7 Meaningful Scholarships for Rwandans

Scholarship is one of the many forms of financial support generally offered to recognize students’ academic achievements, talents, and/or help those with financial crisis. Scholarships can come in two sorts; full and partial.

There are so many scholarships offered around the world, both for studying domestically and abroad. Scholarships are also offered to Rwandan students and researchers. Below are some of the best scholarships for Rwandans to pursue studies or conduct research.

1. WDA Scholarship

The Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) gives several awards and provides funding to recognize outstanding work in wildlife health and service to the WDA.

• • WDA Ed Addison Distinguished Service Award: the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is the highest award of the Wildlife Disease Association. The purpose of the DSA is to honor a WDA member of long standing who, by his or her outstanding accomplishments in research, teaching and other activities, including participation in WDA affairs, has made a noteworthy contribution furthering the aims of the Wildlife Disease Association.
  • WDA Emeritus Award: An honorary category of membership awarded by the Council to members of the WDA who have retired from their profession and who in the opinion of Council have contributed significantly to the study of wildlife diseases.
  • WDA Duck Award: Presented to recipients to acknowledge a particularly embarrassing incident (e.g. foible / mistake) that usually occurs at the annual meeting of the WDA.
  • WDA Student Awards: The WDA offers a research recognition award, two scholarship awards in addition to a number of presentation awards at the annual international conference. The aim of these awards is to recognize outstanding student research and scholarship in the field of wildlife health, to encourage student participation in the Association and attendance at WDA’s annual international conference.
  • AAWV Graduate Student Scholarship Award:In keeping with the close relationship between WDA and the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV), the AAWV will sponsor an award to a student at each annual WDA conference. This award will acknowledge outstanding academic and research accomplishment, productivity and potential to contribute to the field of wildlife medicine/research.
  • Wildlife Veterinary Section Travel Award: Given to an accepted presenter to the annual international meeting of the Wildlife Disease Association. Although the award will be announced at the meeting, it will be provided to the winner before the meeting so that it truly is an award in support of travel.
  • Tom Thorne and Beth Williams Memorial Award: Presented in acknowledgement of either an exemplary contribution or achievement combining wildlife disease research with wildlife management policy implementation or elucidating particularly significant problems in wildlife health.
  • Carlton M. Herman Founder’s Fund: The main activity supported by this fund is sponsoring presentations at WDA International Conferences, in some way related to wildlife population health and density and changes in habitat. The scope includes all animals, including the human species. Activities may also include funding of research, presentation of medals in acknowledgement of contributions, support of publications, or other activities as determined by the trustees of the Fund.

2. Chevening Scholarship

Chevening is the UK Government’s global scholarship program that offers future leaders the unique opportunity to study in the UK. These scholarships are awarded to outstanding professionals from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any UK university. Chevening provides fully-funded scholarships, leaving you free to focus on achieving your academic goals and enjoying the experience of a lifetime. You will live and study in the UK for a year, during which time you will develop professionally and academically, grow your network, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. Applications for Chevening scholarships this year should be submitted before November 5, 2019.

As Chevening Scholarships are fully-funded, your award includes the following:

• • university tuition fees
  • a monthly stipend
  • travel costs to and from the UK
  • an arrival allowance
  • a homeward departure allowance
  • the cost of one visa application
  • a travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK

Within Chevening scholarships, you get to choose three courses and for each of them separately to the university. To be awarded the scholarship, you must get an unconditional offer for one of your course choices by July 16, 2020. It is recommended that you select three similar courses at three different universities to increase the likelihood that you will gain entry into one of them. Please note that the course titles do not have to match exactly, but all three courses should be similar in content. You should select courses that reflect your current or future career goals.

In order to be eligible, the courses you choose must be full-time, and:

• • Start in the autumn term (usually September/October)
  • Taught master’s (i.e. not research-focused MRes programmes)
  • Lead to a master’s degree qualification
  • Based in the UK

Courses cannot be:

• • Part-time
  • Distance learning
  • Less than nine months in duration
  • More than 12 months in duration
  • PhD or DPhil
  • Taught with more than one month of study outside the UK

3. US Embassy Kigali Scholarship

EducationUSA Kigali actively promotes United States higher education by offering accurate, comprehensive, objective and timely information about educational opportunities in the United States and guidance to qualified Rwandan students on how best to access those opportunities.

