The United States Congress has authorized opening applications for the United States- U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program 2022.
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program was funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State to provide opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree students to study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are promptly related to the development needs of Pacific island countries.
This scholarship is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that enables the recipients to understand the United States better.
The Scholarship is open to Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students studying; 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.
ALL THERE IS TO KNOW: U.S SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The East-West Center administers the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program on behalf of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that gives opportunities for academically talented individuals from South Pacific countries to seek bachelor’s or master’s degree study at United States institutions of higher education in fields that are directly related to development needs in the South Pacific Islands region.
U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program also aims to allow participants to obtain a broader understanding of the United States.
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program educational exchange experience includes participation in diverse cultural activities, mentoring, host family, and volunteer service programs.
This program is funded by the United States Department of State and administered by the East-West Center.
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.
WHO RUNS THE SCHOLARSHIP?
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center (EWC) in the United States.
The East-West Center (EWC), otherwise known as the Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between East and West, is an education and research organization founded by the United States Congress in 1960 to uphold relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States.
The East-West Center is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, three miles from Waikiki and adjacent to the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
The Center’s lush 21-acre campus includes conference facilities, three residence halls, and an office building housing research, program, and administrative activities.
The central campus is the location for collaborative educational, capacity-building, and research programs that bring together graduate students and professional participants from Asia, the Pacific, and the United States.
The East-West Center facilitates better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue.
FIELD OF STUDY
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program gives priority to areas of study that include:
- Agriculture
- Business
- Communication/journalism
- Education
- Environmental studies
- Gender studies
- NGO management
- Political science
- Public administration
- Public health
- STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)
- Computer Science
- Science
- Women’s Studies and other related fields.
Applicants are allowed to give special attention to explaining how their course of study would support the goals of the scholarship program if they are not listed in the primary areas of study. Professional degrees such as architecture, law, and medicine are not supported.
LEVEL OF STUDY
This scholarship is open to Undergraduate and Graduate students pursuing higher education in the listed fields.
SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT
Amount awarded for this scholarship varies.
The Award amount covers tuition and fees at the University of Hawaii university residence hall room costs, a monthly stipend for meals and incidental expenses, health insurance settling in, and book allowance round trip airfare.
HOST
The Eastwest center hosts the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program.
HOST NATIONALITY
The U.S South Scholarship program is taken in the United States.
HOST STATE
TThe Honolulu, Hawaii, host this scholarship
ELIGIBLE NATIONALITY
This scholarship is available to only United States citizens.
Note: Applicants who have dual citizenship, one being that of the United States, are not eligible.
United States non-citizen nationals and U.S. permanent residents are also not eligible for this scholarship.
ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
Applicants from the following countries, who meet selection criteria, are eligible to apply for the program:
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Niue
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE U.S SOUTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Eligibility requirements for this scholarship are of two categories:
- Bachelor scholarship
- Masters scholarship
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 United States 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 allows for application to a master’s degree program upon completion.
Master’s programs may not need a bridging component, depending on prior study and academic performance during the first year. The U.S South Pacific Scholarship 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.
Because the program’s objective 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 to study at educational institutions outside the Pacific Islands region.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
For the U.S South Pacific Scholarship programs, applicants must meet this requirement, aside from the eligibility criteria, before being considered for this scholarship.
- Bachelor requirements:
- Applicants must have a high school diploma when applying for a bachelor’s degree study.
- Applicants must have completed some undergraduate-level courses but have not obtained the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree and are also eligible.
- Master requirements:
- Applicants must have completed at least a three-year baccalaureate program and may apply for a one-year bridge program leading to master’s degree study.
- Applicant must be able to meet the requirements of the Exchange Visitor J-1 visa program.
- Applicants must be from one of the sovereign Pacific Island nations, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE U.S SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The review committee will consider applicants with the following criteria:
- Academic merit
- Evidence of leadership potential and experience
- Community service
- Cross-cultural knowledge
- Experience
- Sensitivity
- Capacity for change
- Adaptability
- Ability to pursue independent study
- Career potential
- Employment history
- English language proficiency
- Creativity
- Initiative
- Self-expression
- Anticipated kinds of post-graduation contributions to home country and region.
