United States–South Pacific (USSP) Masters & Bachelors Scholarship Program 2015

Deadline: February 1, 2016

EastWestCenter invites applications for the 2015 United States–South Pacific (USSP) Scholarship Program competition, authorized by the U.S. Congress and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. This is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawaii in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific island countries. It will also enable the recipients to obtain a broader understanding of the United States.

The scholarship program will include a mentoring component with a possible follow-on summer internship, and readily accessible opportunities for participation in host family and volunteer service programs. The U.S.–South Pacific Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center on behalf of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Eligible Fields of Study

• Priority areas of study include agriculture, business, communication/journalism, education, environmental studies, gender studies, NGO management, political science, public administration, public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and other related fields.
• If a desired field of study is not among the priorities, the applicant should give special attention to explaining how this course of study would support the goals of the scholarship program.
• Support is not available for professional degrees such as architecture, law, and medicine.

Eligibility

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.

• Bachelor’s Scholarship: Applicants must have completed secondary school by the deadline for submitting a university application for admission to their undergraduate program.
• Master’s Scholarship: Applicants must have completed at least a three-year baccalaureate program.
• 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).
• Note: Individuals who have dual citizenship, one being that of the United States, are not eligible. U.S. non-citizen nationals and U.S. permanent residents are also not eligible for USSP. All scholarship recipients must be able to meet the requirements of the Exchange Visitor (J-1 visa) program.

Application Information

• All application documents contained in the application packet may be found at: www.eastwestcenter.org/ussp.
• 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.

For more information, visit USSP Scholarship Program.