*Taiwan Scholarship

Provided by The Taiwan Scholarship Program Steering Committee
January 2010

I. Purpose

The Taiwan Scholarship Program was established jointly by three government agencies of the Republic of China (Taiwan) — the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the National Science Council of the Executive Yuan (NSC) — to encourage outstanding international students to undertake degree programs in Taiwan. While providing study opportunities for a wide range of disciplines, at Taiwan’s universities and colleges, this program also aims to:

1. Promote knowledge, understanding and friendship between people in Taiwan and in countries around the world.
2. Provide opportunities to increase academic and educational links with international institutions of higher learning.
3. Develop outstanding professionals and experts to meet the needs of the global society.

II. The Focus of Government Agencies Funding the Taiwan Scholarships

There are three government agencies that fund this program, each with a different focus in terms of recipients’ nationalities and study programs:

• MOFA Scholarship:

Recipients from countries that have diplomatic relations with the R.O.C. (Taiwan) or countries specified as being diplomatically favorable by MOFA.

Undergraduate and/or postgraduate degree programs. Embassies of the R.O.C. can also award a pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Program (LEP) scholarship to recipients to improve their language abilities.

• MOE Scholarship:

Recipients from countries other than those specified in the MOFA Scholarship.

Undergraduate and/or postgraduate programs. R.O.C.’s overseas offices can also designate a pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Program (LEP) to recipients to improve their language abilities.

• NSC Scholarship:

Recipients from countries other than those specified in the MOFA Scholarship. Postgraduate programs only.

III. Amount of Scholarships

The amount of each scholarship varies in accordance with the funding government agency’s policy:

1. MOFA Scholarship: One economy-class, direct-route roundtrip international airfare ticket, plus a monthly stipend of NT$30,000 (approximately US$930).
2. MOE Scholarship: A monthly stipend of NT$25,000 (approximately US$775) for undergraduate or LEP study, and NT$30,000 for a postgraduate degree program.
3. NSC Scholarship: A monthly stipend of NT$30, 000.

Recipients are responsible for their own expenses.

IV. Duration of Award

• The Award Period in Terms of Study Programs

The award period for each degree/study program is as follows:

1. 1. Undergraduate program: maximum 4 years.
   2. Master’s program: maximum 2 years.
   3. Doctoral program: maximum 3 years.
   4. LEP: maximum 1 year.

• Maximum Duration of Combination of Awards

Upon completion of a LEP or a degree program, a recipient may apply for a scholarship for a degree program leading to a higher degree. However, the total duration of an award for any combination of degree/study programs is a maximum of five years.

• LEP Award

The LEP award is neither mandatory nor automatically granted; it has to be awarded by R.O.C. Embassies or Representative Offices where the applicant submitted his/her application. The LEP must be undertaken in the first year if it is included in the total award period. If applying for the LEP program during the first year, then the applicant must apply for his/her degree program  the second year.

• Annual Award Period

The Annual award periods are from September 1^st through August 31^st of the following year.  Recipients must matriculate within the award period unless approved by the receiving institution and the scholarship funding government agency. If recipients fail to arrive in Taiwan to study during this period, their award status will be cancelled and cannot be extended for another year.

If recipients begin their study after the intended study term/quarter has started, their award period will become effective from the month they matriculate, at their universities/colleges or Mandarin training centers in Taiwan.

• Expiration of Award

No matter whether a recipient begins undertaking language training courses in September or later, the LEP award period will expire on August 31^st, even if its duration may be less than the designated one year period.

All awards will end by the last month of their specified award period. However, if recipients graduate, drop out, are expelled from their institutions, violate R.O.C. laws, receive any major demerits, or their scholarships are revoked, whichever comes first, the award will be terminated.

V. Eligibility

An applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a high school graduate or above, have an excellent academic performance in his/her most recent formal educational study experience, be of good moral character and does not have any criminal records.
2. Is not an R.O.C. (Taiwan) national.
3. Does not have the status of being an overseas compatriot student.
4. Has never enrolled at any educational institution in Taiwan for the same level of degree or LEP that he/she plans to matriculate at.
5. Is not an exchange student in accordance with any agreement of cooperation between an international university/college and an educational institute in Taiwan, at the time of receiving a Taiwan Scholarship.
6. Has never received the scholarship to undertake any degree program or language study within the total award period of 5 years.
7. Does not have any revocation record regarding the Taiwan Scholarship Program nor from the Ministry of Education’s Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program.
8. Is not a recipient of any other scholarship or subsidy offered by the Taiwan government or from any other educational institutions in Taiwan.

VI. Application and Selection Process

For the application, the applicant must send all completed documents to the nearest Taiwan Embassy or Representative Office in his/her home country; see website for nearest embassy or representative office: http://www.mofa.gov.tw/webapp/lp.asp?ctnode=1864&ctunit=30&basedsd=30&mp=6

In principle, the yearly application period is from February 1^st through March 31^st. However, the actual application period will be in accordance with the general regulations of the local Taiwan Representative Offices.

For the application period, guidelines and forms, types of scholarship and quotas, as well as information regarding the selection process and outcome announcement, applicants should directly contact the relevant Taiwan Embassy or Representative Office, as early as possible.

Application Documents: A complete application must include the following materials:

1. One copy of the completed application form.
2. One photocopy of applicant’s passport or other nationality certificates.
3. One photocopy of the highest-level diploma and a complete grade transcript.
   (Note: These documents must be authenticated by a Taiwan overseas representative office, if issued by international educational institutions.)
4. Supporting admission application materials (e.g. photocopies of application forms for language training centers or for a degree program at universities/colleges in Taiwan. The exact academic year that applicants would be enrolled as full-time students at these institutions must be clearly specified on these documents; or a copy of the application fee receipt, or the reply letter or e-mail from the school which the applicant has applied to).
5. Additional documents as specified by individual representative offices (e.g. letters of   reference).
6. A photocopy of a certificate of the acceptable levels of English proficiency or Test of Proficiency – Huayu (TOP), depending on the language of instruction in class.
   (N.B. Only applicants for degree programs need to submit this document.)
7. Additional documents as specified by the individual representative offices.

The selection priority for these scholarships will be given to those who intend to undertake a degree program and have successfully received admission to a university/college.

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