On June 10th, in a little publicized ceremony conducted under the auspices of the Deputy PM, Dr. Barham Salih (are you following him on Twitter?) and the US Ambassador Christopher Hill was held to formally announce the doubling of the Fulbright Program. The Government of Iraq committed $2.5 million to expand the Fulbright Student Scholar Program for Iraqi students allowing the number of scholarships available for Iraqis to double from 35 to 70.
The deadline for applications has been extended until July 9, 2009 for certain fields of study, students may access the scholarship application and additional information about the scholarship at: http://iraq.usembassy.gov/fvsprogram.html. The deadline is extended only for applicants interested in programs in literature, history, English, political science, theater, and education.
More information from the Baghdad Press Office of the US Embassy in Baghdad may be found here: http://iraq.usembassy.gov/pr_061009.html
I hope you are keeping up with the information coming out on the Iraq Education Initiative, you can find some of the basic information on the scholarship here but to break it down:
Quick Facts:
- 10,000 students per year sent to English speaking Universities
- 500 student pilot program to be launched in Fall
- Scholarships will include tuition, fees, and living stipend
- Students may apply for Associates, Bachelors & Masters programs
- Open to all accredited Universities, Colleges, Community Colleges
- Students must score a 450 on the TOEFL test to be eligible for the scholarship
We’ll have an update later on today on the news that came out of the NAFSA session with the Director of the program but for now, it may be a good idea for you to add your school to the US Educational Group database (http://www.al-jamiat.com/college-university-directory/) a free resource for students to be able to search through and find colleges and universities to apply to.
Its very helpful for the student to know whether your institution offers:
- English Language Instruction (ESL or Intensive English Language)
- No SAT requirement
- “Conditional” admissions
Add your school to the Directory today and call me at 617.923.6024 to find ways to start recruiting these students to your college or university today.
