United States Scholarships for Pacific Students

Scholars who receive US scholarships study at many universities in the US. Photo :students studying at Hawaii University/East-West Center

A great Scholarships opportunity for Pacific Students to study in the United States of America is now open. Students from selected Pacific countries can apply for this scholarship. The scholarship is called  United States - South Pacific Scholarship Program 

About the Scholarship

This scholarship is funded by the United States Government through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific island countries.

Eligible Countries of the Pacific

  Candidates from the following countries, who meet specific selection criteria, are eligible for the program: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.  The U.S.–South Pacific Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center on behalf of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.


Area of studies

Priority areas of study include agriculture, business, communication/journalism, education, environmental studies, gender studies, NGO management, political science, public administration, public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and other related fields. If a desired field of study is not among the priorities, the applicant should give special attention to explaining how this course of study would support the goals of the scholarship program. Support is not available for professional degrees such as architecture, law, and medicine.


Number of Scholarships Awarded

Three (3) Scholarships


Study Programs  and their Requirements 

 
Bachelor’s Scholarship:  Applicants must have completed secondary school by the deadline for submitting a university application for admission to their undergraduate program.  In some countries this means having completed “Form 6.”  In other countries, this may mean having completed “Grade 12.”  Individuals who have completed some undergraduate level courses but have not obtained the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree are also eligible and strongly encouraged to apply.

Master’s Scholarship:  Applicants must have completed at least a three-year baccalaureate program.  Those with a three-year Bachelor’s degree may apply for a bridging program of up to one year, which upon completion allows for application to a master’s degree program.  Master’s programs may not require a bridging component, depending on prior study and academic performance during the first year.  The USSP program does not generally permit direct application and admission to a graduate degree program.  Those who currently possess both a bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate diploma or honors degree, or will have earned a post-graduate diploma or honors degree before the scholarship’s August start date, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Because an objective of the program is to provide an educational exchange experience to those not previously afforded such an opportunity, preference will usually be given to candidates who have not had recent extensive experience in the United States.  Preference may also be given to candidates who have not had extensive opportunities for study at educational institutions outside the Pacific Islands region (i.e., outside the countries listed in paragraph one above).

Note:  Individuals who have dual citizenship, one being that of the United States, are not eligible.  U.S. non-citizen nationals and U.S. permanent residents are also not eligible for USSP.  All scholarship recipients must be able to meet the requirements of the Exchange Visitor (J-1 visa) program.

How to apply for this scholarship

All application documents contained in the application packet may be found at: www.eastwestcenter.org/ussp.  Application packets may also be obtained from U.S. embassies or consulates located in Suva, Fiji; Auckland or Wellington, New Zealand; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Apia, Samoa; or from the Award Services Office at the East-West Center, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii  96848-1601. Further inquiries:  Telephone (808) 944-7735; Fax: (808) 944-7730, Email: USSP@EastWestCenter.org.  All inquiries should reference the 2016 United States–South Pacific (USSP) Scholarship Program competition.

Application Due dates

The application deadline is February 1, 2017 for awards beginning in early August 2017.  Awards are expected to be announced on the East-West Center website www.eastwestcenter.org/ussp by April 3, 2017.

You can visit the officiate website to download application forms >> Official Website here 

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