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Chevening Postgraduate Masters Scholarships Program 2013/2014 Session. Apply now

Saturday, November 03, 2012 No comments
Applications for 2013/14 Chevening Scholarships are now open.

Background

1.     The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chevening Scholarship programme was established in 1983 and is now an internationally prestigious scheme with over
41,000 alumni. In 2011-12 there were over 700 Chevening Scholars studying at universities across the UK. Chevening Scholarships are currently offered in approximately 110 countries.
2.     The Chevening programme makes awards to talented individuals who demonstrate the potential to become future leaders, decision makers and opinion formers. Chevening Scholarships are awarded across a wide range of fields; including politics, government, business, the media, the environment, civil society, religion, and academia.
3.     Chevening awards enable Scholars to study a one-year postgraduate Master's course in any discipline at any UK university. The priority areas in which Scholarships are funded vary from country to country and can be found on the country pages of the Chevening website.  In some countries short courses are also funded, with further details set out from time to time on the relevant country pages of the Chevening website and/or your local British Embassy or High Commission website.
4.     Chevening Scholarships are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), with further contributions from universities and other partners in the UK and overseas, including governmental and private sector bodies.
5.     Candidates are selected for the Scholarships by an interview panel organised by the British Embassy or British High Commission in your country. The programme is administered on behalf of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat in London.  

Selection Criteria

6.     Chevening Scholarships are for high-calibre graduates with the personal, intellectual and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership. You will need to demonstrate that you:
  • have the personal, intellectual and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership in your home country
  • are motivated to develop your career in order to establish a position of leadership in your own country within ten years of your Scholarship
  • have a clear post-Scholarship plan, outlining your career objectives and how you plan to achieve them
  • are committed to networking to find global solutions
  • are committed to networking within the Chevening community, via online engagement and attending Chevening events in the UK and engaging with the alumni network in your home country
  • are able to use your studies and experience in the UK to benefit yourself, your country and the UK
  • are capable of successfully undertaking and completing your proposed course of study in the UK

Eligibility

7.     There are no age restrictions for Chevening Scholarships. To qualify for a Chevening Scholarship, you must:
  • demonstrate that you have achieved a minimum English language requirement (set out below) at the time that you submit your application
  • be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country at the time of applying for the award, and intend to return there at the end of the period of study
  • hold a degree that is equivalent to at least a good UK second-class honours degree. Further information on UK degree equivalency can be found from UK NARIC
  • have completed at least two years' work or equivalent experience by 30 September 2012
If you do not meet the above criteria please do not apply. Your application will not be considered. 
8.     You are not eligible to apply for a Chevening Scholarship if:
  • You or your immediate relatives1 are employed by Her Majesty's Government (this includes the FCO, FCO Overseas Posts, the Department for International Development, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, UK Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Defence and the UK Border Agency), the British Council, a co-sponsor or a sponsoring university and staff of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
  • You or your immediate relatives1 left the above employment categories after 30 September 2010.
  • You have already received financial benefit from a UK government-funded scholarship award.
  • You are applying from a country other than your home country, unless you are able to return to your home country for interview and demonstrate your intention to return there immediately after the completion of your course to become a future leader, decision maker or opinion former.
  • You are a dual national, where one of your nationalities is British (except if you are a national of a British Overseas Territory), or if you have any valid leave to enter or remain in the UK which suggests that you may not return to your home country after your Scholarship. If you are invited to attend an interview, you will be asked to disclose full details of any other nationalities held and your UK immigration status.
1 Immediate relatives are defined as parents or step-parents, siblings or step-siblings, children or step-children.

