Iowa State University – International Merit Scholarships

                     

Award Description

Iowa State is committed to enrolling a diverse and talented student population. The International Merit Scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated strong academic achievement, and outstanding talent or achievements in one or more of the following areas: math and sciences, the arts, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, innovation, or entrepreneurship.

Eligibility

Incoming international freshmen applicants and international transfer applicants with fewer than 66 transferrable semester credits.

Scholarship Awards

There are two international Merit Scholarship levels (see below). Freshmen and transfer applicants are eligible for both levels of awards.

Level	Scholarship Amount
Gold	$8,000/year (renewable) *
Cardinal	$4,000/year (renewable) *

* Freshman recipients will be funded for a maximum of 8 semesters, or completion of the degree, whichever comes first.
* Transfer recipients will be funded for a maximum of 5 semesters, or completion of the degree, whichever comes first.

Application Requirements

• A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) comparable to a minimum of 3.0 out of 4.0 (B)
• The SAT is not required, but if submitted, it will be considered
• A resume or CV listing your achievements
• One letter of recommendation
• A 500-word essay. You may write something that will help the committee get to know you better and tell us why you deserve the award, or you may answer one of the questions provided on the scholarship application form
• Applicants must be international students and must have completed an international application for admission

How to Apply

You must submit your Undergraduate Application for Admission and all required transcripts, financial documents, and examination results before you may apply for the International Merit Scholarship, as we will review your application file as part of our scholarship consideration.

Once you have submitted your application for admission, you may then complete the International Merit Scholarship Application Form. Please be sure to use your name exactly as it is entered on your application for admission so that we can match your scholarship application to your undergraduate application. You will use this form to upload your current resume or CV (in PDF format), type your essay, and send the letter of recommendation form to the person you have asked to provide it. (These items must all be submitted using this form. We will not accept any scholarship materials via email or post.)

Deadline: Applying for the Scholarship

Term	Application Deadline
Fall	March 1
Spring	October 1

Renewal Requirements

The following criteria must be met during your Iowa State career to maintain the scholarship:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 while enrolled at Iowa State
• Continuous enrollment in a minimum of 12 semester credits each semester (summers not included)
• Only students assessed non-resident tuition are eligible for this award
• The award may only be used toward undergraduate tuition and fees

Czech Government Scholarships for International Students

             

Scholarship Overview:

• The Government of the Czech Republic annually offers scholarships within its Foreign Development Assistance Program. These so called government scholarships support students from developing countries who would like to study at public universities in the Czech Republic.
  

Scholarship Description:

• Granting scholarships to citizens from developing countries for studies at Czech public higher education institutions (referred to as “universities”) is an important part of the foreign development cooperation of the Czech Republic and has a long tradition.

From the late 1950s to the present day over 21,500 foreign nationals have completed their studies at Czech universities with a scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic.

Host School(s): 

• Study in Czech Republic

Field(s) of study:

• Czech Republic provides scholarships for studies pursued both in the Czech language (in Bachelor’s and Master´s study programs) and in the English language (in follow-up Master’s and Doctoral study programs).
•  Study Areas Available in English: Economics,Agriculture,Informatics,Environment,Energetics.

Who can Apply?

• Students from developing countries. 

Scholarship Duration:

• These Government Scholarships are designed to cover the standard length of study: 
• 1) in Bachelor/Master/Doctoral study programs plus one-year preparatory course of the Czech language (which is combined with other field-specific training). Government scholarships of this category are awarded to graduates from upper secondary schools, or Bachelor's/Master's degree courses, as applicable, who can enroll only in study programs in which instruction is given in the Czech language. Depending on the subject area, applicants are normally required to sit entrance examinations at the higher education institution concerned. Successful passing of entrance examinations constitutes a precondition for the scholarship award;
• or  
• 2) in follow-up Master study programs or Doctoral study programs. Government scholarships of this category are awarded to graduates of Bachelor or Master study programs, respectively, who enroll in study programs with instruction in the English language.      
• 
  
• What does the scholarship cover?
• 
  
• The scholarship covers the necessary costs related to staying and studying in the Czech Republic.The scholarship amount is regularly amended. Currently the amount paid to students on a Bachelor’s, Master’s or follow-up Master’s study program stands at CZK 14,000 per month, whereas the amount paid to students of a Doctoral study program stands at CZK 15,000 per month.The above scholarship amount includes an amount designated for the payment of accommodation costs.Costs of accommodation, food and public transport are covered by scholarship holders from the scholarship under the same conditions that apply to students who are citizens of the Czech Republic. Should health services exceeding standard care be required by the student, s/he shall cover them at his/her own cost.

Application Closing date: 

• The 2018/2019 application system will open on 20 July 2017 and the deadline to fill in an electronic application form will be 30 September. 

