of 3,000 hours' worth of full time/part time employment, voluntary work, or internship. They give preference to students interested in issues related to sustainable development in their own countries. They are also highly interested in students wanting to study gender equality, human rights and sustainable development. You must apply separately for master's programmes at universities before applying for the scholarship. Once you get accepted by the university, you will be eligible for the scholarship.
For more: https://eng.si.se/scholarship/the-swedish-institute-study-scholarships!
FULLBRIGHT FOREIGN STUDENT PROGRAMME (MASTER'S)
This programme is for higher studies in USA. The scholarship covers air fare, tuition fees, living costs, and health insurance. You must contact and apply through the US Embassy in Bangladesh. Around 4,000 international students receive this scholarship each year, which is a much larger number of students compared to other scholarships.
More information here: http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/about/foreign-fulbright
BRITISH CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP (MASTER'S)
This scholarship provides tuition fees for a one-year master's degree at any university in the UK, a monthly allowance, arrival and departure allowance, and the cost of one visa application. To be eligible, you must return to your own country for at least two years after you are done with your master's programme. You also need two years' worth of work experience.
Check the official website: http://www.chevening.org/
If you feel like you have what it takes but not enough financial resources, these scholarships will hopefully help pave the way for successful careers, and help create international leaders, which is basically why these governments fund these scholarships for international students.
Mayabee Arannya is a confused soul still searching for a purpose. Give her advice on life at facebook.com/mayabee.arannya