Related Resources • International Study • Learn a Language • Interview Resources

From Other Guides • Financial Aid to Study Abroad • Scholarships for International Students

Elsewhere on the Web • Rotary International

During the 2000-01 academic year, Rotary International, a humanitarian organization, has awarded more than 1,200 Ambassadorial Scholarships (totaling $26 million US dollars). These scholarships enabled recipients from 69 countries to study in more than 64 different nations.  The Ambassadorial Scholarship is designed to "further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries." The Ambassador Scholarship is the largest privately funded scholarship program in the world.

Types of Scholarships

• Academic-Year. Provides funding for one academic year of study in another country; the most commonly awarded scholarship
• Multi-Year. Provides funding for two or three years of study abroad for a degree. The multiyear scholarships are usually offered by Rotary districts in Japan and Korea
• Cultural.   Provide funding for three to six months of intensive language study (Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Swedish) in another country.

Requirements

• Study must be conducted in another country or territory
• Scholarships cannot be assigned to countries where the applicant has previously lived.
• Students are responsible applying to, and winning acceptance at, the assigned institution.

A Recipient's Perspective

After earning her bachelor's degree in electronic engineering at the University of the Pacific, in the US, Sheila Messer successfully applied for an Ambassador Scholarship to continue her studies abroad.   With the help of an Ambassador Scholarship, she is spending one year at the University of Adelaide's Center for Biomedical Engineering, in Australia, studying for a master's degree. 

According to Sheila, the selection process is very demanding because students will be cultural ambassadors. The selection process required several levels of interviews, first at the local level, then district, then regional, etc. The interviews were very similar to job interviews or graduate admissions interviews, often before a panel of businesspersons and professionals in suits. If you're considering applying for an Ambassador Scholarship, brush up on your interview skills (check out the interview tips above!).

When choosing a country to study in, Sheila offers a wealth of advice:

• Consider the climate
• "Think about creature comforts - the novelty of squat toilets in some countries stop being a novelty quite quickly"
• "Check out the food - you must be able to enjoy the local food"
• Consider the language. If you're going to a country that doesn't use your language, consider how you might learn the language before you arrive (the language resources above will help!).

If you're considering applying for a scholarship, do your homework. Know where you are going, why you've  chosen the specific country and place, and what you will do there, so it will be meaningful for you. Studying abroad offers not just academic enrichment, but cultural enrichment.