Taiwan Scholarship Program Guidelines
1.In an effort to encourage outstanding international students (exc1uding students from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau) to undertake degree studies in Taiwan so as to farniliarize thernselves with the acadernic environment in Taiwan and promote communication, understanding and friendship between Taiwan and countries around the world, the Ministry ofEducation (MOE)establishes the following guidelines for the Taiwan Scholarship Programo
Il. The MOE awards outstanding international students undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Taiwan by awarding each recipient of the Taiwan scholarship the following:
(i) Tuition and payment of academic fees, inc1uding credit fee . Upon validation of tuition and above fees, the MOE awards each recipient per semester up to NTD40,OOO.Ifthe total amount ofthese fees should exceed NTD40,OOO,the remainder of all costs shall be covered by either the recipient, or the recipient' s college, whereas over NTD40,OOO are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Tuition and academic fees do not inc1ude any of the following: administration fees, thesis advising fees, insurance premiums, accornmodation, Internet access, all of which are payable by the recipients.
(ii) Subsistence allowance: The MOE offers each recipient undertaking undergraduate studies a monthly stipend ofNTD15,OOO; it offers each recipient undertaking postgraduate studies a monthly stipend of NTD20,OOO.
111.Duration of Scholarships:
(i) The maximum period of each scholarship is four years for
undergraduate programs, two years for master programs, and four years for doctorate programs. The maximum length of the total awards for each recipient undertaking a combination of studies is five years.
(ii) Annual award periods begin on September 1st and continue until August 31st ofthe following year. Recipients must arrive in Taiwan and enroll at their admitting universities/colleges within this period unless
delays have been approved by the relevant institutions and the MOE. If recipients fail to arrive in Taiwan for registration during this period, their award will be revoked with no deferrals.
(iii) Subsistence allowances begin from the month ofthe recipients' registration at the universities/colleges and end when the award period expires or upon the recipients' graduation, withdrawal, suspension, expulsion, or revocation of the scholarship.
IV. Eligibility:
(i) Applicants must be a foreign national with a high-school diploma or post-secondary degree(s), with an excellent academic record, and be of good moral character.
(ii) Applicants are ineligible if they meet the following criteria:
1. Are R.O.C. nationals or overseas Chinese students
2. Are already registered or have obtained student status at any university/college in Taiwan. Graduating students pursuing further studies are exempt from this rule.
3. Have already studied in Taiwan for the same level of degree as the one in which they currently intend to enroll.
4. Are exchange or dual/joint degree students admitted in accordance with academic cooperation agreements between local universities/colleges and intemational universities/colleges.
5. Have been a recipient ofthe Taiwan Scholarship for over a total of five years.
6. Have had, in the past, their Taiwan Scholarship or Huayu
Enrichment Scholarship from the MOE revoked.
7. Are recipients of any other scholarship or subsidy offered by the Taiwan govemment or education institutions in Taiwan. This excludes subsidies offered by universities/colleges to cover tuition and other fees exceeding the scholarship limit.
(iii) Applicants should apply directly for admission within the deadlines specified by each university/college listed in the "Association of Taiwan Scholarship Program Schools" (see Appendix 1).
Applications for admission outside of the universities/colleges participating in the Taiwan Scholarship Program are automatically disqualified and will not be retumed.
V.Applicants should send the following document within the period specified enclosed to the nearest Taiwan Embassy or Representative Office in their country:
(i) Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (available at the nearest Taiwan Embassy or Representative Office)
(ii) A copy of the applicant' s passport or other nationality certificates.
(iii) A copy of the highest degree and academic transcripts, and the provisions in Subparagraph 2 of Paragraph 1 of Article 7 of the MOE Regulations Regarding Intemational Students Undertaking Studies in Taiwan shall be complied with. Documents in a language other than
Chinese or English must be translated into Chinese or English and the translated documents must be authenticated.
(iv) A copy of admission application materials to universities/colleges in Taiwan (e.g., copies of application fee remittance, application form, receipt of application from universities/colleges, e-mails, etc.)
(v) A copy of a language proficiency certificate. The individual representative office shall comply with the following provisions:
1.For applications to not all-English programs:
(1) If the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL)
has taken effect in the country, a copy ofthe test results
or certificate of Level 3 or above shall be submitted.