Application and Eligibility?

Applicants for a scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic shall submit the documentation in two counterparts (i.e. two separate identical files).
Only complete documentation that meets the requirements stated in this Chapter shall be considered. Documentation that does not meet the requirements shall be officially returned without any further reasoning.
In order for an applicant to be admitted to study at a university, his/her documents proving foreign educational attainment must be recognized in the Czech Republic. It is advisable that when traveling to the Czech Republic, students should have at least two extra counterparts of the documents necessary for the admission procedure and for the recognition of foreign educational attainment with them. It is also recommended that students who shall pursue their studies at a university without the one-yearlong language and preparatory studies have their education recognized prior to their arrival in the Czech Republic. The actual procedure is published on the university website.
If it is not possible to have documents translated into the Czech language pursuant to the requirements specified hereinafter in the country that nominates the applicant for the studies, applicants may enclose legalised translations by a sworn translator/interpreter into the English language.

Application Form

All applicants shall fill in the electronic application form available on the website stated in Chapter 2 and successfully register (i.e. obtain an application identification number upon sending a completed application form to the pertinent authority electronically).
Nominated applicants shall also submit a printed “Application Form for a Scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic”, which has to meet the requirements stated below:

•  It shall be filled in using the Roman alphabet, if possible in English or in Czech; 
•  The assigned application identification number shall be stated in the upper right corner;  A photo (45 mm x 35 mm) shall be printed or glued in the designated place; 
• All boxes shall be completely and truthfully filled in pursuant to the instructions for each box; 
•  The applicant shall pay special attention to the content of a box entitled “Motivational Letter” in which s/he shall briefly describe his/her expectations in terms of future studies, the practical application of the learning and the benefit for the country that has nominated him/her; 
•  A printed copy of the application form shall be signed by the applicant in his/her own hand. 

Documents Submitted by Applicants for a Bachelor’s and Master’s Study Program Pursued in the Czech Language

Applicants for a Bachelor’s and Master’s study program pursued in the Czech language shall submit the following documents in two counterparts through the pertinent Embassy (upon request): 

•  Application Form for a Scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic (“Application Form”) that meets the requirements stated in above;
•  CV with a focus on studies and employment; 
• Photocopy of his/her passport, if issued;
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Granting of Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic (signed in his/her own hand!); 
•  Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Provision of Health Services (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Affirmation on Return to the Sending Country upon Completion of Studies (signed in his/her own hand!);
• Legalized copy of his/her birth certificate with a legalized translation into the Czech language;
• Medical confirmation about the applicant’s health no more than two months old, with a legalized translation into English or into Czech (a template of the form is given in Annex); 
•  Legalized copy of a foreign certificate (i.e. proof of completed secondary education) with a legalized translation into the Czech language by a sworn translator/interpreter entered in the list of experts and interpreters in the Czech Republic; 
• Document proving the content and scope of education completed at a foreign school (i.e. a list of subjects studied in individual years at a secondary school, duration and/or confirmation of the scope of vocational education) with a legalized translation into the Czech language by a sworn translator/interpreter entered in the list of experts and interpreters in the Czech Republic;
• Document proving that the school is recognized by the state pursuant to whose legal order the foreign certificate has been issued and that it belongs to its system of education, if this fact is not clear from the foreign certificate, with a legalized translation into the Czech language by a sworn translator/interpreter entered in the list of experts and interpreters in the Czech Republic;
• Document proving that the foreign certificate entitles the student to pursue university studies in a given foreign country. 

Applicants for a Bachelor’s and a Master’s study program pursued in the Czech language who have a command of Czech and thus do not wish to undertake the one-year-long language and preparatory studies and who may prove their Czech language knowledge by means of an official document (attestation, certificate or confirmation) shall be registered as substitutes. These applicants shall fill in the electronic application form and shall complete the admission procedure themselves on the dates stipulated by the given university in the Czech Republic. If these applicants present a certificate of enrollment for studies in the Czech language at a university in the given academic year before the given academic year commences or at the latest at its commencement, they may be granted a scholarship from a pool of unused scholarships offered by the Government of the Czech Republic for the given academic year. 

If it is not possible to have documents translated into Czech in the country that nominates the applicant pursuant to requirements specified in this Chapter below, applicants may enclose legalized translations into the English language. 

