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OAS Academic Scholarships Program (Undergraduate)

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OAS ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES - 2017

(To begin studies in September 2017)

All applications must be submitted through the corresponding National Liaison Office (ONE) in your country. Check application deadlines at the bottom of the page

TYPES OF ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Self-Placed in an OAS Consortium or Non Consortium University

Applicants seek their own admission at any university within the OAS Member States.

The student must:

  1. be enrolled in the program of study and be eligible to graduate within 2 academic years from the date of the award, or
  2. be accepted into the university for the last two years of the undergraduate degree (admission letter must state that the applicant will complete the program of studies within 2 academic years).*

* For option 2, applicants that need to transfer credits from previous post-secondary studies in order to comply with the OAS requirement to graduate within 2 academic years, must complete this process with the host institution on their own. If a candidate is selected to receive an OAS scholarship, he/she will need to provide the OAS, with an official letter from the host institution, the total number of credits successfully transferred before the scholarship award documents can be issued.


CHARACTERISTICS OF OAS SCHOLARSHIPS

  • OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded for full-time studies at any university in an OAS Member State, with the exception of the applicant’s sponsoring country.
  • Study Modality: Onsite, Online or a combination of both.
  • OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded for a minimum period of one (1) academic year and no more than two (2) academic years.
  • OAS Scholarship Recipients must return and remain in the sponsoring country for a period of no less than twenty four (24) months * after completing the program of study.

* The requirement to remain in the sponsoring country upon the completion of study, also applies to those who completed their studies online.

  • OAS Scholarships awarded for undergraduate studies, should be framed within the eight (8) OAS priority areas.
  • The OAS does not award scholarships for studies in the Medical Sciences and the learning of new languages.
  • OAS Staff members, OAS Consultants, Staff members of the Permanent Missions to the OAS, and their relatives are not eligible* to apply for an OAS Scholarship .

* They will be eligible only after six months from the termination of their employment relationship or contract before they can apply for a scholarship.


ELIGIBILITY

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  • Be a citizen or permanent resident of an English speaking Caribbean Member States or Suriname - See OAS Member States.
  • Have completed the first two (2) years of the Undergraduate degree, or have an Associate’s degree.
  • Have a GPA above the minimum standard required by the university.
  • Be in good physical and mental health to complete the program successfully.

The ONEs in the Member States may have additional eligibility requirements. Please contact the ONE in your country for more information.

  • Online Application Form
  • Copy of the Associate’s diploma, if applicable. For those candidates already enrolled in the bachelor’s program, copy of the high school diploma.
  • Copy of the Associate’s degree transcripts, if applicable. For those candidates already enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree program, latest transcripts from the current program of study.
  • Three (3) recommendation letters: Preferably two (2) different letters from current or former professors using the OAS Recommendation Statement Form, and one (1 ) from a current or previous employer using the Employer Recommendation Form *. Recommendation letters from relatives WILL NOT not be accepted.

* If unemployed or never employed, include a third letter from a professor or someone who can be considered providing reference of your qualities as a student or professional (using the Recommendation Statement Form).

  • Curriculum Vitae. (a maximum of four (4) pages)

* Please do not include diplomas of conferences, seminars, workshops, etc. Do not send photographs nor copies of your thesis project.

  • Unconditional Admission letter (s) to university (ies)*. 

 

* Deadlines to submit admission letters:
- Pre-selected Candidate** : Candidates who will begin their studies between January and April 2017: November 30,, 2016
- Pre-selected ** Candidates who will begin their studies after April 2017: May 31, 2017

** Please ask the ONE in your country if you were pre-selected

  • Identification from Sponsoring Country

Should you have questions related to the requirements and the application process?
Please write us at [email protected]


BENEFITS OPEN/CLOSE +-

The OAS Academic Scholarships are complementary in nature, and do not cover 100% of the Scholarship Recipient’s expenses. The scholarships have a monetary cap up to US $30,000 per academic year. Not all OAS scholarships offer the same benefits. Benefits are allocated on a case by case basis.