English Language Requirement

9.     In order to apply for a Chevening Scholarship you must demonstrate that you have achieved a minimum level of English language ability at the time of application (unless you fall into one of the exemption categories below or if there are no English language test centres in your country and special arrangements therefore apply). The minimum English language requirement is as follows:
Academic IELTS         
Overall score - 6.5, with a minimum score in each component of: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5, Speaking - 5.5, Writing - 5.5
Pearson PTE Academic            
Overall score - 58, with a minimum score in each component of: Listening - 42, Reading - 42, Speaking - 42, Writing - 42
TOEFL iBT
Overall score - 79, with a minimum score in each component of: Listening - 17, Reading - 18, Speaking - 20, Writing - 17
10.   Links directing you to the test dates and locations for Academic IELTS, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT tests can be found on our English language page.  If you do not already have an existing eligible test certificate (see below) it is your responsibility to ensure that you have booked a test date so that you have the results of your test before you apply for a Chevening Scholarship.
11.   If there are no English language test centres in your country please see your country page for further guidance.
12.   Applicants who are nationals of one of the following countries are exempt from submitting an English language test:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America and British Overseas Territories. 
13.   Applicants who have been awarded a Bachelor's degree or higher in one of the following countries are exempt from submitting an English language test:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the United States of America.
14.   Academic IELTS, Pearson PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT test certificates will only be valid if your test was taken between 1 October 2011 and 28 December 2012 (or, if earlier, the closing date for applications from your country). You must include your English language test score and test certificate number on your Chevening application form.
  • If you take a PTE Academic test you must include 'Chevening Scholarships' on the PTE Academic website as one of the organisations that can be informed about your test results.
  • If you take a TOEFL test you must include 'Chevening Scholars Assoc Commonwealth Universities' (Code 3198) as one of the organisations that can be informed about your test results.
  • The test scores you enter on your application form will be verified with the testing organisation.  It is therefore vitally important that this information is entered accurately on your application form.
15.   Please note that if you do not demonstrate that you have met the required English language level or that you qualify for an exemption or special arrangements apply because there is no test centre in your country, your application will be rejected.
16.   All Chevening Scholars must also meet the academic and English language requirements for their chosen course of study. The English language requirements for some courses may be higher than the minimum eligibility requirement for a Chevening Scholarship or you may be required to take a different English language test. It is your responsibility to meet any higher or different requirements. Being a Chevening Scholar does not automatically exempt you from university requirements or the requirements of the UK Border Agency. In the event that a pre-sessional English course is required by a university in order to grant an unconditional offer, it is your responsibility to fund this pre-sessional course.

University Admissions

17.   You are expected to submit applications to UK universities before, or at the same time as, applying for a Chevening Scholarship. It is your responsibility to pay for any fee relating to your university applications, (including administration fees, English tests and GMAT tests). The courses to which you apply must be:
  • a one-year postgraduate Master's course,
  • the University of Oxford Certificate in Diplomatic Studies, or
  • an approved short course (as advertised from time to time on the Chevening website and/or your local British Embassy or High Commission website).
You may be able to apply for other courses through our partner organisations.  Please see paragraph 46 for details.
18.   The following courses will not be accepted under the Chevening Scholarships programme:
  • Undergraduate degrees
  • Distance learning courses
  • Part-time courses
  • Courses over one year in length including PhDs or DPhils
  • Supervised research not leading to a Master's degree qualification
  • Courses with more than one month of study outside the UK
19.   You can find further information about postgraduate courses at UK universities from Education UK and Prospects, or read our information on studying in the UK.
20.   You will be asked to state the names of three chosen UK Masters' courses and universities on the Chevening application form, in order of preference. You must include on the Chevening application form the full name of the university/universities and the exact name of your preferred courses (as set out on the university website or prospectus). Only Masters' courses starting in September/October 2013 are eligible for funding.  Courses starting later in 2013 or in 2014 are not eligible for funding.
21.   Think very carefully about which universities and courses you select on your application form. If your Chevening Scholarship application is successful you will be expected to attend your first choice university course. If you are not accepted by your first choice university, you will be expected to accept your second or third choice in that order. The only exception will be if the Chevening Scholarships interview panel decides to offer you a Scholarship contingent on acceptance at a particular university or course (which may or may not be one of your preferred choices).
22.   If your Chevening Scholarship application is successful, but the applications to your three preferred universities/courses or any other courses agreed by the selection panel are unsuccessful, the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat may offer you further placement advice. The Secretariat cannot guarantee placement at any particular university or course, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you submit your university applications in good time.
23.   Your chosen universities may require a higher level or different language test than the minimum required for you to apply for a Chevening Scholarship (see paragraph 16 above).  It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the academic and English language requirements of your preferred universities/courses.

Application and Selection Procedure

Registering your interest:
24.   You should register your interest in the Chevening Scholarships programme and sign up to receive notifications of application opening and closing dates for your country via the country pages of the Chevening website.
Applying through eChevening:
25.   To apply for a Chevening Scholarship, you must complete and submit an online eChevening application form.

