Application Deadline: Monday, November 26, 2018, at 5 p.m. Tunisia time.
As a part of the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, the 2019-2020 Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program, a program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, supported by the people of the United States, and implemented by IREX, provides opportunities for young students from Tunisia studying at ISETs (Institut Supérieur des Études Technologiques), IHET (Institut des Haute Études Touristiques), and ISSATs (Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie) who wish to improve their vocational skills by spending one academic year studying at accredited U.S. community colleges with the goal of earning a professional certificate in eligible fields of study from their U.S. institution.
Participants may submit U.S. transcripts to their home institution for review upon completion of the program to determine if the credits are transferrable. Participants will attend accredited community colleges and will live in on-campus housing (dormitories) or in off-campus housing. Participants may not choose their U.S. host institution.
For the 2019-2020 Academic Year the following fields of study are eligible:
• Applied Engineering
• Business Management and Administration
• Information Technology
• Tourism and Hospitality Management
Eligibility Requirements:
Competition for the Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:
• Is a citizen of Tunisia;
• Is currently residing in Tunisia;
• Is currently enrolled as a first- or second-year full-time undergraduate (Licence) student in good academic standing at the time of application at an ISET (Institut Supérieur des Etudes Technologiques), IHET (Institut Supérieur des Etudes Touristiques), or ISSAT (Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie);
• Is able to receive and maintain a U.S. J-1 visa;
• Is committed to returning to Tunisia after completion of the program;
• Is able to achieve a TOEFL score of 440 (PBT) or likely to achieve this score after short-term pre-academic English training in the United States prior to the start of the academic year; and
• Is at least 18 years old by July 1, 2019.
Benefits:
FINANCIAL PROVISIONS OF THE GRANT
• J-1 visa support;
• Round-trip travel from participant’s home city to host institution in the United States;
• Accident and sickness coverage;
• Tuition and mandatory university fees;
• Room and board (housing and meals);
• Small incidentals allowance;
• Limited allowance for books;
• A wide variety of alumni networking and training opportunities
SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
TCCSP is conducted as an open, merit-based competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of academic specialists. Chosen semi-finalists will be interviewed in Tunisia by a committee of U.S. Embassy representatives, USG exchange program alumni, and/or U.S. specialists, and must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in early 2019. All applicants will be notified of their status by spring 2019.
Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):
• Demonstrated academic and/or technical interest in one of the identified fields of study;
• Quality of academic marks and academic standing;
• Cross-cultural interest;
• Flexibility and adaptability as an exchange student;
• Demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to community engagement;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Expressed commitment to contribute to Tunisia’s development;
• Preference will be given to students who represent disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
Women, minorities, persons with disabilities and applicants from all governorates in Tunisia are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Procedure:
A completed application includes:
• Application Questions: Applicants must provide complete information for all questions.
• Short Answers (1–7): Applicants must answer each question and use no more than 250 words per response. Answers must be the applicant’s own work.
• IREX Privacy Statement and Application Certification: Applicants must read and sign this form in order to verify that they understand IREX’s privacy policy and that they have completed their applications truthfully.
• Two Recommendation Forms: Applicants must have a recommendation completed by two different people for a total of two recommendations. If the recommendation form is completed in a language other than English, there must be an accurate translation, which may be done by the applicant.
• Course Listings Form. This space is provided for the applicants to detail all higher education course history. Applicants must list the academic year the course was taken, the course title, and the grade received for the course in order for the form to be completed. If there was no grade for a course, please indicate either “pass” or “fail.” Participants must list courses from your most recently completed year of study, either secondary school or higher education in order for the form to be completed.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 2019/2020 Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program