Taiwan Scholarship Program for International students

[ivyjean]

I wanted to apply for this but I found out about it a little too late for this year's application. (or early for the next year's application)
The annual schedule for application is from February to March.

I want to enroll Winter term to study Mandarin language (primarily because I haven't experience winter, I'm filipino with filipino mom and overseas chinese father)
But I wanted to apply for scholarship for Graduate studies.

For all of the articles and guidelines I've read about this, there isn't any statement regarding whether or not I can apply even if I'm already in Taiwan and studying.
It is indicated I CANNOT apply if already have scholarship from any other institutions or gov't, and if already studying the same program I am applying scholarship for.

So my question is, does anybody here have experience applying for this scholarship?
and will it still be possible for me to apply even if I am already in Taiwan studying a different program than what I've applied scholarship for?

TIA

[louisfriend]

From what I know you should be able to apply for it while still in Taiwan. The biggest hassle will probably be getting everything you need approved by the appropriate taiwan representative (degree, transcripts, financial statement). It might be a good idea to go visit the office for international cooperation, or whatever office the school has to deal with foreign students, and tell them what your plans are and ask whatever questions you have. They will probably be the ones dealing with your scholarship if you get accepted and should know a thing or two about it. The good thing about being here already is you can go knock on doors until you finally find someone with the right info. I'm not sure if having an overseas Chinese father will make a difference on anything but it might. Maybe someone has a better answer for you but i thought I would try in case you don't get a better response. Good luck

[xiaojuan]

I just recently applied for the Taiwan Scholarship + Graduate School (MA) and it's a bit of a pain. You cannot apply "within" Taiwan. You must apply through the TECO closest to the city where you "normally reside." This means you must physically mail all the required documents to your home country for processing and decisions. The best place to start is by contacting that office (wherever it is), and asking them to send you their brochure and any other relevant information.

From what I've seen, your parentage very much influences whether you can apply. Taiwanese grad school applications have very specific eligibility requirements for who is considered "foreign." If one of your parents was a Taiwanese citizen at the time of your birth, you would be ineligible for the foreign application and therefore the scholarship. There are equally strict rules for students who have parents who were PRC nationals at the time of their birth because of current quotas. All of the rules are really confusing, and most Taiwan offices can't even explain them properly (I know, I've called at least 5).

Your best bet is to call the TECO office in your "home city" and get as much information from them as possible- call them if you can; speaking Chinese will get you that information much more quickly. The deadline, you mentioned, has passed already for this year both for grad school and scholarship applications, but they re-open January 1st.

I would recommend getting all the paperwork in order now, because you will almost inevitably have problems when applying in January (old application forms, new requirements, and changed deadlines are just a few I encountered this past year). These problems can cost you the application, as some schools simply throw away your application if it is not 100% complete by the deadline (usually between March 15th and April 30).


*If you are applying for Chinese learning, it shouldn't matter if you are already studying Chinese (but they will likely ask for your current grades). You can apply for the scholarship at any time during your studies, but they will only fund you for a certain amount of time (depending on the study). Check out your local TECO's website; they should have a list of scholarships they give, the duration, and whether they are combined with others.

Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to message me and I'll try to help.

[ivyjean]

Thanks so much for the replies.
I really appreciate it

If anyone else has more input on this topic please feel free to post replies.

[angel209]

Hi!
Do you have a Dual Citizenship or are you an Overseas Chinese? Feng Chia University in Taichung, directly accepts overseas chinese students and those who have dual citizenships. FCU usually grants scholarship application and most of the students who applies for it can either get a full or half scholarship.
You can check the university website and go through the handbook. BTW, I am Filipino and I have dual citizenship.
I am a freshmen student in this university. As for the application, yes, you can still apply if you are already here in Taiwan. I was here studying chinese in language center before when I applied in this university. I think it would be easier to get a scholarship from the university compare to applying in TECO but take note that university scholarships doesn't include the cost of living / allowance. If you are interested on applying, you can ask me and I'll try to get in contact with the university office.