he United States-South Pacific Scholarship Program, authorized by the U.S. Congress and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for degree study at U.S. institutions of higher education. The scholarship program will include a summer internship in Washington, D.C. as well as a four- to five-week community service project in the student’s home country. Candidates from the following countries, who meet specific selection criteria, are eligible for the program: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The U.S.-South Pacific (USSP) Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center on behalf of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Program Objectives
The Program provides educational opportunities for academically talented individuals from South Pacific countries to pursue bachelor’s or master’s degree study at U.S. institutions in fields that are directly relevant to development needs in the Pacific islands region. The Program is also intended to allow participants opportunities to obtain a broader understanding of the United States.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants must have completed secondary school in their respective educational system at the time of the application to the undergraduate program. In some countries this means having completed “Form 6.” In other countries, this may mean having completed “Grade 12.” Note: “Form 6” is not an EWC form that you must complete and return to the Center.
- Individuals who have completed some undergraduate level courses, but have not obtained a bachelor’s degree, are also eligible for this program.
- Applicants must be citizens of one of the sovereign Pacific Island countries listed above. Individuals who have dual citizenship, one of which is from the United States, are not eligible.
- Individuals who have already received the equivalent of a four-year United States bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply for bachelor’s degree study, but may apply for the bridging program leading to a master’s degree.
- Because an objective of the program is to provide an educational exchange experience to those not previously afforded such an opportunity, preference will usually be given to candidates who have not had recent extensive experience in the United States. Preference may also be given to candidates who have not had extensive opportunities for study at educational institutions outside the Pacific Islands region (i.e., outside the countries listed in paragraph one above.)
- Scholarship recipients must be able to meet the requirements of the Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa program.
- Participants are expected to return home following the conclusion of this scholarship award to complete the J-visa two-year home residency requirement and to share the knowledge and experience they have acquired during the program in their home country.
Eligible Fields of Study
Eligible fields of study are drawn from the standard liberal arts curriculum and other selected fields, with priority given to agriculture, business*, computer science, education, environmental studies, journalism, political science, public administration, and related fields. If a proposed field of study is not among the priority fields, the applicant should give special attention to explaining how this course of study would support the goals of the program. Support is not available for professional degree programs such as medicine (M.D.), masters in business administration (MBA)*, or law (J.D.).
NOTE: *Business study is supported at the undergraduate level only, NOT at the master’s degree level. Please consult the University of Hawai‘i website for available degrees and programs: www.hawaii.edu.
Award Provisions and Conditions
Scholarship recipients will receive the following:
Tuition and fees payable to the U.S. college or university at which the student is studying.
Monthly maintenance allowance for residence hall room costs, food, and incidental expenses.
The exact amount will vary and depend on the location of the recipient’s program.
Health insurance in accordance with the Exchange Visitor regulations.
Settling-in and book allowance.
Initial and terminal air transportation to all official activity sites.
Application Procedures
Downloadable application materials are at: www.eastwestcenter.org/studentprograms
Application packets may also be obtained from U.S. embassies or consulates located in Suva, Fiji; Auckland or Wellington, New Zealand; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Apia, Samoa; or from the Award Services Office at the East-West Center, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96848-1601. Further inquiries: Telephone +1 (808) 944-7735; Fax: +1 (808) 944-7730, Email: USSP@EastWestCenter.org. All inquiries should reference 2010 United States-South Pacific (USSP) Scholarship Program competition.
Award Decision and Start Dates
Award decisions are expected to be announced on East-West Center’s website www.eastwestcenter.org/studentprograms (scroll down to USSP) by April 1, 2011. Awards will begin in early August 2011.
Email inquiries may be addressed to: USSP@EastWestCenter.org
Friday 5 November 2010
United States - South Pacific Scholarship Program
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