Preference may be given to those with little or no previous United States or international study experience.
Note: Selection of applicants will be made by the United States-based academic review committee that may include Pacific Islands and other specialists from the East-West Center, the University of Hawai‘i system, and a representative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and a Pacific Islands student representative.
SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s degree applicants must provide:
- A certified original or certified photocopy of official academic records from
- High school transcripts
- Form 6 examination results and, if available, Form 7 results,
- Bursary examination results and any other pertinent examination results or certificates (e.g., PSSC)
- Prior University Enrollment: Transcripts, degree certificates.
- An official academic record bears the actual inked signature of a school official in charge of maintaining educational records and the embossed seal or stamp of the issuing school. It has been sent directly to the East-West Center by that school.
Master’s degree applicants must submit:
- A certified original or certified photocopy of academic records (transcripts
- and if earned degree certificates) from all previous universities or colleges attended. Official transcripts and
- degree certificates must bear the actual signature of a staff person in charge of academic records and the
- school’s embossed seal or official stamp and must be sent directly by the issuing school to the East-West
- Center
- TOEFL or IELTS test scores if available. If you do not have a TOEFL or IELTS test score, you may still apply for the USSP scholarship.
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE U.S SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Application Procedure for this scholarship can be done in two ways;
- Online application
- Hardcopy application packet.
Online applications
Applicants who wish to apply online are encouraged to apply at www.eastwestcenter.org/Z3u.
Hardcopy application packet.
Applicants should get the downloadable application materials at www.eastwestcenter.org/ussp.
It 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; Telephone +1 (808) 944-7735; Fax:
+1 (808) 944-7730;
Email: USSP@EastWestCenter.org.
HOW TO SUBMIT A HARDCOPY APPLICATION PACKET
For applicants using downloadable application materials or hardcopy application packets, a complete application must include:
- The completed application form, preferably typed or carefully hand-printed.
- A passport
- A legible copy of the biodata page of your passport from one of the eleven eligible countries (biodata = the page that shows the name, date of birth, and issue/expiration dates of
- the passport).
- If you do not have a passport, please include a copy of another government-issued identification card (birth certificate, national ID card, driver’s license).
- Three references from academic, professional, or other referees familiar with the applicant’s intellectual abilities, civic engagement, and leadership potential. The references must be completed on the
- East-West Center’s U.S South Pacific Scholarship program Letter of Reference form.
- Send your complete application packet to the Award Services
- Office, East-West Center by the individual providing the reference.
APPLICATION DUE DATE
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program Awards will be announced on the East-West Center website by April 1, 2022.
TIPS TO WIN THE U.S SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Here are a few tips to consider when filling your application requirements.
- Use a computer or typewriter to complete your application if at all possible.
- Remember to be sure to include your preferred area of study.
- If you do not have access to a computer or typewriter, please print your information clearly in black ink on the forms. Remember, handwriting is different from culture to culture, and your writing could be challenging to understand in a different country.
- When handwriting, use black ink, as it shows up better than lighter colored inks on scanned or faxed copies.
- Take special care if you are handwriting telephone numbers or email addresses.
- Ensure that the preferred study area matches the fields listed in the U.S South Pacific scholarship program announcement.
- Provide a brief but convincing reason for the selection panel that explains how earning a degree in your desired field can contribute to the development needs of your country.
- Follow all of the instructions carefully.
- Do not exceed the number of words required. If “Minimum length is 500 (or 250) words,” take your time to write a first draft using
- separate sheets of paper.
- Organize your essays and write them clearly so that the reader will find them easy to understand.
- Correct any spelling or grammatical mistakes, and make sure the final draft is exactly
- as you would like the selection committee to see it.
- Do not try to fit 500 words in the space provided on the application form. Instead, attach separate sheets of paper to the application form, clearly labeled
- with your name, and “Essay 1, 2, or 3,” as appropriate.
- Do not exceed the maximum length for the essays.