Applications will open in October 2012 and close in December 2012. If you have registered on the Chevening website you will be notified when the eChevening site is open for applications. The opening and closing dates for each country will be available on the country pages of the Chevening website. Applications received after the closing date for your country will not be considered. In some countries paper applications may also be accepted. If, exceptionally, paper applications are accepted in your country this will be stated on your country page of the Chevening website. Please note that the closing date for receipt of paper applications, if allowed, may be earlier than for electronic applications. 
26.   We recommend that you submit your application as early as possible - preferably well before the closing date for your country.
27.   Your eChevening application form will ask you to demonstrate that you meet the Chevening minimum English language requirement. You will be asked to provide details of your Academic IELTS, Pearson PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT test including the scores that you achieved for each component and your test report or certificate number. Alternatively you will need to demonstrate that you qualify for an exemption or where there is no test centre that special arrangements apply for your country. Please see the above English language requirement section of this guidance for further details.
28.   The eChevening application form will ask you to state three UK universities and courses in order of your preference. You should submit applications to your preferred universities before (or at the same time as) applying for a Chevening Scholarship. Please see the above university admissions section of this guidance for further details.
29.   You must set out clearly in your Personal Statement on the application form how you believe you meet the Chevening selection criteria (see paragraph 6 above). This is vitally important to enable the interview panel to assess your application properly. If you do not clearly set out how you believe you meet the criteria you will not be recommended for interview.
Review of applications:
30.   Applications will be sifted against the Chevening eligibility criteria and then reviewed by a committee chaired by a Regional Advisor and administered by the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat.  The Regional Advisor will make recommendations to the local British Embassy or British High Commission about which candidates might be invited for interview. 
Invitation to interview:
31.   The final decision on which candidates are invited for interview will be made by the local British Embassy or British High Commission. Candidates invited for interview will not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in travelling to attend the interview (unless otherwise specified in your invitation to interview letter).
32.   If you are not invited to attend an interview, you will be informed that your application has not been successful. Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to give feedback on individual applications. The Chevening website will provide some typical reasons as to why applications are not successful.
33.   If you are invited to attend an interview, the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat will write to the referees that you provided on your application form to request references. At this point you must also contact your referees to ensure that they provide a reference in good time to be considered by the selection panel.  You will also be asked to sign a declaration relating to such issues as nationality, immigration status etc which must be returned to the Secretariat by the date specified.
34.   You will be informed in your invitation to interview about any the documents that you must bring with you to the interview.   
35.   The Chevening Scholarships interview panel will comprise at least one member of the British Embassy or High Commission and may include other members including e.g. representatives of co-sponsors and Chevening alumni. Interviews will normally be held at the British Embassy or High Commission. Interviews are expected to take place around February/March 2013 and will concentrate on how you meet the Chevening selection criteria (see above).
After your interview:
36.   The interview panel will make recommendations on who is to be offered a Scholarship and which (if any) candidates should be placed on a reserve list.  You will be informed of the outcome of your interview as soon as possible. This is typically within two or three weeks of the interview being held but it may take longer in countries where, for example, interviews are being held in multiple centres. Please do not contact your local Embassy or High Commission or the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat to enquire about the status of your application. You will be informed about the outcome as soon as it is possible to do so.
37.   If you are successful at the interview stage, your Embassy or High Commission will write to you to inform you that you have been invited to move on to the next stage in the selection process. You will be assigned a Programme Officer at the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat, who will request that you provide additional information and documents including unconditional offers from your preferred university(ies). You will also be required to undertake a medical examination (which may include a chest x-ray) at your own expense. The results of the medical examination will be reviewed by the Chevening Secretariat's Medical Adviser. These steps need to be satisfactorily completed before it is possible to confirm your scholarship and issue a final Award letter.
38.   You should not make any financial commitment or jeopardise your current employment until your Scholarship is confirmed and a final Award Letter is issued.

Value of the award

39.   A full Chevening Scholarship award normally comprises:
  • payment of tuition fees;
  • travel to and from your country of residence by an approved route for you only;
  • an arrival allowance;
  • a grant for the cost of preparation of a thesis or dissertation (if required);
  • an excess baggage allowance;
  • the cost of an entry clearance (visa) application for you only;
  • a monthly personal living allowance (stipend) to cover accommodation and living expenses. The monthly stipend will depend on whether you are studying inside or outside London. It is currently £917 per month outside London and £1134 per month inside London (subject to annual review).
40.   Tuition fee payments for Master's in Business Administration (MBA) courses have an upper limit of £12,000. If you study for an MBA you will be expected to fund any difference above this sum. In some countries the maximum award for tuition fees for all Masters' courses may also have an upper limit. If so you will be expected to fund any difference above this upper limit.
41.   The Chevening selection panel may also offer part Scholarship awards. This award may fund tuition fees only (no stipend or other allowance) or stipend and allowances only (no tuition fees). In the case of part awards you will be expected to fund any difference.
42.   Awards funded by co-sponsors or in association with co-sponsors may also vary depending on the agreement reached with the co-sponsor.
43.   Any award offered may take into account other significant Scholarship or similar awards by reducing the amount of any Chevening Scholarship. Scholars should not normally continue to be in receipt of a salary during their Scholarship. If Scholars are in receipt of such a salary the allowances payable under a Chevening Scholarship may be reduced.

