Study in Korea for Free Sponsored by the Korean Government

Many people are interested on studying in Korea for free sponsored by the Korean Government but unable to gather more details. Here is a fol...

Many people are interested on studying in Korea for free sponsored by the Korean Government but unable to gather more details. Here is a followup post of our post about Korean Government Scholarship opportunity.

Korean government invites 95 international students from 64 countries who wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in Korea. There are two ways to avail the scholarship. One is to be recommended by the Embassy and the other method is to be recommended by the University. For aspirants who are not yet in Korea, the first one is the easiest route. The applicant should successfully pass through the 1st selection process set by the Korean embassies of his or her origin.



Application deadline may differ from one country to another; it will be expected to fall in September or early October. Below is a FAQ answering your curiosities.

So to apply for the program, please contact the Korean Embassy to get detailed information on the 1st selection process such as application deadline and required documents, etc.

Read the FAQ below, download the APPLICATION GUIDELINE then get ready to apply!

Wish you all good luck!

QUALIFICATIONS
Q1	My country is not included in the list of eligible countries with reserved quota. Can I still apply?
A1	No, you cannot. Only those who hold citizenship of the listed countries are eligible to apply for the Korean Government Scholarship Program.
Q2	I have studied in Korea as an exchange student. Am I eligible for application to this program?
A2	Yes, you are eligible to apply. However, those with a high school diploma issued by a Korean high school are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply.
Q3	I have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in my country. May I apply for the program?
A3	Unfortunately, you are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply. However, in case you are interested in pursuing higher degrees, e.g. Master’s or Doctoral, please refer to the application guidelines for the graduate-degree programs.
Q4	I am going to graduate from a high school in LATE March 2018. May I apply for the 2018 program?
A4	No, you are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply. Only those who have already graduated or are expected to graduate from a high school before March 1, 2018, are eligible to apply for the program. You may, however, apply for the 2019 program.
APPLICATION
Q5	May I apply for the program through the NIIED directly?
A5	No, you may not. APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE KOREAN EMBASSY in your home country. Scholars from Bhutan must submit their application to the Korean Embassy in Bangladesh.
Q6	When is the deadline for application? And where can I submit my application?
A6	The application deadline and further instructions on document submission will be decided by the Korean Embassy in your country. Please refer to the announcement from the embassy. Although deadlines vary depending on the embassy, the application is usually open throughout September, or even until early October.
Q7	I am Malaysian but I am attending a high school in the U.K. May I apply for the program through the Korean Embassy in the U.K.?
A7	No, you may not. You must apply for the program through the Korean Embassy in Malaysia, your home country. The embassies in any other countries are not able to receive your application.
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
Q8	Should I submit the certificate of language proficiency (English or Korean) when I apply for the KGSP?
A8	It is not mandatory to submit the language proficiency test results. Those scores are optional. However, the applicants with a valid TOPIK level will be considered more favorably.
Q9	As for recommendation letters, may I submit two letters written by one recommender?
A9	No, you may not. The recommendation letters must be written by two different recommenders such as your high school teacher, the school principal, or the chair of your department.
Q10	If my documents are not written in English or in Korean, how should I submit them?
A10	Please have the documents translated either into Korean or English. All translated documents must be authenticated by the issuing institution or by a notary's office. If your country is a member of the Apostille Convention, you may submit the apostilled documents.
Q11	According to the Application Guidelines, I have to submit one set of original application documents and three sets of photocopied ones. How can I prepare the photocopies of the recommendation letters, which must be sealed?
A11	Please ask your recommender to give you four identical letters, each sealed in separate envelopes. For all other documents that are sealed by the issuing institution, such as the degree certificate or the transcript, please get four identical ones from the issuing institution, each sealed in separate envelopes.
STUDIES UNDER SCHOLARSHIP
Q12	Can I be exempt from the Korean Language Program?
A12	If you submit a valid advanced level – 5 or 6 – on TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean), you are exempt from the language program and must start your degree program in the first semester under KGSP. Another benefit of having an advanced TOPIK level is the Korean Proficiency Grants, which gives additional 100,000 won each month to a scholar throughout the degree program.
Q13	Application guidelines say that applicants should choose up to 3 preferred universities and departments (or majors) in the application forms; FORM 1, FORM 4 and FORM5. However, I have no idea how to choose them. Could you give me any good tips for choosing my 3 universities?
A13	For information on the universities available for 2018 KGSP scholars, please refer to the “University Information” which is available on the announcement made by NIIED. It is available in the GKS Notice board at www.studyinkorea.go.kr. For further inquiries on the degree program, the applicants are encouraged to contact each university.
Q14	How does the university admission procedure work?
A14	Application for university admissions will be proceeded as shown below for those who pass the 2nd round of selection: 1.      After announcing the successful candidates of the 2nd round, NIIED will forward the application documents to all universities that applicants have chosen in their application forms. 2.      Each university will begin its own reviews on the applications forwarded by NIIED. Please note that some universities might conduct interviews with prospective candidates, or request the submission of supplementary documents.   3.      The universities will notify the admissions review results to each candidate and to NIIED. All KGSP applicants must make their final choice of university and notify NIIED about the final decision. Attention!! If you are not admitted to any of the three universities you chose,  you will be selected in the final round.
Q15	May I change my final choice of a university for an undergraduate degree during the preliminary Korean language course?
A15	Never. After the final result announcement by NIIED, changing universities is NOT ALLOWED at all circumstances. Please give yourself enough time to consider your choice before notifying NIIED about your final choice of university.
Q16	May I choose any field of study in my desired program?
A16	You are free to choose and apply for any major listed in the “University Information” However, please note that you cannot apply for a major which takes more than 4 years to complete.
Q17	May I choose more than one department or major for a university?
A17	No, you may not. You must choose one department or major. In other words, it is not allowed to put three different majors from a single university as your university choice in the application form.
Q18	According to application guidelines, the possible period of temporary departure during the Korean language program is maximum 4 weeks within the vacation period. Does it mean that if we have a 3 week vacation, the allowed period of leave is 3 weeks?
A18	Yes, you are right. Temporary departure during the Korean language training can be allowed within the period of vacation set by each Korean language institute. Please note that scholarship for the period of temporary departure during the language training is not to be paid regardless of the reasons of leaving. Also, all departure must be approved by the language institution in advance.