Documents Submitted by Applicants for a Master’s Study Program Pursued in the English Language

Applicants for a follow-up Master’s study program pursued in the English language shall submit the following documents in two counterparts through the pertinent Embassy (upon request): 

• Application Form for a Scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic (“Application Form”) that meets the requirements stated above; 
• CV with a focus on studies and employment; 
• Photocopy of his/her passport, if issued; 
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Granting of Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic (signed in his/her own hand!);
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Provision of Health Services (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Affirmation on Return to the Sending Country upon Completion of Studies (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Legalized copy of his/her birth certificate with a legalized translation into the Czech language; 8. Medical confirmation about the applicant’s health no more than two months old with a legalized translation into English or into Czech (a template of the form is given in Annex)
• Legalized copy of a foreign diploma, certificate or similar document proving due completion of a Bachelor’s study program with a legalized translation into the Czech language by a sworn translator/interpreter entered in the list of experts and interpreters in the Czech Republic; 
• Legalized copy of a Supplement to Diploma or list of completed lectures and examinations including their scope and grades (marks) achieved with a legalized translation into the Czech language; 
• Additional information proving that the study program was provided by an institution entitled to provide university education, with a legalized translation into the Czech language by a sworn translator/interpreter entered in the list of experts and interpreters in the Czech Republic;
• Additional information about the content of foreign university education; If it is not possible to have documents translated into Czech in the country that nominates the applicant pursuant to requirements specified in this Chapter below, applicants may enclose legalized translations into the English language. 

Documents Submitted by Applicants for a Doctoral Study Programme Pursued in the English Language: 

Applicants for a Doctoral study program pursued in the English language shall submit the following documents in two counterparts through the pertinent Embassy (upon request): 

• Application Form for a Scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic (“Application Form”) that meets the requirements stated above;  
• CV with a focus on studies and employment;
• Photocopy of his/her passport, if issued;
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Granting of Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic (signed in his/her own hand!);
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Provision of Health Services (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Affirmation on Return to the Sending Country upon Completion of Studies (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Legalized copy of his/her birth certificate with a legalized translation into the Czech language;
• Medical confirmation about the applicant’s health no more than two months old with a legalized translation into English or into Czech (a template of the form is given in Annex);
• Legalized copy of a foreign diploma, certificate or similar document proving due completion of a Bachelor’s study program with a legalized translation into the Czech language; 
• Legalized copy of a Supplement to Diploma or list of completed lectures and examinations including their scope and grades (marks) achieved with a legalized translation into the Czech language; 
• Additional information proving that the study program was provided by an institution entitled to provide university education, with a legalized translation into the Czech language;
• Additional information about the content of foreign university education; and furthermore:
• Overview of publication activity; 
• Overview of expert topics on which the applicant wishes to focus in the Doctoral study program; 
• Ideas about the focus of the dissertation thesis (3 to 5 pages long);
• Two letters of recommendation by professors teaching at an academic institution; 
• If applicable, other documents proving the applicant’s qualifications advancement and scholarly/scientific activity to date. If it is not possible to have documents translated into Czech in the country that nominates the applicant pursuant to requirements specified in this Chapter below, applicants may enclose legalized translations into the English language. 

Documents Submitted by Applicants Who Are Regular Students of an Accredited Study Program at a University in the Czech Republic at the Time Designated as the Deadline for the Submission of Scholarship Application Forms 

Applicants who are regular students at an accredited study program at a university in the Czech Republic at the time designated as the deadline for the submission of application forms shall submit Page 10 of 26 the following documents in two counterparts through the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 

• Application Form for a Scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic (“Application Form”) that meets the requirements stated above; 
• CV (information about studies, employment); 
• Photocopy of their passport;
•  Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Granting of Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic (signed in his/her own hand!);
• Declaration about the Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Provision of Health Services (signed in his/her own hand!); 
• Affirmation on Return to the Sending Country upon Completion of Studies (signed in his/her own hand!);
• Medical confirmation about the applicant’s health no more than two months old with a legalized translation into English or into Czech unless it is issued in the Czech language (a template of the form is given in Anne); and furthermore: 
• Study confirmation issued by the pertinent university where they currently study; 
•  Document stating all the results of his/her studies to date; Applicants for a Doctoral study program scholarship shall also submit the following:
• Overview of expert topics on which the applicant wishes to focus in the Doctoral study program; 
• Letter of recommendation by a thesis supervisor/professor at the university where the Doctoral study program is/will be taking place or a letter of acceptance (i.e. preliminary confirmation of admission) issued by a university in the Czech Republic that shall admit the applicant as a holder of a scholarship from the Government of the Czech Republic; 
• If applicable, other documents proving the applicant’s qualifications advancement and scholarly/scientific activity to date. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot accept applications from applicants who are in the territory of the Czech Republic at the time designated as the deadline for the submission of application forms for a scholarship of the Government of the Czech Republic but who are currently only preparing themselves for their studies at a university (i.e. who are not students of a university in the Czech Republic as yet). 

How do I get more information?

• Prospective applicants should address all inquiries to the Czech Embassies in their countries.
• Detailed information on the terms and conditions of scholarship awards is provided in the binding "Guidelines for Granting Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic"