Rotary Foundation Scholarships
Deadline: Varies (March to August)
Fields of study: Open; any country with a Rotary Club
Adviser: Dean Frank Ordiway • ordiway@princeton.edu • Ext. 8-1998
Description:
The Rotary Foundation offers a variety of educational awards in order to promote friendly relations between peoples of different nations. Scholarships may be awarded for one or more years of university study, or for intensive language training, in any country in which there is a Rotary Club. Applicants should check with their local Rotary Club to ascertain which scholarships are available in their sponsoring district. The Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarship supports two years of full-time degree-oriented study abroad with a grant of $12,500 each year. The Academic Year Ambassadorial Scholarship provides a grant of $25,000 for one academic year of study in another country; it may not be possible for recipients of this scholarship to earn a degree or a diploma during the study period. The Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship is intended primarily for language study; it is available for either three or six months, depending on the sponsoring district. The newest Rotary scholarship program, the Rotary World Peace Scholarship, provides support for a two-year master’s degree at one of seven Rotary Centers for International Studies. Approximately seventy Rotary Peace scholars will be chosen each year. Ten scholars will be assigned to each Rotary Center, which are in the United States, Japan, France, Argentina, England, and Australia.
Rotary Foundation scholarships are intended to cover round-trip transportation between the recipient’s home and the study site, required academic fees, some educational supplies, reasonable living costs, and limited contingency expenses. Expenses beyond the amount provided are the recipient’s responsibility.
Criteria for Selection:
Rotary offers both graduate and undergraduate scholarships. An applicant must be a citizen of a country in which there is a Rotary Club. By the time of the commencement of the fellowship year, applicants for the graduate scholarship must have received a bachelor’s degree, and applicants for the undergraduate scholarship must have completed at least two years of college work. Relatives of Rotarians or of employees of Rotary Clubs may not apply. Applicants must be proficient in the language of the country to which he/she applies.
Additionally, applicants for the Rotary World Peace Scholarship Program must be proficient in more than one language, have excellent leadership skills, a demonstrated commitment to peace and international understanding, and have chosen careers in international relations/peace and conflict resolution. In general, the Rotary Foundation does not recommend application immediately following the completion of an undergraduate degree, as some career experience is necessary.
Application Procedure:
Interested applicants must contact a Rotary Club in their legal or permanent residence (or place of full-time study or employment) for an application and information on scholarship availability and local deadlines. Applicants must be endorsed by the local club before the application can be forwarded to the district level. To find the club nearest you, look under the listing for Rotary in your telephone book, contact your local Chamber of Commerce, or refer to the Rotary website at www.rotary.org/.
Ambassadorial Scholarship application materials are available online at www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/AmbassadorialScholarships/Pages/ridefault.aspx. The application must be typewritten and submitted in duplicate to the secretary of the sponsoring club no later than the club deadline.
Each Rotary Club may nominate two candidates for consideration by the Rotary District selection committee. The number of awards to which each district is entitled is determined by the amount of money contributed by that district during the preceding year. Selection by both the club and the district is based upon the application documents and an interview. The district interview, which is always conducted face-to-face, may be held anytime in the summer or early fall. Applicants are notified of selection by mid-December.