Before introducing the specific details regarding KOICA Scholarships, we need to know what KOICA stands for, and it stands for Korea International Cooperation Agency. Currently, KOICA is offering Master’s Degree scholarships for applicants in developing countries.
If you have already gone through college and received your bachelor’s degree, you are eligible for this scholarship; however, if you are looking for a PhD, you are looking at the wrong scholarship. This scholarship is only for applicants looking for Master’s Degrees!
Benefits of KOICA Scholarships
The purpose of this scholarship is to receive the applicants from developing countries, to change the applicants from students to leaders, and to provide the needed skill sets to contribute to the socio-economic developments of their home countries.
In order to fulfill its mission, KOICA offers great scholarship benefits to the scholarship recipients, and yes, this is a full-ride scholarship so don’t be too amazed!
Scholarship Benefits:
- Traveling Expenses (Air Plane Tickets)
- Full Tuition Fees
- Monthly Stipend*
- Room & Board
- Coverage of Mandatory Fees**
- Insurance During Stay in Korea
*The monthly stipend bears the expenses for meals, books, and supplies, and the monthly stipend stays the same for each month. If the scholarship recipient leaves Korea for any reason, the scholarship amount will be deducted, so please stay in Korea during your whole scholarship period!
**The mandatory fees include the expenses needed to enter Korea, and it also includes visa fee, alien registration card fee, and other miscellaneous fees. Also, after the completion of the scholarship, you will also receive money to leave Korea as well.
Even though you can’t really prepare for everything that might come your way, the KOICA Scholarships cover most of your fees that you need to study abroad in Korea. Also, if you want to buy some souvenirs to bring it back home, you probably should prepare by saving your money.
Eligibility Requirements of KOICA Scholarships
The first eligibility requirement is that the applicant needs to be from a developing country; however, keep in mind that the list is subject to change based on the KOICA. If your country is not included, make sure to check the link down below to be absolutely sure! Even if your country is included in the list, please double check by using the same link.
List of Eligible Countries
- Asia – Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Phillipines, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
- Africa – Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwana, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Latin America – Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
- Middle East – Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine
- CIS – Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
To Check the Current List of Countries, Click Here!
If you are from one of the eligible countries, you can continue your application process by checking the list of qualifications.
Scholarship Applicants Must Meet ALL of the Following:
- Be a Citizen of an Eligible Country
- Be Officially Nominated by Your Government (Exception*)
- Be Employed by the Government
- Have at least 2 Years of Experience in the Field of Study**
- (Preferably) Be Under the Age of 40
- Be Physically and Mentally Healthy
- If Physically and Mentally Healthy, Those with Disabilities Are Eligible to Apply
- Those Suffering with Sever Illness Are Not Eligible to Apply
- Have Completed Bachelor Degree or Its Equivalent
- High Proficiency in English (Oral and Written)
- Have Not Previously Participated in the KOICA Scholarship Program or Any of the Korean Government Scholarship Program
- Meet the Eligibility Requirements of the Institution***
*Applicants with an ‘international development NGO’ background may apply for the KOICA Scholarship Program with two letters of recommendations:
- From Your Government Office
- From Korean Embassy (NGO), an UN-Associated Organizations, or KOICA Organizations Within Your Region
**The fields of study are included in the link down below.
***For each field of study, a particular institution is teaching that course. In the list containing the available fields, the names of the teaching institution will be listed right next to each field. When applying for a specific field, you also need to fulfill the eligible requirement of the institution that is teaching that field.
For the List of Available Universities and Fields of Study, Click Here!
Conclusion: Deadlines!
As you can see, the KOICA Scholarship is worth all the work and trouble that you will go through. If you are looking for a Master’s Degree, you can get a free education at one of the top Korean universities, and you can also enjoy the Korean food and culture while you are over there.
But as always, check the application deadlines since it might be closed! If it is, please note the date, so that you can apply for it next year. If it is still open, please apply as early as you can! Also, don’t turn in falsified documents since that is a sure way of getting rejected from the scholarship application.
Thank you for reading, and I will see you in the Next Post!
