The Korean Government Scholarship Program is designed to provide higher education in Korea for international students, with the aim of promoting international exchange in education, as well as a mutual friendship amongst the participating countries. Scholarships will be awarded to international students who want to pursue higher education in one of 66 selected Korean universities.

The National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korean will invite 16 people from the US for "The 2015 Global Korea Scholarship: Korean Government Scholarship Program for International Students for a Graduate Degree."

The Consulate General in San Francisco will recommend 3 qualified candidates to the NIIED which will make the final selection.

The Award

Master’s: 1 year of Korean language + 2 years of Master’s

- Doctoral: 1 year of Korean language + 3 years of Doctoral

**Important: After the Korean language course, the scholarship period of degree course (2 years of master’s or 3 years of doctoral) cannot extend beyond the designated duration.

- Airfare: Round-trip economy class ticket

- Monthly Allowance: 900,000 won (KRW) per month.

- Research Allowance: 210,000 won for scholars in the humanities and social sciences; 240,000 for scholars in natural and mechanic sciences, per semester.

- Relocation (Settlement) Allowance: 200,000 won upon arrival

- Language Training Fee: Full coverage

- Tuitions: All admission fees are waived by the host institution (university). The tuition is paid by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED).

- Dissertation Printing Costs: 500,000 – 800,000 won, depending on the actual costs.

- Medical Insurance: 20,000 won per month will be provided (limited coverage).

- Special funding for scholars who are proficient in the Korean language (TOPIK Level 5 or 6): 100,000 won per month (commencing from the degree program).

Eligibility

The applicant and his/her parents must have foreign citizenship.

** Applicants who hold Korean citizenship are not permitted to apply for this program.

- Applicants should be in good health, both mentally and physically, to stay in Korea for an extended period of time.

- Applicants must be under 40 years of age as of September 1, 2015

- Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree as of August 31, 2015

**Important: Applicants who have at any time enrolled in a university in Korea will be disqualified from applying to the KGSP program. Specifically, an applicant who has previously enrolled in an undergraduate program, a master’s program, or a doctoral program in Korea cannot apply for this program.

- Applicants who apply for the Master’s program must hold a Bachelor’s degree or a diploma that is equivalent to or higher than a Bachelor’s degree.

- Applicants who apply for the Doctoral program must hold a Master’s degree or a diploma that is equivalent to or higher than a Master’s degree.

- Applicants must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.64 on a 4.0 scale, 2.80 on a 4.3 scale, 2.91 on a 4.5 scale, or grades/marks/score of 80% or higher from the previously attended institution. If the applicant does not satisfy the above GPA criteria, he/she will be disqualified from applying to this program.

- Applicants who have Korean proficiency or English proficiency may be given preference.

- Applicants who apply for natural science and technology program may be given preference.

The Application

Applicants have to apply for this program via either an embassy or a designated university. Overseas Korean adoptees have to apply only via an embassy if their countries are allotted the adoptee quotas.

- The selection process for applicants will proceed in three steps. Firstly, applicants must be selected by the institution he or she is applying through (a Korean embassy, or a designated university). Secondly, applicants who passed the first round must be selected by the NIIED Selection Committee. Finally, applicants who passed the second round must gain admission from a university.

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