2019 U.S. SOUTH PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The application deadline is February 1, 2020 for awards beginning in early August 2020. Awards are expected to be announced on the East-West Center USSP webpage by April 1, 2020.

Application Materials

Tips for an acceptable online application (click to download doc)
Application instructions (click to download doc)
Competition announcement (click to download doc)

For application instructions and the reference form, click on the blue button below to access the online application:
www.eastwestcenter.org/applyUSSP

If a prospective applicant experiences problems with the online application that s/he is unable to resolve, the EWC Award Services Office should be contacted for assistance. It will be important to provide a detailed explanation of the obstacles encountered. The EWC award services officer in charge of USSP applications will work directly with the individual to find a solution to her/his online application difficulties. For help with such issues, prospective USSP applications can email u ssp@eastwestcenter.org.

Samples of the USSP application are also available at U.S. embassies or consulates located in Suva, Fiji; Auckland or Wellington, New Zealand; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; and Apia, Samoa. All requests should reference the 2019 U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program competition.

The U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program (USSP), authorized by the U.S. Congress and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific island countries. It will also enable the recipients to obtain a broader understanding of the United States. The scholarship program will include a mentoring component with a possible follow-on summer internship, and readily accessible opportunities for participation in host family and volunteer service programs. Candidates from the following countries, who meet specific selection criteria, are eligible for the program: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center on behalf of its funder, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Priority areas of study include agriculture, business, communication/journalism, education, environmental studies, gender studies, NGO management, political science, public administration, public health, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and other related fields. If a desired field of study is not among the priorities, the applicant should give special attention to explaining how this course of study would support the goals of the scholarship program. Support is not available for professional degrees such as architecture, law, and medicine.

Three (3) Scholarships will be available for studies to begin in August 2020

Selection will be made, with input from U.S. Embassies in the region, by a U.S.-based academic review committee that may include Pacific Islands and other specialists from the East-West Center and University of Hawai‘i system, a representative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and a Pacific Islands student representative.

Bachelor’s Scholarship: Applicants must have completed secondary school by the deadline for submitting a university application for admission to their undergraduate program. In some countries this means having completed “Form 6.” In other countries, this may mean having completed “Grade 12.” Individuals who have completed some undergraduate level courses but have not obtained the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree are also eligible and strongly encouraged to apply.
Master’s Scholarship: Applicants must have completed at least a three-year baccalaureate program. Those with a three-year Bachelor’s degree may apply for a bridging program of up to one year, which upon completion allows for application to a master’s degree program. Master’s programs may not require a bridging component, depending on prior study and academic performance during the first year. The USSP program does not generally permit direct application and admission to a graduate degree program. Those who possess both a bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate diploma or honors degree, or will have earned a post-graduate diploma or honors degree before the scholarship’s August start date, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Because an objective of the program is to provide an educational exchange experience to those not previously afforded such an opportunity, preference will usually be given to candidates who have not had recent extensive experience in the United States. Preference may also be given to candidates who have not had extensive opportunities for study at educational institutions outside the Pacific Islands region.
Note: Individuals who have dual citizenship, one being that of the United States, are not eligible. U.S. non-citizen nationals and U.S. permanent residents are also not eligible for USSP. All scholarship recipients must be able to meet the requirements of the Exchange Visitor (J-1 visa) program.