The AusAID Scholarships Unknown to Most

Have you heard of the AusAID scholarships? They are unknown scholarships and not many have but they are an Australian scholarship.

AusAID scholarships
AusAID Scholarships

Have you heard of the ‘AusAID scholarships’? They are unknown scholarships and not many have, but if your from Australia you may have because the AusAID scholarship comes from there, and here’s the story behind it and how you can apply if you would like to study in Australia. There are many institutions that have grown to such power and enormity that even those working directly within and for them forget the mission and vision the company began with. Most of us don’t even want to acknowledge the fact that these corporate giants, these masters of the modern world, started out as downtrodden and humble meetings that began with, “I have an idea!” The AusAID Scholarships from Australia are one such institution.

This branch of the Australian Leadership Awards (shortened to ALA) remembers where they came from, and seek to promote goodwill and equal opportunities for all people in the world, while maintaining integrity and value for their currency. This is a thrust of the Australian Government that seeks to open and create opportunities for students all over the Asia-Pacific Region. AusAID is a government scholarship award.

The Initiative of the AusAID Scholarship

Launched back in 2009 by the Australian Leadership Awards, AusAID scholarships seek to maximize and support Australia’s relationship with other countries. It will unite other awards giving bodies such as their Department of Education and the Endeavor Awards under one recognizable, long-lasting standard. The AusAID’s goals are for the growth of its country and contacts, strengthening institutional and individual understanding, talents, and skills. They aim towards creating altruistic, noble, and willful leaders to govern the future. Aside from supporting those in their own country, AusAID also seeks to help exceptional students from other countries study and find their career in Australia. When their education and exposure in Australia are complete, the students are then sent back to their mother country to continue their personal growth and development there and to support their own country and government’s independence with his/her new knowledge.

The Benefits of Applying for AusAID Scholarships 2011

Aside from a fully paid tuition fee, as well as return travel from homeland to Australia and back, the scholar is fitted with a one-time 5,000 Australian Dollars (roughly $4,900.00 USD) allowance to establish him/herself in the country. This means books, insurance, and study materials will be paid for. Also, their Contribution to Living Expense (CLE) is a stipend to living expenses that will be determined by AusAID. Since 2009, those under this scholarship have received a total of A$25,000. Once the student gets their bearings in the country, and as soon as he/she is orienting into the immediate surroundings, a mandatory 4-6-week program will teach them of culture, history, and student life in Australia. This is even before their studies formally begin. There is also an Overseas Student Health Cover award, paying for a student’s basic medical costs, should they win the award. If the student is deemed to require English communication training, there will be English Pre-course training before entering the country, or during exposure.

Who Are Qualified for the Unknown AusAID Scholarship 2011?

Initial qualifications are based on countries who are supporters and members of Australian Development Scholarships. A short list of these includes Asia (Philippines, Bangladesh, China, India, Cambodia, Viet Nam), the Carribean (Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago), the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq), and Latin America (Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua).

If you live in one of these countries, you must not be engaged or married to an Australian or New Zealand citizen, and have no permanent residences in either country, as well as applying from outside Australia. Previous AusAID scholarships must be done 24 months before being eligible for application. For those who are familiar with English, you will still need acceptable test results from TOEFL and IELTS no longer than 24 months prior to applying. When it comes to unknown scholarships this makes the list because of its obscurity coming from one country. Not all will fit the criteria but someone will and this is why we featured it!

*List of Scholarships

VLIR Scholarship Programs are Truely Unique

Ever heard of the unique VLIR scholarship? VLIR is an acronym for Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad – The Flemish Inter University Council. VLIR UOS scholarship.

Unusual VLIR Scholarship Programs
VLIR Scholarship

Ever heard of the unique VLIR scholarship? VLIR is an acronym for Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad – The Flemish Inter University Council. The Belgium’s Directorate-General for Developmental Cooperation awards government scholarships to students from less developed countries. They can study in any one of 15 International Course Programs or choose any of the 6 available International Training Programs. These VLIR UOS scholarship awards target persons in responsibility in the community, school or social organizations within their developing countries and those pursuing Master’s qualifications with a suitable academic history. The VLIR scholarship program is intended to cover all related expenses for the student to study in Flanders, Belgium.

The Kingdom of Belgium is comprized of a federal state having (3) communities – Flemish, French & German. along with (3) regions Flanders, Wallonia & Brussels Capital. Education has gained its own independence and as a result the educational system in Flanders, Belgium is entirely different to that of Wallonia. One out of ten people in Belgium are a foreign national. Belgium is home to the worldwide organizations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU).

There are a maximum of 180 such VLIR scholarships awarded each year for first year International Course Program students. There are 70 possible VLIR UOS scholarships for International Training Program scholarships.

Included within the 2010 VLIR ITP (International Training Program) curriculum are courses such as Beekeeping for alleviation of poverty, Governing for development, ITP training in food safety and quality assurance, Political Economy of the Great Lakes, Scientific and Technical Information Management for Libraries.

