This website is an unofficial website to provide you a detailed guide about the GKS Scholarship (graduate and undergraduate studies). Each year the scholarship is announced in August/September for Undergraduate Programs and in February/March for Graduate Programs.

Before applying for your relevant program, kindly visit the official website of NIIED & StudyinKorea and download the latest set of applicant guidelines and application forms.

https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/en/sub/gks/allnew_invite.do

Global Korea Scholarship (GKS Scholarship), previously known as KGSP (Korean Government Scholarship) is one of the most prestigious fully-funded scholarships in the world.

The purpose of this program is to provide international students with opportunities to conduct advanced studies in undergraduate & graduate programs at higher educational institutions in South Korea.

GKS Scholarship for Pakistan

GKS Scholarship for India

GKS Scholarship for Nepal

GKS Scholarship for Indonesia

GKS Scholarship Graduate Program 2021

For 2022, please refer to the official website of GKS Scholarship to download the application form.

https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/en/sub/gks/allnew_invite.do

NIIED announced the application guidelines of the 2021 Korean Government Scholarship Program for Graduate Degrees.

For the year 2021, they are inviting 1278 international students from 154 countries, for degree (Master’s & Doctoral) and non-degree research programs.

2021 Global Korea Scholarship – Application Guidelines for Graduate Degrees

I. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Global Korea Scholarship is designed to provide international students with opportunities to study at higher educational institutions in Korea for graduate-level degrees, which will enhance international education exchange and deepen mutual friendship between Korea and participating countries.

? As Korean Government Scholarship Programs have been integrated and branded as Global Korea Scholarship in 2010, the name is changed to GKS (Global Korea Scholarship).

II. TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPECTED GRANTEES : 1278 Candidates

1. Graduate Degrees (Master’s and Doctoral program): 1243 Candidates

GKS Quota reserved for the Embassy Track: 653 Candidates (603 General + 20 Overseas Koreans + 30 Korean Language Teaching Professionals)

Embassy Track Quota for General Applicants: 603 Candidates from 145 Countries

Embassy Track

1) Quota for general applicants- 603 candidates from 145 countries.

2) Embassy Track Quota for Overseas Koreans: 20 Candidates from 13 Countries

? Overseas Koreans refer to ethnic Koreans who do not own Korean citizenship. They include Korean adoptees and offspring of Korean diaspora or Korean immigrants who live in countries out of the Korean peninsula.

3) Embassy Track Quota for Korean Language Teaching Professionals: 30 Candidates from 24 Countries

? Korean Language Instructors include elementary and secondary school teachers, university lecturers, or professors who teach Korean language at a government-authorized education institution. The government- authorized education institution does not include for-profit afterschool academy, institution or organization.-

4) Embassy Track Quota for Research Program: 10 candidates from 145 regions

University Track

1) University Track Quota for Research Program: 5 candidates from 76 countries

? There is no country quota for the 5 University Track candidates. Applicants from any 76 NIIED designated
countries listed below may apply for the research program.

2) Quota for General Program and Science & Engineering majors of Regional University
Program

III. AVAILABLE UNIVERSITIES AND FIELDS OF STUDY

Partner Universities

Available Fields of Study
For more detailed information on majors (fields of study) offered by the universities listed above, refer to the “ 2021 GKS-G Available Universities & Fields of Study ” file attached under the GKS Notice post in our Study In Korea website (www.studyinkorea.go.kr).
Applicants must choose their majors (fields of study) that are only listed in the “ 2021 GKS-G Available Universities & Fields of Study ” file.
Please be advised that even if a university’s departments or majors you intend to apply offer English-taught courses, it may vary by lectures offered each term. Thus, we highly advise you to check with your university. Furthermore, we would like applicants to keep in mind that Korean is the core language to be used in every Korean university. In addition, applicants should review detailed information on individual majors before applying to this program.
Night School, Short-term seasonal programs, online and distant-learning programs are not available to apply and admission is not permitted.

Embassy Track applicants must submit their application documents to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in their respective countries of citizenship (refer to Appendix B for the list of Korean Embassies) and can apply to all available fields of study offered by 64 designated universities (applicants can choose among universities in both Type A and Type B, but must include at least one university from Type B. Refer to III. Available Universities and Fields of Study).

– Refer to section VI. Selection Procedures for more details on the selection process.
– The quota allocation is decided based on the mutual agreements on cultural and educationcooperation between Korea and the countries listed above.
– The quota allocated for Overseas Koreans is 20 and this is separately reserved for the overseasKoreans from 18 countries. The overseas Koreans submit their applications to the Korean embassies in 18 countries where they hold citizenship and will be selected among their own applicant pool.

