To be eligible, an applicant:-
- be a citizen of a World Bank member country that is classified as developing (Note:- For the list of eligible countries, refer to the ‘Guidelines‘ document.
- be admitted to a master’s degree program at one of the participating universities
- hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) earned at least three years before the application deadline
- have at least three years of recent development-related work experience after earning a bachelor’s degree
- be employed in development-related work in a paid full-time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application
Note:- Applicants who were previously offered a WBGSP scholarship and declined it, or who received the scholarship but didn’t complete their studies, are ineligible to apply again.
The selected candidates will receive tuition fees for their course of study and the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
The scholarship program will also cover the cost of round-trip economy class flights between the scholar’s home country and the host university at the beginning and end of the study program. To help with additional travel expenses, scholars will also receive a US $500 travel allowance for each trip they take.
During their time on campus, scholarship recipients will receive a monthly allowance that covers all their essential living expenses. This includes housing, food, and other necessities like books.
Note:- The amount of this allowance varies depending on the host country.
The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover the following expenses:-
- Visa application(s) costs
- Resident permit fee
- Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar’s family members
- Extra-curricular courses or training
- Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree
- Language training not provided by the graduate program
- Additional travel during the study program
- Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships or educational equipment such as computers
- Bachelor’s degree/diploma (Note:- The diploma of the applicant’s must be of most advanced graduate degree and doesn’t include a transcript, or upload a transcript as a substitute for a diploma.)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) in the prescribed format (Annexure 4) [Note:- Unpaid work should not be included in a Curriculum Vitae (CV) unless it was compensated. However, a separate “Volunteer Work” section can be added to the CV to highlight unpaid internships or other pro bono experiences.]
- Letter of Admission for the upcoming academic year to the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s program
- which is among those listed on the WBGSP website
- for which the applicant is seeking WBGSP funding
- that is located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence
- A valid passport (if applicable)
Note:- Submission of this scholarship application is contingent upon uploading an unconditional letter of acceptance from a participating master’s degree program.
The WBGSP Secretariat will request and require the following additional information from the applicants who have been notified of their status as a finalist:
- A scanned copy of a health/medical certificate
Note:- This certificate must be less than three months old from the start date of the master’s program and must be from a medical doctor stating the scholar is in good health.
- A scanned copy of the identification page of the passport
Note:- Applicants who lack a valid passport must submit an alternative legal document, such as a birth or marriage certificate, within three business days of receiving their scholarship offer. This document must display the same name as appears on the application form.
For the annexures and templates, refer to the ‘Guidelines’ document.
Eligible candidates can apply for the scholarship using the steps listed below:-
Step 1: Click the ‘Apply Now’
Step 2: Click on the ‘Register’ button on the right-hand side of the dashboard and fill in the required details to ‘Register’. (Note- If already registered, log in using the registered email ID.)
Step 3: Navigate to the ‘Application Window‘ and click on the given link.
Step 4: Choose the master’s program and apply for the same through the official website of the university.
Step 5: Upon the completion of the selection process, a communication for the same will be sent to the successful scholarship recipients.
Important Dates
For Window 1:
Application Beginning: 15th January 2024 at 12:00 noon (EST)
Application Deadline: 29th February 2024 at 12:00 noon (EST)
For Window 2:
Application Beginning: 25th March 2024 at 12:00 noon (EST)
Application Deadline: 29th May 2024 at 12:00 noon (EST)
Selection Criteria
Candidates will be selected based on the following selection process:-
Each eligible application will be meticulously assessed by two independent assessors who score it on a scale of 1 to 10. The scoring process will consider the below four key factors:
- Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
- Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
- Quality of Commitment to your Home Country (30% weight)
- Quality of Education Background (10% weight)
The following criteria are also considered to select JJ/WBGSP scholarship finalists in addition to their average score from two reviewers:
- Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
- Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
- Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application;
- Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad
Terms and Conditions
- The scholarship program mandates that the recipients studying in the United States must obtain a J-1 Visa for their academic stay. The World Bank emphasises that utilising any other visa type for entry into the U.S. will result in the immediate forfeiture of the WBGSP scholarship.
- Applicants who receive unconditional acceptance (pending funding) to multiple WBGSP participating master’s programs must choose which program they seek scholarship funding for before submitting their WBGSP application.
- Applicants must submit the Recommendation Request Form before submitting the Application Form.
- Applicants are not permitted to draft any part of a recommendation letter on behalf of the recommender.