- Three (3) EWC reference letters are required: Be sure to provide three official USSP Letter of Reference forms completed and submitted by your referees. Two of these should be academic references from referees able to judge your academic ability. No more than one should be a personal reference. Any “To
- Whom It May Concern” letters or any other generic reference letters may be no more than one year old and may only be supplemental to the three required EWC form letters.
- Reference letters from family members should not be submitted. Generic letters of recommendation (“To
- Whom It May Concern”) older than two years should not be submitted.
- Inform your referees who intend to send electronic versions of the EWC reference letters as attachments to name the file using the Applicant’s name as a part of the filename, not the EWC or the referee’s name.
- Remember to check with those who agreed to complete a letter of reference for you a week before the application deadline to ensure they have sent their letter to the EWC to be included in your application file.
- Do not submit primary/elementary school or middle/junior high school grade sheets, certificates, or awards.
- Do not submit lengthy articles, research papers, or other extraneous information; the committee will not consider such material.
- If you have not filed an online application, please make every attempt to scan your completed application and supporting documents and send them by the EWC’s secure document transfer site: LeapFile or email the entire application to USSP@EastWestCenter.org.
- Endeavor combines the scanned documents to make a single PDF file, which is much easier to process than receiving each page as an individual file.
- Include your name on every page of your application. LeapFile can handle large file sizes.
- If you do not have access to email, please fax your application to East-West Center’s Award Services Office at +1-808-944-7730.
BENEFITS OF THE U.S SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program provides:
- Tuition and fees are payable to the University of Hawai‘i.
- Housing in a student residence hall.
- Monthly allowance for food, clothing, and incidental expenses.
- Health insurance following Exchange Visitor (J-1 visa) regulations.
- Initial settling-in funding.
- An annual book allowance.
- Initial and terminal transportation to all official activity sites.
- A mentoring program with the possibility of arranging a follow-on summer internship.
SUMMARY
Here is a summary of essential points to note about the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program.
IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Register link: visit Here
U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program login link: Visit Here
Formal winners of U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program: N/A
Previous Finalist of U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program: N/A
All the scholarships offered by U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program: Visit Here
Twitter profile link: Visit Here
Contact Information: visit Here
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Sponsors: Eastwest Center
Department: Agriculture, Business, Communication/journalism, Education, Environmental Studies, Gender studies, NGO management, Political science, Public Administration, Public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), Computer Science, Science, Women’s Studies and other related fields.
Course Level: Undergraduate and Graduate levels
Award: N/A
Number of Awards: N/A
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: United States of America
Language Requirement: Applicants must be proficient in using and speaking English.
Supporting Documents: Supporting documents for the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program differ for study level. Applicants should scroll up to view the documents for each level of study.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
How to Apply: Application for the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program requires an online process.
Supporting Documents: Supporting documents for the U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program differ for study level. Applicants should scroll up to view the documents for each level of study.
Admission Requirements: U.S South Pacific Scholarship Program requires undergraduate and graduate students who meet the eligibility requirements and criteria and selection criteria.
Language Requirement: Applicants must be proficient in using and speaking English.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who can apply for the U.S South Pacific Scholarship program?
The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in chosen fields of study
What fields of study can apply for the U.S South Pacific scholarship program?
To be considered for this scholarship, you must be studying in any of these fields: Agriculture, Business, Communication/journalism, Education, Environmental Studies, Gender studies, NGO management, Political science, Public Administration, Public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), Computer Science, Science, Women's Studies and other related fields.
What are the criteria for selecting the winners?
The review committee selects winners based on the selection requirements listed by the committee.
CONCLUSION
The U.S South Pacific Scholarship program is authorized by the United State Congress, funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and hosted by the Eastwest center to provide finance for undergraduate and graduate students studying; Agriculture, Business, Communication/journalism, Education, Environmental Studies, Gender studies, NGO management, Political science, Public Administration, Public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), Computer Science, Science, Women’s Studies and other related fields.
Application and scholarship requirements for undergraduate and graduate differ. Applicants should read comprehensively about this before applying.