Deadline: February 1, 2018
Applications are open for the United States South Pacific Scholarship Program (USSP) 2017. The USSP, 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 Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i 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.
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. In some countries this means having completed “Form 6.” In other countries, this may mean having completed “Grade 12.”
- Individuals who have completed some undergraduate level courses but have not obtained the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree are also eligible and strongly encouraged to apply.
- Master’s Scholarship
- Applicants must have completed at least a three-year baccalaureate program. Those with a three-year Bachelor’s degree may apply for a bridging program of up to one year, which upon completion allows for application to a master’s degree program.
- Master’s programs may not require a bridging component, depending on prior study and academic performance during the first year. The USSP program does not generally permit direct application and admission to a graduate degree program;
- Those who currently possess both a bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate diploma or honors degree, or will have earned a post-graduate diploma or honors degree before the scholarship’s August start date, are strongly encouraged to apply.
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.
Application
- Individuals are strongly encouraged to submit their USSP application using the new ‘paperless’ online application system.
- Otherwise, a complete set of ‘paper’ application materials must be downloaded:
- Hardcopy application packets can also be obtained from U.S. embassies and consulates located in:
- Suva, Fiji;
- Auckland or Wellington, New Zealand;
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Apia, Samoa; or
- the Award Services Office at the East-West Center, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96848-1601.
- The application deadline is February 1, 2018 for awards beginning in early August 2018. Awards are expected to be announced on the East-West Center USSP webpage by April 2, 2018.
For questions, call (808) 944-7735; Fax: (808) 944-7730, or email: [email protected]. All inquiries should reference the 2017 United States–South Pacific (USSP) Scholarship Program competition.
For more information, visit United States South Pacific Scholarship Program.
