KEI - MERIT BASED INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (IBSP)

***Keep an eye out for our upcoming application in 2024***

BACKGROUND 

The Kashmir Education Initiative provides a maximum of ten scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from Kashmir who have limited means of financing their studies and who have been accepted into an approved program in a reputable university, outside of India, preferably in the US or the UK.

The objective of the program is aligned with KEI’s mission of promoting scholarship, developing leadership and preparing outstanding scholars for careers that have the potential of amplifying KEI’s objectives of making a meaningful contribution to society.

Scholarships are awarded through a transparent and competitive application process once a year in June or early July. All completed applications are screened and evaluated by a panel that comprises KEI staff members, Board of Directors and independent educators. The decision of the panel is final and requests for re-evaluation are not entertained.

 SELECTION CRITERIA

The program gives priority to Master’s level courses but is willing to consider applications from very talented undergraduate applicants who have secured admission to qualified programs in top universities abroad.

The main criteria for selecting awardees are:

●  Consistently excellent academic records evidenced by transcripts of academic performance

●  Genuine financial need verified by documented sources of household income

●  Admission to a highly reputable university or programme of study evidenced by published rankings of Universities and programmes of study

●  Quality of the application as described in the Statement of Grant Purpose (SoP) that is required of all applicants. The purpose of this Statement of Grant Purpose is to evaluate candidates on their ability to articulate structured coherent educational and career plans, their extra-curricular interests and achievements, potential to achieve their goals and likelihood to succeed in a foreign academic environment.

●  Relevance of the field of study to KEI’s mission

● Language Preparation

GRANT

The maximum financial assistance provided under this scholarship program is $5000 for the entire program of study. This grant can be availed of in one academic year of the program or over multiple years of the program but will not exceed $5000 in total. In addition:

●  All grant amounts will be released on a semi-annual basis for each academic year

●  Awardees are required to submit proof of enrollment and proof of satisfactory academic progress for each completed semester of study before availing of the grant for the successive academic semester

●  All grant amounts are considered “Honor Loans” which awardees pledge to pay back once they are established in their careers or in the event that their financial need is satisfied through alternate sources of funding, scholarships etc. All awardees will be required to sign a pledge to indicate their acceptance of the above condition. This loan can be repaid through a donation(s) to KEI within a six year period from the date of the initial award. This allows KEI to continue with its mission of providing access to similar academic opportunities to the next generation of deserving students in Kashmir.

The cost of foreign education is prohibitively high and it is KEI’s endeavor to allocate highly scarce and valuable resources in the most effective and judicious manner possible. Financial assistance is provided according to the needs of students, but the “IBSP” must be considered a means of the last resort as the funds available under this program are limited.

 Applicants are requested to make every effort to obtain funding from other sources as well, so that the amount requested from KEI  can be reduced to a minimum.  Preference is given to those who have been able to secure some funding from alternative sources and can effectively demonstrate that this “bridge scholarship” is essential in providing access to their desired program of study.

 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

 All awardees will be required to dedicate 60 hours of service to KEI on an annual basis for a minimum period of two years upon the completion of their program of study. Awardees can enroll as volunteers, mentors, subject matter experts, career counselors or educators with KEI. Awardees can also earn credit towards their requirement by volunteering during the course of their educational programs by engaging in any of the activities described above.

 APPLICATION PROCESS

 All inquiries for the “IBSP” scholarship should be directed towards, gap@kashmirei.org