  • Roundtrip airfare (from the sponsoring country to the country of study)
  • Tuition and mandatory fees
  • Yearly books allowance (US $300 for onsite studies / US $1,000 for online studies)
  • Health insurance. (for onsite students only)
  • Monthly complementary subsistence allowance (for onsite students only)

The complementary subsistence allowance is a fixed amount. Therefore, in case you are selected for a scholarship, you will have to demonstrate proof of additional funds, before the OAS issues your scholarship contract, for your monthly subsistence allowance.

Note: OAS scholarships do not include benefits for the student’s dependents.


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DEADLINES OPEN/CLOSE +-

Sponsoring Countries Established deadlines to apply by the ONEs ONE's Website Deadline for PRE-SELECTED CANDIDATES to submit admission letters to the OAS Announcement of the selected awardees 
Antigua and Barbuda  April 8, 2016   Preselected Candidates by their ONEs who start their studies between January and April 2017, have until November 30, 2016 to send their inconditional admission letter directly to the OAS.

Preselected Candidates by their ONEs who start their studies after April 2017, have until May 31, 2017 to send their inconditional admission letter directly to the OAS
November 2016
Bahamas Confirm with your ONE  
Barbados March 31, 2016  
Belize Confirm with your ONE  
Dominica March 31, 2016 Link
Grenada Confirm with your ONE  
Guyana Confirm with your ONE  
Jamaica March 4, 2016  
Saint Kitts and Nevis March 21, 2016  
Saint Lucia February 19, 2016  
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines February 15, 2016 Candidates need to apply to the ONE first.
Suriname Confirm with your ONE  
Trinidad and Tobago Confirm with your ONE  

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APPLICATION PROCESS OPEN/CLOSE +-

STEP 1

SCAN all required documents (black and white) in one single file in PDF format and should not be larger than 8MB. Upload the PDF file to your online application (Please make sure that your documents are legible)

The OAS will not consider incomplete applications. Be sure to upload all documents and forms required by the OAS to the online application as the OAS will not receive physical documents nor documents received after the deadline by email.

STEP 2

After you submit the application, you will receive an email with the application you filled out in PDF format. PRINT the application, add the required documents, and submit the package to the ONE in your country.

The ONE will pre-select candidates, therefore, make sure to send them all required physical documents required by the OAS and the ONE.
In case you have not received an email confirmation, please write us at [email protected]


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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OPEN/CLOSE +-

  • The selection results of awardees will be published on our website www.oas.org/scholarship in November 2016.
  • To find out if you were pre-selected, please contact the ONE in your country directly.
  • If you are selected to receive an OAS Scholarship, you must submit a Medical History Form to the OAS Headquarters. All costs associated with complying with the medical examination requirement are the responsibility of the awardees.
  • Selected candidates must have an unconditional acceptance letter and ready to begin studies between January and December 2017.

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM OPEN/CLOSE +-

The OAS Special Caribbean Scholarships Program (SPECAF), established in 1983, grants scholarships for the last two years of undergraduate studies to citizens and residents of the English-speaking Caribbean OAS Member States, and Suriname.

I am truly grateful for the OAS scholarship program and certainly encourage all interested candidates to apply. I would encourage you to write you application according to your passions and dreams while being mindful and open to new possibilities.  Speaking from experience, I was most impressed and humbled by the time and consideration that the OAS put into my application, so that a good match was made academically. Being selected to participate in the OAS Scholarship program is an honor and a privilege worth trying for, good luck!

Andy Lange, United States, 2011-2012 academic cycle

“ The OAS scholarship was for me an step to get greater qualifications  to be ready to postulate for a better job in the future but one of the best things that I have found is the network that I had been being able to build in just one year at Laval University, Canada. This has helped me to meet other student from Haiti that I did not meet before and many people from everywhere.  OAS made thing easier.”

Jerry C. Fevrin, Haiti, 2014-2015 academic cycle

 


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To learn about the evaluation criteria, click here