Conditions of the Chevening Scholarship

44.   Full details of administrative arrangements will be given to Chevening Scholars with notification of their awards or in the award-holders handbook. When considering whether to apply for an award, you should be aware of the following points:
a)     The FCO and the Secretariat reserves the right to publish the names of candidates selected for awards on the Chevening website or on other websites or in other publications.  By applying for an award you give consent for such publication in the event of your application being successful.
b)     In submitting an application for a Chevening Scholarship you consent for the information in your application together with any references and supporting documentation to be shared with those assessing applications and relevant sponsor/partner organisations.
c)     Scholars will be expected to spend the majority of their time in the UK. All visits (for academic or non-academic reasons) overseas over 30 days for academic reasons and 30 days for non-academic reasons in an academic year are subject to approval by the Chevening Scholarships Secretariat. If permission is given by the Secretariat to exceed this limit, scholars may be subject to a loss of living allowance (stipend) for that period.
d)     Supervisors or Directors of Study at UK universities will be asked from time to time to report to the Secretariat on the academic progress and general conduct of Chevening Scholars enrolled at their university. This information will only be shared with the British Embassy/High Commission in the Scholar's home country and any sponsors/partners of your award.
e)     Should a Scholar be dismissed from his/her university for any reason, the Scholarship will be immediately terminated.
f)      There is no provision for dependants of Chevening Scholars. Scholars may choose to bring their dependants with them to the UK but are advised not to do so. The Chevening programme provides no financial support for dependants and will not endorse the visa applications of dependants.
g)     Applications to defer awards will not be accepted except in the case of pregnancy. Candidates selected for a Chevening Scholarship who are unable to take up their award must withdraw from the programme and re-apply the following year.
h)     If you become pregnant before starting your award and your expected date of delivery is before 31 March 2014, you should be aware that it is likely you will miss some of the crucial first two terms of a taught Master's course around the time of the delivery of the baby. You may either continue with your award or you may defer it till the following academic year. If you wish to continue with the Scholarship, you need to be aware that if you take any extended period of leave, it is possible that your visa will be cancelled and, if so, you will have to return home and apply for another visa before being able to resume your studies.
i)      Candidates must state on their application form whether they have applied, or intend to apply, for any other scholarships or awards. The right is reserved to abate Chevening Scholarship Awards in instances where Scholars are beneficiaries of other significant awards, prizes or earned income.
j)      Chevening Scholars are not barred from taking part-time employment while in the UK. However, Scholars must comply with the employment conditions of their visa, university/college regulations, and individual Scholars' overall commitment to their studies in the UK, and the conditions of award. Scholars should remember that their academic studies are of paramount importance and should be given due priority.
k)     Scholars must return to their home country when their award comes to an end.  The Secretariat is unable to provide any letter of support which might be required to enable a scholar to stay on to work in the UK.
l)      All terms and conditions of award are subject to UK local law and practices.
m)   All regulations concerning immigration and entry clearance (visas) are set by the UK Border Agency and are subject to change.
n)     In line with the UK Bribery Act, which came into effect on 1 July 2011, any candidate convicted of bribery will be banned from applying for a Chevening Scholarship for a period of up to five years.
o)     Failure to comply with the conditions of the Chevening Scholarship or conditions of entry clearance to the UK will result in the withdrawal of the Scholarship.
p)     A Scholarship may be terminated at any time for reasons of unsatisfactory conduct, progress or attendance.
45. These guidance notes may be subject to change.  Any revised guidance notes will be published on the Chevening website.

Other routes for applying for Chevening Scholarships

46.   Applications are also accepted through our partner organisations for Chevening Scholarships for specific programmes/countries.  You should consult the websites indicated for details about eligible countries and how to apply.
Chevening Scholarships Secretariat
on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
c/o The Association of Commonwealth Universities
Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HF
www.chevening.org

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