– The quota allocated for Korean Language Teaching Professionals is 30 and this is separately reserved for elementary and secondary school teachers, university lecturers, or professors who teach Korean language. The relevant applicants submit their application to the Korean embassies in 24 countries where they hold citizenship and will be selected among their own pool.

IV. ELIGIBILITY

1. Nationality

All applicants and their parents must NOT hold Korean citizenship.
Korean citizens and dual citizenship holders (one who have Korean citizenship and citizenship of another country) are NOT eligible to apply.
Applicants and their parents who had previously held Korean citizenship must submit the document that proves their renunciation of Korean citizenship.

(?Exception: For overseas Korean applicants holding Japanese citizenship, if their parents hold ‘Permanent Residency Permit’ within Japan while holding Korean citizenship, are eligible to apply.)

2. Degree Requirements

Applicants must hold or must be expected to hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s or a Doctoral degree.

Doctoral Program Applicants: Must hold a Master’s degree or a level of education equivalent to a Master’s degree.
Master’s Program Applicants: Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or a level of education equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree.
Research Program Applicants: Must hold a degree or a level of education equivalent to or higher than a Master’s degree and must have received an invitation from one of NIIED’s designated Korean universities.

Postdoctoral Research Program: Must hold a doctoral degree ( by February 28, 2021 )
Professor Exchange Program: Must hold a Master’s degree or higher AND must be teaching at a university as a professor.
Program for Education·Science·Culture·International Professionals: Must hold a Master’s degree or higher AND must be a professional in a field of Education, Science, Culture, or International Cooperation ( E.S.C.I. )

? ( Notes for the applicants in their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program) Applicants who are
expected to graduate by August 31, 2021 can also apply for the program. Applicants who are expected
to graduate at the time of application must first submit a certificate of expected graduation. The official
degree certificate (or diploma) and final academic transcript must be submitted to NIIED by August 31,
2021 at the very latest. )

3. Age

Must be under 40 years of age as of September 1, 2020 ( born after September 1, 1981 )
Academic professors who are under 45 years of age as of September 1, 2021 ( born after September 1, 1976 ) and hold citizenship of one of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients listed in the table below are eligible to apply.

< *ODA Recipients(104 countries) >

4. Grades

All applicants must have maintained the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) equivalent to
or higher than any ONE of the following from their respective universities:

C.G.P.A.: 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5, 3.23/5.0
Score percentile should be 80% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked within the
top 20% within one’s class (* Refer to Appendix A. GPA Conversion table)

– If an applicant holds a transcript that does not include information on grade point average or is
unable to convert his or her grades into any one of the GPA criteria mentioned above, then
applicant must submit an official document issued by the applicant’s university describing the
university’s grading system.

5. Health

All applicants must be in good health, both mentally and physically, to study in Korea for the full duration of degree or research programs.
All applicants must submit ” Form 8. Personal Medical Assessment ” at the time of applying.
All applicants who pass the 2nd round of selection must receive comprehensive medical checkup and submit the certificate of health and medical examination result issued by a medical doctor or a licensed hospital.
If an applicant is found to be in one of the following conditions, the applicant will be disqualified in the final round of selection:

– An applicant is tested positive on drug tests;

– An applicant owns serious illness that prevents him or her to study abroad for long period of time including the full duration of degree or research program in Korea.

After arriving in Korea, all GKS scholars will be subject to a medical examination
administered by NIIED. If a GKS scholar is found to have a serious illness from the medical
examination after arriving in Korea, he or she will be disqualified from their GKS scholarship.

6. GKS scholars reapplying to the program

Previous or current GKS scholars (previously known as KGSP scholars) who meet the additional criteria below are eligible to apply for the program:

Must hold the grade of 90% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked within the top 10% within one’s class.
Must hold TOPIK level 5 or 6 (must hold a valid certificate at the time of application)
Previous or current GKS scholars can only re-apply for a higher degree program once.

? Bachelor’s?Master’s, Master’s?Doctoral or Research (Professor Exchange Program,
Program for E.S.C.I. Professionals), Doctoral?Research

4. If applying for a Postdoctoral Research Program, applicants who apply for majors in the field of Natural Science and Engineering will be given preference.

5.Previous or current GKS scholars who are re-selected as a 2021 GKS scholar will be exempt from the Korean language program.