• • Fulbright Foreign Student Program: Enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad to research and study in the United States for one year or longer at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions. The duration of the Program is 6 to 12 months.

The Fulbright Program’s application process is lengthy and rigorous, and prospective applicants are encouraged to consider carefully their intentions, goals, future plans and prospective projects before applying for a Fulbright grant. The competition for Fulbright Program grants is merit-based. Candidates are selected based on a variety of factors that may include (but are not limited to) academic qualifications, project feasibility, personal leadership ability, and available grant funds.

• • Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program: Provides grants to approximately 850 foreign scholars from over 100 countries to conduct post-doctoral research at U.S. institutions from an academic semester to a full academic year. The duration of the program varies from 3 to 6 months and 6 months to 1 year.

To participate in the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, the applicant must have:

• • • a doctoral degree or equivalent professional training or experience at the time of application, and
    • sufficient proficiency in the English language to carry out the project required.

4. Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students

This is a scholarship program for privately-financed international students with excellent academic and character records who are enrolled in undergraduate schools, graduate schools, junior colleges, colleges of technology, specialized course in specialized training colleges, university preparatory courses or Japanese language institutes in Japan and are facing financial difficulties. A total of 7,800 scholarships for 12 months and 6 months are available to both undergraduate and graduate students from outside Japan. The total number of scholarships offered consists of 7,170 scholarships for graduate and undergraduate level studies, and 630 scholarships for studies at Japanese language institutes. The scholarship amounts for each type are as follows:

• • Graduate/undergraduate level: 48,000 yen per month
  • Japanese language institutes: 30,000 yen per month

5. DAFI Scholarship for Refugees in Rwanda

UNHCR higher education program is offering a great opportunity for the refuge students through applying to DAFI scholarship program funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Germany. The scholarships are provided to undergraduate refugee students, covering all education fees and living costs during the studying period. In return, it is expected from all selected students to be a role model in education and persistence to successfully obtain remarkable academic degrees. Selections for the scholarships are based on academic performance and socio-economic status. Priority is given to female applicants.

6. ACI Creative Mind Scholarship

The ACI Creative Mind Scholarship is a Fontys ACI (Academy for Creative Industries) specific scholarship. The purpose of the scholarship is to support young, creative minds during their study period at ACI. Each academic year ACI hands out three of these scholarships. For the ACI Creative Mind Scholarship students of all study years can apply.

• • Your nationality is non-EEA
  • You do not have a degree from an education institution in the Netherlands
  • You have to be enrolled as a regular student for one of ACI’s study programs
  • You can demonstrate that you have a creative mind and focus
  • For applicants of higher study years (years 2, 3 and 4): You do not have any study delay (all courses passed so far). There are no negative entries in your student file

Application deadline for the scholarships is the 1^st of May in each year. You can only apply for one scholarship. In your application, make sure to mention for which of the two scholarships you are applying.

7. Booking.com – Delft Global Scholarship

The Booking.com – Delft Global Scholarships give talented, motivated and broadly interested female students from Sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to study at the Delft University of Technology. Recognizing an under-representation of women in undergraduate and advanced STEM-related areas of study, booking.com aims to ensure equal access and opportunity for all in the technology sector. The TU Delft, in particular TU Delft – Global Initiative, aims to support capacity building in the Global South and to advance future leadership focusing on sustainable global development. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a guiding principle for TU Delft. Booking.com and TU Delft – Global Initiative offer five Global Scholarships for female students interested in ICT.

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must:

• • Be a female student
  • Be admitted to one on the following TU Delft’s MSc programs:
    • Computer Science
    • Embedded Systems
    • Systems and Control
    • Computer Engineering
    • Applied Mathematics
  • Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 80 percent or higher of the scale maximum in your bachelor’s degree
  • Hold a degree from an accredited university in one of the Sub-Saharan African countries

Recipients of the scholarship will benefit in full tuition fees for a TU Delft MSc program and living expenses for 2 years. In addition, recipients will also receive membership to the Scholarship club giving access to personal development, workshops, seminars, etc.