Succeeding in a scholarship application

Full scholarships often receive thousands of applications for a few dozen places. The applications selected are not always those of the best students, but those that best match what the programme is looking for.

Check eligibility first

Nationality, maximum age, required degree, grades, language level, experience: read the criteria on the programme’s official website. A single missing criterion is enough for an application to be rejected, however excellent it is.

Start three months ahead

• Having degrees and transcripts translated and certified takes time.
• A language test (English, German…) may require registration several weeks in advance.
• Teachers need time to write a recommendation letter.
• Your passport must be valid for the whole length of the studies.

The motivation letter

Explain your project: what you want to study, why in this programme, and what you will do afterwards, in Chad or in the region. Donors fund people who will come back with useful skills. Be concrete: a problem you have observed, an experience you have lived, a precise goal.

Recommendations

Choose people who know you well (a teacher who supervised you, an internship supervisor) rather than a prominent figure who barely knows you. Give them your CV and your project so they can cite examples.

Beware of scams

A genuine scholarship never charges a fee to review your application or to “reserve” your place. Always check that the advertisement comes from the official source shown on the listing.