7. Korean Language Teaching Professionals

Applicants who meet the additional criteria below are eligible to apply for the program:

Applicant must be an elementary and secondary school teacher, university lecturer, or professor who teaches Korean language at a government-authorized education institution. The government-authorized education institution does not include for-profit afterschool academy, institution, or organization.Must have at least 2 years of teaching career (as of February 28, 2021)
Must hold a TOPIK level 4 or above (certificate issued after January 1st, 2018 will be accepted)
Must major in Korean Language Education (applicants must select ‘Korean Language Education’ when choosing their major/field of study.)
Applicants may be exempt from the Korean language program if they wish.

6. Restriction

Prospective applicants who have attained a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or a doctoral degree in Korea are NOT eligible to apply. ( Exception: Overseas Korean Adoptees and GKS scholars. )

Applicants who have previously studied in a Korean university as exchange or visiting students CAN apply.
Former applicants who had withdrawn from the scholarship after being selected as GKS scholars (applicable to those who did not come to Korea after being selected as GKS scholars and who had resigned from their studies) in the past are strictly NOT eligible to apply.

( Exception: Former GKS scholar whose scholarship was forfeited due to a scholar’s failure to achieve TOPIK level 3 or above after completing Korean language program may be deemed eligible to re-apply if a scholar achieved TOPIK level 5 or above. )

Applicants must choose only ONE program.
Embassy Track applicant may choose only ONE of the following programs: General, Overseas Koreans?adoptees, Korean Language Teaching Professionals, or Research program.
University Track applicant may choose only ONE of the following programs: General, Science & Engineering majors of Regional University, or Research program.

V. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

1. List of required documents for Master’s and Doctoral degree applicants.

2. Notes for ALL Applicants

All application documents must be written either in Korean or English.
Documents written in languages other than Korean or English must accompany a complete Korean or English translation, authenticated by the issuing institution or notarized by a notary public.
All application documents must be presented in their original forms. If an applicant has to submit photocopied documents, applicant MUST have the photocopies notarized, apostilled, or receive consular confirmation and submit those certified documents.

****For the applicants who are certain that they will not be able to get their academic documents reissued in the future, we strongly recommend them to submit notarized, apostilled or consular-confirmed academic documents in lieu of original documents.

All documents submitted will NOT be returned to the applicants in any case.
Application documents must be submitted in the order of the checklist on the first page of the application forms. Each required document must be numbered and labeled on the top right corner.(ex. 9. Certificate of Bachelor’s degree)
Any fraudulent or incomplete applications will be disregarded.
Applicants who are expected to graduate at the time of applying must first submit the certificate of expected graduation at the time of applying. The official degree certificate (or diploma) and final academic transcript must be submitted by August 31st, 2021 at the very latest.

– If an applicant fails to submit official degree certificate (or diploma) and final academic transcript by August 31st, 2021 or does not fulfill the grade requirement, the scholarship will be forfeited.

The recommendation letters must be written by two different recommenders, who can give thorough assessment on applicant’s academic abilities.
The recommenders must seal recommendation letters in an envelope and sign across the back flap. The letters with broken seal or sign will be considered invalid.

– The applicants of Korean Language Teaching Professionals must include a recommendation letter written by the chairman of their employed institution (the Principal of the School or the President of the University).

For the published papers, research papers, and awards, photocopies are acceptable.
The proof of citizenship must be government-issued documents. The examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

– An original birth certificate issued by the government of the applicant’s country;

– A family register issued by the government of the applicant’s country

– Passport copies of the applicant and applicant’s parent (no need of notarization)

*** [Documents Required for Applicants of Korean Language Teaching Professionals]***

Certificate of Employment (Teaching Career): The teaching subject MUST be indicated as Korean Language.Degree Certificate: MUST hold a degree in Korean-related major (such as Korean language, Korean
Studies, Teaching Korean to Speakers of Other Language, and etc.)
Recommendation letters: At least ONE of the recommendation letters must be written by the chairman of their employed institution (the Principal of the School or the President of the University).

VI. SELECTION PROCEDURES

1) Selection Procedures

Applicants must apply either to a Korean Embassy where they hold citizenship or directly to one of designated universities.
Institutions accepting applications.
116 Embassies of the Republic of Korea: In countries where Korean Education Center or Korean Cultural Center is located, these institutions may accept and review GKS applications in lieu of Korean embassies. We highly recommend applicants to contact Korean embassy in their countries to check which party is accepting the application.

