District 5470 Scholarships

Scholarships
Overview of the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship Program
The purpose of the Rotary Global Scholarship program is to further international understanding and peaceful relations among people of different races, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions while pursuing an approved program of graduate study at an institution of higher education in a foreign country. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homeland to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.
 
Individual Rotary Districts around the world decide annually whether or not they will participate in the Global Scholarship program and how much funding will be available from the District. This scholarship is for one year only and is open only to students engaged in full-time study in a graduate degree program. Applicants for a Rotary Global Scholarship must enroll in a graduate course of study that is directly related to one of the following six humanitarian focus areas designated by Rotary International:
  1. Peace and conflict prevention and/or resolution
  2. Disease prevention and treatment
  3. Water and sanitation
  4. Maternal and child health
  5. Basic education and literacy
  6. Economic and community development
  7. Environment
For more information on each of the seven areas of focus, google Rotary.org areas of focus. Note: Applications that indicate more than one area of focus will not be accepted.
 
The winning applicant goes through two rounds of interviews—the club level and the district level—and must receive final approval from the Rotary Foundation. The winning applicant will receive an award of $40,000 to cover the cost of tuition, fees, educational supplies, room and board, and round-trip transportation to/from the study site. Scholars must account for all expenditures and must provide funding to cover all costs that exceed the amount provided by Rotary. All unspent funds must be returned to Rotary.
 
The scholarship award is limited to one academic year of study.  The scholarship student may choose to pursue a degree program that requires more than one academic year of study to complete.  In that case, the student must personally provide funding for all degree study that extends beyond one academic year.  Rotary will not renew the scholarship for the second year nor will it issue any additional funds to cover any part of the cost of the second year of study.   Whether the chosen degree program is one year in length or longer, the Rotary scholarship recipient must seek admission to a Rotary-approved graduate degree program and diligently pursue coursework in that degree program.
 
The Global Scholar will be awarded one-half of the scholarship amount at the beginning of the first semester of full-time study.   He/she must make satisfactory progress or better in the completion of the coursework during the first semester and submit a satisfactory record of expenditures for that period in order to receive the other half of the scholarship before the beginning of the second semester of full-time study.
 
Rotary scholarships cannot be combined with another study-abroad program, or used for unsupervised research, medical internship or residency, or for employment in the host country.
 
Applicants in District 5470 may apply through a local Rotary club near their home, or through a club in the community where they are attending a college or university, or where they are employed. The approved candidate must begin his/her graduate program of study during the 2023-2024 academic year. During the year of study abroad, the scholarship recipient must reside in the immediate vicinity of the approved study institution in the host district so that he/she can participate in Rotary club and district activities of the host district.
 
Who is Eligible to Apply
The Rotary Global Scholarship is available to individuals intending to pursue a full-time graduate degree program in a foreign country. There is no age limit for the scholarship recipient. Rotarians and kin of Rotarians are not eligible to apply for a Rotary scholarship; however, members of Rotaract clubs are eligible and encouraged to apply, provided that they meet all other eligibility criteria.
 
How to Apply for a Rotary Global Scholarship -- Deadline information is available for the 2023-24Academic Year.
 
Applicants seeking a Global Scholarship must successfully complete the following steps to be awarded this scholarship:
  1. The applicant must submit a completed application to a local Rotary club, undergo an interview, and be subsequently endorsed by a club president at the local club level.  The local club can be located in the applicant’s hometown, the city in which the applicant currently lives, or in the general locale of the applicant’s current university. 
  2. Prior to submitting the completed application at the local level, the applicant must have thoroughly researched graduate programs of interest and must have selected a university with an attractive graduate program of study in one of the six Rotary focus areas cited above.   However, application for admission to such a program should be postponed until after a successful interview at the District level.
  3. The applicant must undergo a successful interview at the District level and be recommended by the District Scholarship Committee to the Rotary Foundation for review and approval. The District 5470 Scholarship Committee will review all applications.
  4. After approval by the District 5470 Scholarship Committee, the applicant must apply and be accepted into the desired university program. The Rotary Foundation will not review and provide final approval for a scholarship until the applicant has received written approval of admission to the projected program of study.
  5. The applicant must be approved by the Education staff at the Rotary Foundation in Evanston, IL.
The Local and District Level Interview Process
At the local club level, a committee of several club members will interview the applicant. If the applicant is recommended by that committee, then the club president will endorse the application and send it to the District Scholarship Chair, Kate Davis, katerotary1@gmail.com.  The presidential endorsement form may be obtained on the D5470 website scholarship page.  The local club endorsing the application becomes the International sponsoring club for that applicant.  The sponsoring club designates a club member to be the “sponsor counselor,” who maintains contact with the scholar during the year abroad.
 
The District Scholarship Chair will hold district level interviews only for those applicants for whom local club presidents forward endorsements and applications.
 
During local and District level interviews, applicants may be asked a wide range of questions regarding their intended program of study and future career plans, and how they relate to the selected Rotary area of focus, the mission and goals of Rotary International, knowledge of the country in which the applicant intends to study, and world affairs in general. If the candidate intends to study in a country in which English is not the first language, demonstration of competence in the language may be required.
 
The successful candidate will be able to:
  1. show a strong record of success in his/her academic field or vocation
  2. possess well-developed communication skills
  3. demonstrate competency in the language of the country of study
  4. successfully complete a graduate course of study at an institution of higher education in a foreign country and serve effectively as an ambassador of goodwill
  5. articulate a convincing understanding of Rotary’s mission and goals as they relate to the six focus areas of humanitarian need
  6. describe clearly and persuasively a proposed course of study (citing specific courses at the foreign institution of choice) as they relate directly to one or more of the Rotary focus areas of humanitarian need
  7. explain how the proposed course of study relates his/her career goals
  8. provide evidence demonstrating a personal commitment to career goals relating to the intended field of study
  9. show promise of maintaining a lifelong relationship with Rotary after the scholarship period
Rotarians recruit scholarship applicants                  July through Sept. 2022
Application deadline                                                      October 17, 2022
Clubs interview applicants and make a recommendation      October 25, 2022
District interviews and selects applicants                                  November 12, 2022
Candidates seek admission at institution  of choice                November-Feb 2023
District submits the application with letter of admission to Rotary International    March 1, 2023
 
The District Scholarship Chair will coordinate with the International sponsoring club to find a host club in the area of study.  The host club needs to be identified prior to entering the online Global Grant application.
 
 
 

If you need further information, please contact a Rotary club in your area or Kate Davis, District Scholarship Committee Chair, at katerotary1@gmail.com