We are now accepting applications for the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program's
2017–2018 Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program (Tunisia UGRAD). The deadline to apply is Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at 5 p.m. Tunisia time.
Please read the application materials carefully before beginning the application.
Application Materials
PProgram overview
Academic program
As part of the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, the 2017-2018 Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, provides opportunities for outstanding undergraduate students from Tunisia for one year of full-time, non-degree study in the United States. Students will attend fouryear universities and colleges and will live in on-campus housing (dormitories). Participants may submit U.S. transcripts to their home institution for review upon completion of the program to determine if the credits are transferrable. The program will provide participants with a deeper understanding of American culture and new globally-applicable skills and expertise to help them contribute to the economic growth and development of their country. Participants may not choose their U.S. host university/college.
A broad range of academic fields of study are eligible, including humanities, social sciences, applied sciences, natural and physical sciences, arts, and other standard university fields of study. Please note that students studying at ISSAT (Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie) are not eligible for Tunisia UGRAD but should apply for the Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program (TCCSP). Students should identify their field of study on their application. This field should be drawn from the standard university/college curriculum within the United States. Please note that students may not enroll in clinical coursework while on the Tunisia UGRAD Program.
Experiential Components
Community Service: To expose students to the principles of community service and social responsibility in the United States, participants will be required to perform a minimum of 20 hours of community service to local organizations during their first
semester.
Part-Time Internship: Internships provide an essential opportunity for participants to gain professional experience and skills that can be applied in their future careers in their home countries. Program participants will be required to intern 40 hours per month during their second semester. Each participant’s internship must be related to their field of study.
Technical Eligibility Requirements
The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by U.S. law. Competition for the Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:
• Is a citizen, national or permanent resident qualified to hold a valid passport issued by the government of Tunisia;
• Is currently enrolled as a first- or second-year full-time undergraduate (Licence) student in good academic standing at the time of application at a registered academic institution in Tunisia;
• Architecture students are eligible in their first-, second-, third-, or fourth-year of study. Engineering students are eligible in their first-, or second-year (preparatory classes), and third- and fourth-year of undergraduate study;
- If you study at an ISSAT (Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie) please see the Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program application.
• Is currently residing in Tunisia;
• Is able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa;
• Is at least 18 years old by July 1, 2017
• Is committed to returning to Tunisia after completion of the program; and
• Is able to achieve a TOEFL score of 500 (PBT) or likely to achieve this score after short-term pre-academic English training in the United States prior to the start of the academic year.
Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for the Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program:
• Part-time students;
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States;
• Individuals currently participating in academic, training or research programs in the United States;
• Individuals currently residing, studying, or working outside of Tunisia;
• Individuals who have participated in an Exchange Visitor Program sponsored or funded by the United States Government (e.g. the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassy, U.S. Agency for International Development, or other U.S. government agencies) for a period of more than six weeks
and have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time ofapplication;
• Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years;
• Employees, and their families, of non-profit organizations who administer the Tunisia UGRAD Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents;
• Locally employed staff of the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia who work for the U.S. Department of State or a U.S. government agency are ineligible for grants during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment;
• Immediate family members (i.e. spouses and dependent children) of U.S. Department of State employees for a period of one year following the termination of such employment. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents; and
• Persons arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime as further detailed by the Bureau.
The U.S. Department of State and IREX reserve the right to verify all of the information included in the application. In the event that there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will be immediately withdrawn from consideration and declared ineligible.
Under the terms of this program, participants must return to their home country immediately upon completion of the program for a period of at least two years. Participants are not eligible for visa extensions under any circumstances. No exceptions will be made.
Applications not meeting the above technical eligibility requirements will not be
forwarded to the selection committee.
Financial Provisions Of The Grant
• J-1 visa support;
• Round-trip travel from participant’s home city to host institution in the United States;
• Accident and sickness coverage;
• Tuition and mandatory university fees;
• Room and board (housing and meals);
• Small incidentals allowance;
• Limited allowance for books;
• A wide variety of alumni networking and training opportunities.
Selection Process And Criteria
Tunisia UGRAD is conducted as a merit-based open competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of academic specialists. Chosen semifinalists will be interviewed in Tunisia by a bi-national committee of U.S. specialists, USG alumni, and/or U.S. Embassy representatives, and must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in early 2017. All applicants will be notified of their status in spring 2017.
Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):
• Academic excellence;
• Expressed commitment to contribute to Tunisia’s economic development;
• Demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to community engagement;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Flexibility and adaptability as an exchange student; and
• Minimum TOEFL of 500 PBT or ability to achieve a 500 following short-term intensive English language training.
• Preference will be given to students that represent disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
General Application Instructions
• Please answer ALL questions on the application in English (except where specified).
• Include your full, legal name, - family name (surname) and first name - as spelled on your international passport (if available) or national identity card. Do not translate name spellings.
• Include complete contact information (including postal codes for all addresses and city/country codes for all phone and fax numbers). Do not translate street or city names into English. Instead, please write the names using the English alphabet.
• Do NOT leave a space blank. If a question does not apply to you, enter N/A (not applicable).
• Applicants are encouraged to complete the application online at www.irex.org.
• If submitting a paper application:
- All forms and supporting materials should be typewritten (if possible) and submitted with the completed application Handwritten applications must be neatly printed in black ink.