– 64 Korean Universities designated by NIIED

If an applicant submit application to more than ONE institution, his or her application will be discarded.
Those who apply as overseas Koreans must apply to the Korean Embassy in their home countries. Only those who own citizenships of one of the selected countries that have been allocated overseas Korean quota (refer to II.) are eligible to apply.
Chinese applicants must submit their applications to the China Scholarship Council, in accordance with the agreement between the government of Korea and the government of China.
The Czech Republic applicants must submit their applications to the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic, in accordance with the agreement between the Korean government and the Czech Republic government.

2. Deadline of Application Submission

The application deadline is set by each Korean embassy or university.
All applicants must check the deadline of application submission by contacting their relevant embassy or desired university directly.
Please refer to the following for contact information:

– Korean Universities: Refer to Appendix C or the “University Information” file (attached to GKS-G Announcement post)

3. University and Field of Study Choice

1. Embassy Track Applicants

– Applicants must choose THREE different desired universities and available fields of study among 64 universities listed in section III.

– Applicants that pass the 2nd round of selection will go through university admission in the 3rd round of selection (Refer to “4. Selection Procedure” below).

2. University Track Applicants

– Applicants must choose a major and ONE desired university among 67 universities.

For the list of universities and fields of study that are available to apply, please refer to the “ 2021 GKS-G Available Universities & Fields of Study ” file attached along with GKS-G announcement post.

3. Application Screening and Evaluation

Applications will be reviewed by each round’s selection committee.
Each selection committee will consider various factors when screening applications such as the following:
Academic Transcript
Personal Statement
Statement of Purpose or Research Proposal
Letters of recommendation
Certificates of Language Proficiency (Korean or English), publications, awards, and etc.

VII. SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP

1. Doctoral Degree Program: 4 years (2021. 9. 1. ~ 2025. 8. 31.)

1 year of Korean language program
3 years of regular degree program

2. Master’s Degree Program: 3 years (2021. 9. 1. ~ 2024. 8. 31.)

1 year of Korean language program
2 years of degree program

3. Research Program: 6 Months (2021. 9. 1. ~ 2022. 2. 29.)/1 Year (2021. 9. 1. ~ 2022. 8. 31.)

4. Important Notes regarding Scholarship Period

The scholarship period for the degree (Master’s-2years, Doctoral-3years) and research program (6months – 1 year) cannot be extended once the scholarship is terminated.
The period change during the Korean language program will not affect the scholarship period for the degree program. In other words, even if a scholar’s language program shortens to 6months instead of a year, the scholarship period that GKS supports for his or her degree program will remain the same (2 years for Master’s degree and 3 years for Doctoral degree).
GKS scholars with TOPIK level 5 or 6

– GKS scholars who have already received valid TOPIK level 5 or 6 at the time of applying are exempt from a yearlong Korean language program. Thus, the total scholarship period will be 2years for Master’s degree scholars and 3years for Doctoral degree scholars.

– Those who receive TOPIK level 5 or 6 within the first 6months of the Korean language program will be exempt from 6-month language training and must start their degree program in the following semester. The total scholarship period for these scholars will be shortened to 2.5 years for Master’s degree scholars and 3.5years for Doctoral degree scholars.

Research program scholars, upon their completion of the program and before returning back to their countries, must submit their thesis or research results that include methods, data collection, and discussion of the findings as well as the academic advisor’s evaluation on scholar’s performance.
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

1. Airfare

– Entry to Korea: An economy class flight ticket from GKS scholar’s home country to Korea

– Return: An economy class flight ticket from Korea to GKS scholar’s home country

– Entry flight ticket will NOT be provided to scholars who have resided in Korea at the time of applying to this program and up until the designated arrival period.

– The return flight ticket is only offered to GKS scholars who successfully complete their degree coursework.

– The return flight is NOT offered to those who have withdrawn from the scholarship in the middle of their studies.

– Any fees domestic travel fees within a GKS scholar’s home country are NOT covered.

– International travel insurance is NOT covered.

– For GKS scholars selected in China and Czech Republic: The flight tickets will be prepared and provided by the government of China and Czech Republic, respectively, in accordance with the agreement made between Korean government and the governments of two countries.

2. Settlement Allowance: 200,000 KRW (offered once after entry to Korea)

3. Monthly Allowance: (Degree Program) 1,000,000 KRW per month, (Research Program) 1,500,000 KRW per month

4. Research Allowance

– Liberal Arts and Social Science majors: 210,000 KRW per semester

– Natural Science and Engineering majors: 240,000 KRW per semester

5. 1-Year Korean Language Training Fee: Fully covered

6. Degree Program Tuition: Fully covered

– Tuition amount covered by NIIED is maximum 5 million KRW, and the amount that exceeds 5 million KRW will be covered by scholar’s university.

