tibet.net Tibetan Scholarship Program TSP 2015 : Central Tibetan Administration

Name of the Organisation : Central Tibetan Administration (tibet.net)
Type of Announcement : Tibetan Scholarship Program (TSP)

http://tibet.net/2014/01/12/2015-tibetan-scholarship-program-tsp-announcement/
Home Page : http://tibet.net/

2015 Tibetan Scholarship Program (TSP) Announcement (India, Nepal and Bhutan) :
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), is pleased to announce the opening of the 2015 Tibetan Scholarship Program (TSP). The TSP, sponsored by ECA, is administered through a Cooperative Agreement with The Tibet Fund, in collaboration with the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Department of Education (DOE). Applications will be accepted from eligible Tibetan refugees residing in India, Nepal and Bhutan for two-year Master’s Degree programs in the United States, pending the availability of funds. Application forms are available below.

TSP Application and Selection Process:
a) Applicants should be born on or after January 1, 1979.

b) Applicants must have completed at least four years of academic work, after Class XII including a Bachelor’s Degree, from a recognized university in India, Nepal or Bhutan. Partial computer courses, vocational training and diplomas from non-recognized academic institutions will not be accepted.

c) Applicants must have secured a minimum of 45 percent in their Bachelor’s Degree program and post-graduate programs.

d) The final selection panel, chaired by the designated Public Affairs Officer for the TSP at the U.S. Embassies in India and Nepal will interview all viable candidates nominated by the CTA’s DoE and the TSP Student Selection Committee (SSC) in Nepal.

e) During the pre-selection process, TSP applicants will not be required to submit TOEFL scores along with their application packages.

f) The CTA’s DOE and the TSP SSC in Nepal will finalize the list of applicants to take the General Written Test on Tibetan Culture and History (GWTT) based on their academic performance. The GWTT test score will be calculated on the number of correct answers obtained out of a total of 50 questions. Applicants must secure a minimum of 17 correct responses out of 50 in the GWTT in order to qualify for the final interview.

g) Selection Criteria for Interviews: Applicants will be selected to be interviewed for the TSP award if they secure a minimum of 50 percent on their aggregated scores from the GWTT and academic performance in Class XII and in their Bachelor Degree program.

h) During the interview process, the panel will develop a short list of fifteen (15) applicants from India and Bhutan and five (5) applicants in Nepal, to take the TOEFL internet based test (ibt). The TOEFL test is required to demonstrate the applicants’ English-language proficiency skills and a minimum score of 90 out of 120 is required for the application to receive further consideration. The Institutional Code for the Educational Testing Service (ETS)’s official score reporting for the Tibet Fund DI code is 9892.

i) Final Selection of TSP Cohort: Final Selection of the TSP cohort will be based on the total score from the applicant’s performance on the TOEFL ibt test, GWTT and academic record.

j) Final selected participants will be required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as determined by their field of study and graduate program requirements of the U.S. host institutions.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS & CRITERIA FOR AWARDING SCHOLARSHIP:
1) Photo: Applicants must submit one (1) passport size photo.
2) Resume and a Short Essay: The applicant must submit a copy of his/her resume and a short essay, no more than 500-700 words, explaining why you are applying for the Tibetan Scholarship Program (TSP) and what you hope to achieve from participation in this program.

3) Registration Certificate (RC) / Refugee Certificate (RC):
(1) TSP Applicants in India and Bhutan: Applicants must submit photocopies of his/her Registration Certificate (RC), and that of his/her parents and spouse (if married).
(2) TSP Applicants in Nepal: Applicants who reside in Nepal must have a Refugee Certificate (RC). If an applicant does not possess a RC, than he/she can submit either one of their parent’s RC with the applicants’ name stated in the document. In addition, the applicant must obtain a letter from his/her respective Settlement Officer, certifying that he/she is a Tibetan refugee residing in Nepal.

4) Green Book: The applicant must submit photocopies of his/her Green Book (identification documents), and that of his/her parents and spouse (if married). If parents or spouse are deceased, the applicant must submit a copy of their death certificate.

5) Applicants whose parents live in Tibet or have passed away must either produce a certificate from the Settlement Officer where the applicant currently lives stating that the applicant’s parents are currently in Tibet or a death certificate.

6) Academic Certificates: Applicants must submit their college and university mark sheets and degree certificates.

7) Attestation: All documents submitted for the TSP must be attested either by a CTA gazette officer (the rank of Joint Secretary and above) or notarized by a Notary Officer/Settlement Officer.

8) U.S. Visa: Participants will be required to apply for a J-1 exchange visitor visa from the U.S. Embassy. Selection as a TSP candidate does not guarantee approval for a visa. Applicants who have prior visa denials from the U.S. Embassy must inform The Tibet Fund, the CTA’s DoE and the Tibetan Student Selection Committee (TSP SCC) in Nepal at the time of application.

9) No Objection Certificate: If the Applicant is serving at any institution, he or she should furnish a “No Objection Certificate” from his/her respective employer.

10) Program: Applicants should choose one major or program of study from the following fields. The fields of study specified below were identified based on the needs of the Tibetan community by the Central Tibetan Administration (in consultation with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy and ECA). They are arranged in alphabetical order.

Application Deadline: Interested applicants are responsible for submitting all application forms and other relevant documents to their respective jurisdiction on or before March 31, 2014 at 5:00 pm. No late or incomplete applications will be considered after the deadline.

Applicants from India and Bhutan, please send your application materials to the following address:
Secretary
Department of Education
Central Tibetan Administration
Gangchen Kyishong, Dist Kangra
Dharamsala – 176 215
(H.P.) INDIA
Tel: +91-1892-226695/222721/222572
Fax: +91-1892-223481
E-mail: scholarship@tibet.net