- Write your full name and home city in the top right corner of each page.
A completed application includes:
• Additional Application Questions: Applicants must provide information about how they heard about the Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program, plans to apply for other sponsored educational exchange programs and their permanent home governorate.
• Short Answers 1-4: Applicants must answer each question and use no more than 250 words per response. Answers must be the applicant’s own work.
• Essay 1: Applicants must completely answer the question including all sub-questions associated with Essay 1. This answer should be no more than 1000 words and in essay format. Answers must be the applicant’s own work.
• Essay 2: Applicants must completely answer the question including all sub-questions associated with Essay 1. This answer should be no more than 1000 words and in essay format. Answers must be the applicant’s own work.
• IREX Privacy Statement and Application Certification: Applicants must read and sign this form in order to verify that they understand IREX’s privacy policy and that they have completed their applications truthfully.
• Two Recommendation Forms: Applicants must have a recommendation completed by two different people for a total of two recommendations. If the recommendation form is completed in a language other than English, an accurate translation must also be provided, which may be done by the applicant.
• Course Listings: See Question 15. This space is provided for the applicants to detail all higher education course history. Applicants must list the academic year the course was taken, the course title, and the grade received for the course in order for the form to be completed. If there was no grade for a course, please indicate either “pass” or “fail”.
Participants must list courses from their most recently completed year of study, either secondary school or higher education, in order for the form to be completed.
If Selected For The Semifinalist Round, Applicants Must Provide The Following Documentation At The Time Of Their Interview:
• A copy of applicant’s high school diploma with an accurate English translation, which may be done by applicant;
• A copy of high school transcripts (course list and grades) with an English translation, which may be done by applicant (for first-year students only);
• A copy of applicant’s current university transcript (or academic grade book) in the university language of instruction with an English translation, which may be done by applicant;
• Internal identification (if applicable);
• A copy of applicant’s international passport (if available) or government-issued identification. It is highly recommended to apply for an international passport in anticipation of being selected, as it may take a significant amount of time to receive an international passport.
Submission Guidelines
The deadline for applications for Tunisia UGRAD is Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at
5:00pm Tunis time.
Applications may be submitted to IREX in one of two ways: Online or by paper.
Online Applications:
Applicants are encouraged to complete the application online.
1) Online Application can be found on the IREX website at: http://www.irex.org/project/tunisia-ugrad
2) Please read the instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) carefully prior to beginning the application.
Paper Applications:
Paper applications may be submitted to the following address:
IREX/Tunisia
c/o Startup Haus Tunis,
71 Avenue Jean Jaurès
Tunis 1001, Tunisia
Email: thomasjeffersonscholars@irex.org
Tel: (+216) 71-247-037, (+216) 20-638-847
Late applications will not be accepted.
Do not send applications to the IREX office in Washington, DC.
Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.
Applications will not be returned to the applicants after the end of the competition; applicants
should keep a copy for their own records.
Applications must be clear and readable. Unclear or unreadable copies will not be accepted. Each
complete application should be stapled. No other form of binding is permitted.
If submitting an online application, it is not necessary to send a paper copy.
Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.
Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program Timeline
Nov. 30, 2016 5:00 pm Tunis time: Tunisia UGRAD application deadline
Feb. – Mar. 2017: Interview committees conduct semifinalist interviews and semifinalists take the TOEFL exam
Mar. – Apr. 2017: Finalists and alternates notified
Spring – Summer 2017: Pre-Departure Orientation in Tunis
Jun. – July. 2017: Selected participants depart for pre-academic training
Aug. 2017: All participants depart for their U.S. host institutions
Application Instructions
We encourage applicants to complete the application online. Applicants must fill out all required sections of the application and provide contact information for two references. Reference 1 and reference 2 must be completed by two different individuals who can speak to your suitability as a potential scholarship recipient.
Complete copies of all application materials must be received together in one package as per the application instructions by Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at 5 p.m. Tunisia time. Only complete applications, which include a complete application form with two complete reference forms, will be forwarded to the selection committee.
Eligibility
The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by US law.
Competition for the Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:
- Is a citizen, national, or permanent resident qualified to hold a valid passport issued by the government of Tunisia;
- Is currently enrolled as a first- or second-year full-time undergraduate (Licence) student in good academic standing at the time of application at a registered academic institution in Tunisia;
- Architecture students are eligible in their first, second, third, or fourth year of study. Engineering students are eligible in their first-, or second-year (preparatory classes), and third- and fourth-year of undergraduate study.
- If you study at an ISSAT (Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie) please see the Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program application; - Is currently residing in Tunisia;
- Is able to receive a US J-1 visa;
- Is at least 18 years old by July 1, 2017;
- Is committed to returning to Tunisia after completion of the program; and
- Is able to achieve a TOEFL score of 500 (PBT) or is likely to achieve this score after short-term pre-academic English training in the United States prior to the start of the academic year.
Contact
If you have questions about the Tunisia UGRAD application, please e-mail thomasjeffersonscholars@irex.org.
The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program’s Tunisia Undergraduate Scholarship Program (Tunisia UGRAD) is funded by the US Department of State and implemented by IREX.
To APPLY click "Further official information" below and fill the application form.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.irex.org/program/tunisia-undergraduate-scholarship-program-application-information