The University of Skövd Masters Scholarship to Non EU/EEA Countries, Sweden

1. Background

In June 2010 the Swedish Parliament decided that citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, also referred to as third-country students, must pay a fee for their university education in Sweden, starting from the autumn semester of 2011.

Since the introduction of tuition fees, the government has made investments in scholarships through scholarship programmes, targeting highly qualified third- country students, which the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) administers and allocates to universities.

In accordance with the Ordinance on scholarships for students required to pay tuition fees (Swedish Code of Statutes SFS 2010:718), higher education institutions may grant scholarships to promote recruitment of third-country students. The University of Skövde (hereinafter University) can thus allocate funds for scholarships for fee-paying students.

The guidelines contained in this document relate to the management of both UHR's scholarships allocated to the University (hereinafter UHR-scholarships), and the University's own scholarships (hereinafter HS-scholarships). "Scholarships" refers to both kinds of scholarships.

2. How prospective students apply for a scholarship

In order to have their scholarship applications processed, prospective students must first have applied to the University's programmes at advanced level. Scholarship applications must be made in writing through an online form available on the University’s website. Scholarship applications must be sent no later than the day indicated by the University.

The scholarship application must include an explanatory statement (motivation) and all required information needed. The applicant must provide correct information in all fields in the form, including the correct application number, which the student will receive from www.universityadmissions.se , the portal through which applications to universities in Sweden are made.

For UHR-scholarships, applicants whose citizenship is listed on the DAC-list will have to answer the question whether they intend to reside or work in Sweden or any other OECD country after the completion of their studies.

The University reserves the right not to consider incomplete applications.

3. Who is eligible for the scholarship

A scholarship may be granted provided that the recipient:

•   Is required to pay tuition fee (SFS 2010:543 5 §).

•   Is not a citizen of a country within the EU / EEA or Switzerland.

On June 1, 2014 changes to the Ordinance on scholarships for students required to pay tuition fees (Swedish Code of Statutes SFS 2010:718) came into regarding the previous restriction of eligible scholars to the programme.
Application of the new regulations may be used for educational scholarships commenced after July 23, 2014.

Students who are granted scholarships must agree to the conditions and obligations contained in the scholarship letter (sent to the student via email after the Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship decision) before the studies begin.

Before a prospective student receives the scholarship, the University must therefore check his/her eligibility in terms of nationality. The University will not consider scholarship applications that clearly do not meet the criteria described in paragraph 4.

Students who are not awarded a scholarship for the first semester at a particular programme are not authorized to receive the scholarship for the remaining semesters in the same programme (except for leave from studies/studieuppehåll and deferment of studies/anstånd. Refer to item 5).

4. Selection process/Criteria

The awarding of scholarships will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The University will ensure that the selection process is free from discrimination. The decision is made by the Vice-Chancellor or his/her delegate. A decision draft is prepared by an Advisory Scholarship Committee.

The Scholarship committee consists of

•   an International Coordinator

•   an Admissions Officer

•   and a third party, who could be:

o Head or Deputy Head of the Department of AcademicAffairs and Student Support

o Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Internationalization

Scholarship recipients must accept their place of study and scholarship offer according to UHR’s and the University's instructions. Recipients who do not accept the scholarship offer before the deadline will lose their scholarship.

A scholarship may be granted provided that the recipient has met the basic requirements and criteria for the award.

Basic requirements

The applicant

1. is liable to pay tuition fee

2. meets the eligibility requirements for the applied programme at advanced level at the University of Skövde

3. has applied to a programme at the University according to the instructions from the University 

Criteria for awarding scholarship

The criteria for awarding a scholarship are good academic merits and explanatory statement (motivation). Criteria can also be other qualifications that are judged to be in line with educational or research areas as well as geographic location which the University gives priority to in accordance with its internationalization strategy.

Funds not allocated in the first selection round can be assigned to a second selection round in the same semester. A second selection round is based on:

•   how much funding the University was awarded by the UHR

•   how many applicants have been awarded scholarships during the first selection round

•   how many of the applicants have accepted the scholarship offer during the first selection round

•   how the University chooses to distribute its own HS-scholarships

5. Scope

Applicants who are awarded the scholarship (recipients) receive a scholarship letter with information about the Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship decision and the offer of a scholarship. The recipients must accept the scholarship offer in accordance with the University's instructions. The answering period shall be at least a week. If a certain programme is cancelled, so will the concerning scholarship offers.

The HS-scholarship is a reduction of the tuition fee with the amount stated on the website.

Validity:

The offer of scholarship only applies to the semesters and programmes specified in the scholarship letter.

Changing of programmes:

When changing programmes, the scholarship decision will be reconsidered.

Additional courses:

If the recipient chooses to take courses other than the ones included in the programme he/she has been awarded the scholarship for, the recipient will pay the full tuition fee for the additional courses.

Appeals:

The Scholarship decision cannot be appealed.

Academic results:

For each student, the scholarship consists of a reduction of the tuition fee for one semester with the amount stated on the website. Allocation for the second semester will be subject to the student having successfully completed (completed credits) at least 75% of the studies during their first study period. For two-year master's programmes, the tuition fee is also reduced during the third and fourth semesters, provided the recipeint has completed at least 75% of the studies (completed credits) during their first three semesters.

Recipients who lose their scholarship will be notified in a special decision in connection with the mailing of the invoice for the upcoming semester.

Leave from studies (studieuppehåll) and deferment to commencement
of studies (anstånd):
During a leave from studies or deferment of studies, the recipient is not entitled to retain his/her scholarship. The students who have had an approved leave from studies or an approved deferment of studies will have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship again before the studies resume.

6. Payment/allocationoffundstotherecipient

The recipients will have their tuition fees reduced by the amount specified in the scholarship decision. The scholarship will not be paid to the recipient, rather be offset against the tuition fee. The recipients must personally pay the remainder of the tuition fees on or before the date indicated on the invoice.

For more information click "Further official information" below.