ru.ac.za Commonwealth Scholarships 2017 : Rhodes University

Organisation : Rhodes University
Announcement : Commonwealth Scholarships 2017
Applicable for : South African citizens
Application Deadline : 15 November 2016

Website : https://www.ru.ac.za/research/postgraduates/funding/overseasstudy/
Application Guideline : https://www.southafricain.com/uploads/119-Terms-conditions.pdf
Application Form : https://www.southafricain.com/uploads/119-online.pdf

Commonwealth Scholarships 2017 :

** Universities of South Africa (UnivSA, formally HESA) has invited applications from South African citizens for the Commonwealth Scholarships tenable in the UK for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Related : Cecil Renaud Educational and Charitable Trust Overseas Scholarship for 2017 Postgraduate Study in UK : www.southafricain.com/123.html

Applications may be in either of the following two categories for study in the UK :
** Taught Master’s courses (One Year) (excluding MBA)
** PhDs

Please note the Agency does not nominate candidates for :
** Distance Learning Scholarships to study UK Master’s degree courses in your home country.
** Academic Fellowships for mid-career academics to spend time at UK.
** universitiesProfessional Fellowships for mid-career professionals to spend time at a UK host organization.
** Split-site scholarship.

Note :
** The University may only nominate 10 applications from the list of applicants each year.
** Thus this is a highly competitive process both at RU, UnivSA and finally the UK final selection.
** From the applications received Rhodes may only recommend ten, thus we have a screening process to complete in order to send the top 10 to UnivSA.
** Thus the Rhodes closing date has to be earlier than UnivSA/online process – namely 14 October 2016.
** UnivSA in turn will assess all applications received from the various tertiary institutions in South Africa and only a limited number will be nominated to the UK.
** The UK in turn will make a limited number of awards.

Eligibility :
** Eligibility requirements are outlined in the Scholarship Prospectus attached hereto.
I would particularly draw your attention to the following :
** The Commission will look for evidence of high academic quality expected of Commonwealth scholars; intellectual and academic excellence will be paramount in all selections.
** Candidates studying a first degree are expected to hold at least upper second class honours level or a degree of second class (i.e. 70%+) by October 2017.

** Candidates should be able to take up the award in October 2017 as deferments are granted in the most exceptional circumstances, and in any event will not be considered for start dates beyond January 2018.

** Please note that if candidates for Master’s awards have undertaken any of their university education outside their home country, they will be asked to state how it was funded and how the education differed from that in their home country.

** All PhD candidates must provide a supporting statement from a named supervisor from at least one of the UK universities to which they are applying.

Selection Criteria :
** Final selection of candidates and host institutions will be made by the UK Commission based on the nominations from the South African Agency.
** Once again, they will be seeking candidates of the highest academic quality, who demonstrate a real capacity to make a difference to their home country on completion of the award.

** The main selection criteria are academic merit, the quality of the study plan and the potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country.
** Applications which do not meet the academic criteria will not be considered by the South African Selection Panel.

** We receive substantially more nominations than scholarships available, and for this reason, the selection process has become very competitive over the years.
** It should be noted that even applicants who meet the academic criteria may not be finally selected by the Selection Panel due to the competitive nature of these scholarships.

** The Selection Committee has become concerned in recent years with the way in which papers are increasingly arriving in an incomplete state and has instructed its secretariat to render ineligible applications which do not arrive in the manner requested.

** Such incomplete applications will not be considered by the committee.

How To Apply :
** You should apply to study at Master’s/PhD level at a UK university with which the CSC has a part funding agreement.
** Part funding agreements are at the discretion of individual universities.
** For a list of universities that have already agreed to part fund Commonwealth Scholarships, visit bit.ly/cscuk-uk-universities
** All subject areas are eligible – although you should note that the CSC’s selection criteria give priority to applications that demonstrate the strongest relevance to development.

You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships :
** National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application.
** For a full list of agencies and contact details, visit bit.ly/cscuk-agencies
** Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff.
** For a full list of eligible universities, visit bit.ly/cscuk-scholarships-developing-cw
** Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies

** All applications must be made through your nominating body in your home country.
** Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process.
** You must check with your nominating body for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications.

** The CSC does not impose any age limit on applicants, but nominating bodies may do so in line with their own priorities.
** You must make your application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS) – information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides, is available at bit.ly/cscuk-scholarships-developing-cw.

** Your application must be submitted to and endorsed by one of the approved nominating bodies listed above.
** The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to a nominating body in your home country.
** All applications must be submitted by 15 November 2016 at the latest.

Selection Process :
** Each year, the CSC invites each nominating body to submit a specific number of nominations.
** The deadline for nominating bodies to submit nominations to the CSC is 13 December 2016.
** The CSC invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated candidates are not guaranteed to be awarded a scholarship.
** There are no quotas for scholarships for any individual country.

** Candidates nominated by national nominating agencies are in competition with those nominated by other nominating bodies, and the same standards will be applied to applications made through either channel.

** Each nominated candidate’s application is first considered by a member of the CSC’s panel of advisers with expertise in the subject area concerned, and then by the CSC’s selection committee in competition with other candidates.

Applications are considered according to the following selection criteria :
** Academic merit of the candidate
** Quality of the plan of study
** Potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country**