– University Admission fees are waived for GKS scholars.

7. Thesis (Dissertation) Printing Fee Reimbursement

– The actual printing cost shown on the receipt will be reimbursed (receipt submission required)

– Maximum reimbursable amount for each scholar: 500,000 KRW for Liberal Arts and Social Science majors, 800,000 KRW for Natural Science & Engineering and Arts, Music & Sports majors.

8. Medical Insurance: 20,000 KRW per month

9. Korean Proficiency Grants: 100,000 KRW per month

– This special grant is given only to GKS scholars in the degree program who have attained valid TOPIK level 5 or 6.

10. Degree Completion Grants: 100,000 KRW (offered once)

– Offered to GKS scholars who return to their home countries after completing their degree coursework under the scholarship program.

– NOT offered to GKS scholars who decide to remain in Korea after completing their degree coursework

? Korean Proficiency Grants, Korean Language Training Fee, Degree Program Tuition, and Thesis (Dissertation) Printing Fee are ONLY given to degree-pursuing scholars.

PREFERANCE

1 . Applicants who received outstanding scores for their proficiency in Korean or English may be given preference. Some examples include the followings:

– Proficiency in Korean: TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean)

– Proficiency in English: TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS Academic (TOEFL ITPs are NOT acceptable)

2. Applicants who apply for majors in the field of Natural Science and Engineering are given priority when they receive same marks with other candidates.

3. Applicants who apply for majors under the Industrial Professionals Training Project are given priority when they receive same marks with other candidates.

4. Academic professors holding citizenship of developing countries, especially ODA recipients, are given priority when they receive same marks with other candidates.

5. Descendants of Korean War veterans will receive additional 5% of the total marks.

6. Applicants from low income families or underprivileged backgrounds will be given preference.

7. Applicants who are confirmed to be the ‘third generation’ or ‘post-third generation’ overseas Koreans will be given preference.

VIII. CONTACT INFORMATION

Embassies of the Republic of Korea in foreign countries: Refer to Appendix B
Available Korean Universities for GKS Graduate Degrees: Refer to Appendix C
Global Korea Scholarship Center, NIIED

Email: [email protected]

Address: 191, Jeongjail-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do (13557) Republic of Korea
Websites: www.studyinkorea.go.kr / www.niied.go.kr

Other useful websites :

Learning Korean : www.sejonghakdang.org
Korean Portal : www.korea.net
Ministry of Foreign Affairs : www.mofa.go.kr
Visa and Immigration : www.immigration.go.kr AND www.hikorea.go.kr
Higher Education in Korea : www.academyinfo.go.kr

GKS Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies 2021

1. Objectives

The Korean Government Scholarship Program for undergraduate degrees is designed to provide international students with opportunities to study at higher educational institutions in Korea for Bachelor-level degrees, which in turn will contribute to promoting the international exchange in education and to deepening the mutual friendship among countries.

II. PROGRAM and EXPECTED GRANTEES

1. Available Program

? (Bachelor?s Degree) A total of 5 years (1 year of Korean language program + 4 years of Undergraduate degree)

? (Associate degree) A total of 3 or 4 years (1 year of Korean language program + 2~3 years of Associate degree)

2. Total Number of Expected Grantees

? Quota allocated for each application track Category

Embassy Track – General – 115, Overseas Koreans – 10, Total 125.

University Track – Regional University (Natural Science&Engineering) – 60, AssociateDegree – 35, Total – 95

Embassy track – Quota for General Applicants

? Only those who hold citizenship of the countries below are eligible to apply.

– Embassy Track Quota for Overseas Koreans: 10 Candidates from 7 Countries

? Overseas Koreans refer to ethnic Koreans who do not own Korean citizenships. They include Korean adoptees and offspring of Korean diaspora or Korean immigrants who live in countries out of the Korean peninsula.

Countries & Quota – Mexico 1, Russia 2, Uzbekistan 2, Kazakhstan 2, Kyrgyzstan 1, Ukraine 1

Total Grantees: 10

* Within overseas Koreans quota, if a certain country’s quota is not fulfilled, the remaining number of quota can be given to another country that has wait-listed candidates.

