Sri Lankan Government Presidential Scholarships for Foreign Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

Sri Lankan Government Presidential Scholarships

Course(s) Offered: All available fields
Course Level: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Provider: Govt of Sri Lanka
Country to Study in: Sri Lanka

Scholarship Description
Applications are invited from eligible students for the award of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships offered by the Ministry of Higher Education of Sri Lanka under the Government of Sri Lanka Presidential Scholarships for Foreign Students for the academic year 2014/2015.

The Scheme offers undergraduate scholarships to foreign students from 48 countries is a new programme with the exception of bringing about stronger educational co-operations with friendly nations. The Scholarship Scheme offers international students an opportunity to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level in programmes conducted by reputed state universities in Sri Lanka.

Eligibility
Be a citizen of a country covered by this scholarship (A citizen of another country having Sri Lankan dual citizenship is not eligible to apply).

Undergraduate Applicants:

• Candidates with impressive result of an examination deemed equivalent to G.C.E. (Advance Level) Examination of Sri Lanka are eligible to apply for admission to universities in Sri Lanka. 
• Applicants are advised to attach to their applications the original letter obtained from the Examinations Board concerned, to prove that their educational qualifications are equivalent to the G.C.E. (A/L) Examination conducted in Sri Lanka or the G.C.E. A/L examination of University of London or qualifications required for admission to a university in their own country to follow an undergraduate course of study leading to a Bachelor degree. 
• Applicants should ensure that all required passes should be obtained in one and the same setting under a recognized Board of Examination.
• Age: Be less than 25 years of age on 15.10.2014

Postgraduate Applicants:

• Applicants should possess a first degree from a recognized university with good academic merit to enroll a masters degree and for PhD studies, a Master/MPhil degree is required in addition to the first degree.
• Age: Be less than 45 years of age on 15.10.2014
• Applicants must provide evidence of proficiency in English, i.e. a minimum score of 525 on TOEFL or 6.0 on IELTS for undergraduate studies. For Masters or PhD, the required marks should be a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on IELTS.

Eligible groups
Citizens of the following countries:
Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam

Participating Institutions
All reputed state universities in Sri Lanka.

There are currently only 15 state universities in Sri Lanka. The prominent ones are University of Colombo, University of Peradeniya, University of Ruhuna, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayawardhenapura and University of Moratuwa. In recent years with changes to the University Act a few institutes have been given permission to grant their own degrees, the most prominent is the government owned Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.

Fields of study
All available courses at undergraduate or postgraduate levels in participating Sri Lankan universities. Scholarships are open for courses of studies other than Medical & Dental Sciences.

Number of awards
Granting 100 Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarships for Foreign Students

Sponsorship duration
Throughout the duration of the awarded programmes

Scholarship benefits
The value of the scholarship includes:

• Provide free of charge tuition and registration.
• Free of charge visa for studies.
• During the study period, a monthly living allowance of Rs.30, 000/- will be paid.
• One-off settlement allowance of Rs. 10,000/-.
• Reimburse the cost of airfare (economy class) to come to Sri Lanka and return his/her country after Studies.
• Accommodation : It is expected that the scholarship recipient will meet the expenditure for food and accommodation with the monthly allowance of Rs.30, 000/- (The relevant university/higher educational institute will assist in finding suitable accommodation).
• Medical Cover: Free of charge medical benefits will be provided at government hospitals other than dental related diseases.

Method of Application
The following steps / procedures are to be followed:

• Each applicant should submit duly perfected 4 sets of applications (one original) along with all required documents to his/her government nominating agency by post.
• Each application should be recommended by the government nominating agency by filling out the section 09 B of the application (see the Brochure)
• The government nominating agency of the applicant should submit the applications with their recommendation to the Sri Lankan mission in his/her country for forwarding the same to the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka. In case a Sri Lankan mission is not present in his /her country, the government nominating agency can forward the applications directly.
• Required documents: Certified copy of Birth Certificate, Certified copy of official evidence of any name change, Certified copy of the personal page of applicant’s passport, Certified copies of the graduation/post-graduation certificates and Certified copies of the academic transcripts
• Medical Certificate
• Security Vetting
• Two Referee reports for postgraduate students (preferred from applicant’s current employer/former lecturer/academic supervisor)
• Research proposal – for PhD/MPhil applicants.

It is important to visit the official website (link to it is below) to DOWNLOAD the Scholarship Brochure for complete information on the participating schools and also on how to apply to the Sri-Lankan Government Presidential Scholarships for Foreign Students.

DEADLINES:
All applications must be submitted on or before the 15th of October of the year of application.

PLEASE NOTE:
Education in Sri Lanka has a long history which dates back two millennia and the Constitution of Sri Lanka provide for education as a fundamental right. The Sri Lanka's population has a literacy rate of 92%, higher than that expected for a third world country; it has the highest literacy rate in South Asia and overall, one of the highest literacy rates in Asia.

Education plays a pivotal role in the life and culture of the country and dates back to 543 BC. Modern education system was brought about with the integration of Sri Lanka in to the British Empire in the 19th century and it falls under the control of both the Central Government and the Provincial Councils, with some responsibilities lying with the Central Government and the Provincial Council having autonomy for others.

Application Deadline: 15 October 2014
Open to International Applicants: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application