The intent of the VLIR Scholarship Program is to disseminate new techniques among persons in responsibility in developing countries as well as to aid in mutual understanding and education of those who will become the future of those countries. The hope is that the assistance will result in better understanding and mutually beneficial long-term associations and partnerships. Although the VLIR Scholarship programs are targeted toward students in developing countries they are open to any person wishing to apply that meets the scholastic requirements.

The applicant for a VLIR Scholarship should have a strong academic requirement that meets the specification of the institution at which they will be studying. They should also be below the age of 35 years. Residents of a developing country are the target population but the VLIR scholarship application process is open to any interested parties. Persons applying for a VLIR UOS scholarship must also be proficient in reading and writing English. Proficiency in English may be proven with a certificate of equivalency if formal instruction has not been undertaken.

The VLIR scholarships differ in parts from any scholarships in that there are multiple schools involved and that different schools host different programs of study. The student must meet both the unique scholarship requirements of the VLIR scholarship program as well as the admission requirements of the individual school.

These Belgium scholarships are awarded by a committee composed of the host school, and staff of the VLIR UOS scholarship committee. Scholarship approval is based on the opinions of both factions of the committee. Scholarship applications for the VLIR UOS scholarship for 2011 can be submitted starting Oct 1st to February 1st every year. The steps are as follows. Apply on the VLIR scholarship website and complete the pre-screening application. You will receive a return email with a link for the host university where you must apply at their site. You will then send transcripts and a printed copy of your application form via postal mail to the address given you.

The VLIR Scholarship Programs are truly a unique study abroad scholarship program in every sense of the word to which it has no equal. It is best suited only for those individuals who welcome this type of truly unique and one of a kind college experience and who happens to meet the VLIR scholarship criteria.

Most Government Scholarships are Unique

Many students may be surprised to find that unique government scholarships and grants are available though they tend to represent a smaller total of scholarships.

government-scholarships
Government Scholarships

The image of what a standard scholarship represents in the United States is typically idealized in the image of a private foundation or group offering money based on merit for various students with differing eligibility requirements. Many students may be surprised to find that unique government scholarships and grants are also available, though they tend to represent a smaller total of the overall little known about scholarship pool. These federal government scholarships which are normally offered on a competitive basis are often given out by individual departments or groups at the federal level. It is very common for these government college scholarships to be offered to graduate students, but there are also some programs available to undergraduates as well. The reason that these programs are often given out to specifically graduate students relates to the fact that the US government is often interested in encouraging specialized development for individuals who may be interested in employment with the government after graduation. As these are often awarded on a competitive basis, students interested in government scholarships should be prepared to present themselves in the best light possible, scoring high in academic material and, especially for graduate students, be able to present a clear idea of their overall academic goals.

Since these unheard about government scholarships for students are given out by individual departments at the federal level, students should be able to identify potential sources of funding by being able to identify their career interests. For instance, those interested atmospheric or oceanic sciences should look at the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for access to gov scholarships which may apply to them.

Considering NOAA, students interested in a government scholarship which focuses on atmospheric or oceanic sciences should be pleased to know that the annual Ernest F. Hollings scholarship returns in 2011. Unlike many federal government scholarships, the Ernest F Hollings program is available primarily to undergraduates. An exceptional program, this fed gov scholarship gave out over 100 awards in 2010 of up to $8,000 as well as making available internships for interested students at NOAA during breaks from school. In order to be eligible for this government scholarship an applicant must be an US citizen while maintaining a full-time status at an accredited university in the US. The cumulative grade point average for all completed courses must be at a minimum 3.0 and all applicants must be majoring in a program related to atmospheric or oceanic studies. Applications for this program are made available on October 1 of every year and the deadline for all materials is February 4.

An excellent government scholarship for college through the Department of Homeland Security exists for students who are interested in studying a field related to the DHS’s related fields of studies. Broadly speaking these fields can include agricultural sciences, mathematics, life sciences, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, computer sciences and engineering. Amongst these fields are specific courses or subjects which the DHS requires students to be pursuing in their studies. As a result, when applying for this unique gov scholarship, students should look over these eligibility requirements very carefully. The DHS offers government scholarships at the undergraduate level providing the full cost of tuition and related fees while also giving a $1,000 a month stipend during the school year and an additional $5,000 during a mandatory 10 week internship. In order to be eligible for the DHS government scholarship program students must be an US citizen and working towards as bachelor’s degree. All applicants must have a 3.0 GPA at a minimum while also maintaining this throughout the course of them receiving the scholarship. Applicants must be in their second or third year of studies and be available to attend the 10 week summer internship.

Another Security scholarship for students interested in US security and plan on getting into this field in college consider of the Lint Center for National Security Studies Scholarship Program. This is not a government sponsored program but deserves mentioning because it’s so closely related. It’s intent is to create awareness of national security so as to attract more young people to an occupation in national security. The center works to provide educational opportunities for those who want careers in security which also includes counterintelligence.

One of the nice things about this program is that those students who win an award will receive the financial benefits from the program for two years. Like bursaries common in other countries, students who win a DHS government scholarship will be required to work for at least one year at Homeland Security after graduation. All materials must be submitted to this program no later than January 12.