Other test results or documents shall not be accepted.
(2) If the TOCFL has not taken effect in the country and if
a copy of results or certificate of Level 3 or above is not
submitted, the applicant shall apply for the TOCFL test
at his/her own expense and submit the test results or
certificate to the school by the end of the first semester
after arriving Taiwan. If the applicant transfers to a new
school after the first semester, the starting semester in
the new school shall be regarded as the second semester
after the arrival in Taiwan. The applicant shall not claim
his/her starting semester in the new school is the first
semester.
2.For applications to all-English programs, the test results or certificate may be exempted by submission of TOEFL test scores or other English language proficiency exam documents or an English program diploma (English-speaking nationals are exempt from this rule) recognized by the local govemment. Applicants to all-English programs shall be recognized by the MOE. If not, the applicant shall directly obtain his/her all-English program document authorized by the applying school (not units on campus) from the applying university/college.
(vi) Two reference letters from principals, professors or supervisors, signed and sealed in envelopes.
(vii) Additional documents as specified by the individual representative offices.
VI. Quotas for scholarships offered by the MOE are contingent upon the MOE' s annual budget allotments for the coming year and each representative office' s yearly performance. The MOE notifies all relevant offices of the available quotas for the new academic year by December 31st oí each year.
VII. Application and Selection Process:
(i) Taiwan Representative Offices provide application information and establish selection requirements in accordance with these guidelines and directly process applications in coordination with local government
agencies, schools, educational and cultural institutions. Scholarship application information (including selection criteria, scholarship types and quotas, application process, application period,) is provided in both
Chinese and the locallanguages by January 31st of each year.
(ii) After Taiwan Representative Offices provide the aforementioned information, hard copies in Chinese and in the local languages and an electronic copy must be forwarded to the MOE' s designated offices for archiving purposes.
(iii) In principle, the application period is from February 1st through March 31st of each year. However, the actual application period will in accordance with dates provided by the local Taiwan Representative Offices.
(iv) For the application, the applicant must send all completed documents to the nearest Taiwan Embassy or Representative Office in his/her home country.
VIII. Selection Criteria:
(i) Recipients academic study goals should be consistent with Taiwan's national development plans so as to assist in the growth of industry, economy and education.
(ii) Recipients should achieve an undergraduate OPA of3.0 or above, and a postgraduate OPA of3.5 or above (on a 4.5 scale). Where grade conversion calculation differs, Taiwan Representative Offices will base their conversion calculations on the aforementioned calculation guidelines to select outstanding applicants from prestigious universities/colleges.
(iii) Interviews must be conducted in person or by video conferencing so as to interact with the applicants and better judge their demeanor and moral character.
(iv) Priority will be given to applicants with a certificate in TOCFL-Ievels of: intermediate or above. For applications to all-English pragrams, a copy of TOEFL test scores or other recognized English language praficiency exams at the intermediate level or a test score of
over 75% must be submitted.
(v) Applications must be complete in full. All incomplete applications are ineligible for consideration, and persons submitting incornplete applications will be withdrawn from the selection pracess without further notice.
IX. Selection Notice:
(i) Upon reviewing applications and conducting interviews, the Taiwán Representative Offices will select successful candidates and aItemate candidates which will be placed on a waiting list. Candidates and their awarding universities/colleges are to be notified by May 31st of each
year.
(ii) Successful candidates should submit a copy of their letter of admission to their local Taiwan Representative Office for verification by June 30th of each year; should candidates fail to submit this letter within the specified time period, the candidates must submit a written explanation and request verification from their Representative Offices.
Failure to be admitted into a university/college will result in a suspension from the Scholarship Programo Failure to submit documents within the specified time period will result in disqualification, and the candidates on the waiting list will be offered a scholarship. The list of recipients must be finalized no later than July 31st of each year.
(iii) Taiwan Representative Offices should issue recipients with a certificate of scholarship (Appendix II) by July 31st of each year, and assign the Scholarship' s study time table according to the recipients' level of study.
Recipients' information should also be completed on
the on-line Taiwan Scholarship Information Platform.