Embassy Track applicants must submit their application documents to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in their respective countries of citizenship (refer to Appendix B for the list of Korean Embassies) and can apply to all available fields of study offered by 38 designated universities. Applicants can choose among universities in both Type A and Type B, but must include at least one university from Type B. Refer to III. Available Universities and Fields of Study.
The quota allocated for Overseas Koreans is 10 and this is separately reserved for the overseas Koreans from 7 countries. The overseas Koreans submit their applications to the Korean embassies in 7 countries where they hold citizenship and will be selected among their own applicant pool.
Refer to section VI. Selection Procedures for more details on the selection process

Applicants who plan to apply to GKS through the University Track must submit their applications to the university of their choice (Refer to III. Available Universities and Field of Study).
Among the assigned 95 University Track quota, 60 candidates (refer to the table in pg. 2 for applicable countries) will be separately selected from the regional university applicants who apply for Natural Science and Engineering majors, and 35 candidates will be selected from 6 associate degree universities (refer to III. Available Universities and Fields of Study).
Applicants of the University Track must choose the option “General” for the type of application (Application Form 1).
Refer to section VI. Selection Procedures for more details on the application process.

3. Academic Programs: Bachelor’s Degree Program (4 years) after preliminary Korean Language Program (1 year)

Scholars must take the mandatory Korean language training at a language institution that will be designated by NIIED. The institution will be specified in the letter of invitation after the announcement of final successful candidates.
Scholars must attain a certain level on TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) as required by NIIED before the completion of the one-year Korean language program. Otherwise, scholars are not allowed to proceed to the degree program.
Scholars with level 5 or 6 on TOPIK will be exempt from the language program and must begin their Bachelor’s degree program from March 2020.
Scholars who receive TOPIK level 5 or 6 during the first 6 months of the language program may start their degree program in the September 2020.

III. AVAILABLE UNIVERSITIES AND FIELDS OF STUDY

1. Available Universities:

? EMBASSY TRACK (Bachelor’s Degree: 125 Candidates)

Type A: 14 institutions :

Ajou University, Duksung Women’s University, Ewha Womans University, Hanyang University, Konkuk University, Kookmin University, Korea Polytechnic University, Korea University, Kyung Hee University, Seoul National University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Sookmyung Women’s University, Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University

Type B: 24 institutions :

Busan University of Foreign Studies, Chungnam National University, Chonnam National University, Daegu University, Daejeon University, Dongseo University, Handong Global University, Hannam University, Inje University, Jeju National University, Kangwon National University, Keimyung University, Kongju National University, Konyang University, Kyungpook National University, National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Pai Chai University, Pukyong National University, Pusan National University, Semyung University , Silla University, Soonchunhyang University, Sun Moon University, Sunchon National University

Regional University Track: (only for Natural Science & Engineering Majors) 24 institutions –

Associate Degree Track: 6 institutions

Chejuhalla University, Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts, Inha Technical College, Kyungbok University, Yeungjin University, Yeungnam University College

IV. ELIGIBILITY

Nationality

All applicants and their parents must be citizens of GKS program?s partner countries that are invited to take part in this program and must not hold Korean citizenship.

Korean citizens and dual citizenship holders (one who have Korean citizenship and citizenship of another country) are NOT eligible to apply.

Applicants and their parents who had previously held Korean citizenship must submit the document that proves their renunciation of Korean citizenship.

* Exception: For overseas Korean applicants holding Japanese citizenship, if their parents hold “Permanent Residency Permit? within Japan while holding Korean citizenship, are eligible to apply.

Age

Must be under 25 years of age as of March 1, 2021 (born after March 1, 1996)

High School Graduates (or expected graduates)

Must hold high school diploma as of March 1st, 2021 or must be expected to graduate high school by March 1st, 2021.

Applicants who are expected graduate of high school at the time of applying must first submit the certificate of expected graduation at the time of applying. The official high school graduation certificate and final high school transcript must be submitted by March 1st, 2021 at the very latest.

In case an applicant fails to submit the above mentioned document by March 1st, 2021 or does not fulfill the grade requirement, the applicant will forfeit his or her scholarship..

Grades

* GPA: Grade Point Average, CGPA: Cumulative (overall) Grade Point Average

All applicants must have maintained the overall grade point average (CGPA) equivalent to or higher than any ONE of the following from their respective universities:
Bachelor?s Degree Applicant: 80% or above on a 100 point scale or be ranked within the top 20% within one?s class
Associate Degree Applicant: 75% or above on a 100 point scale or be ranked within the top 25% within one?s class
Refer to Appendix A for the GPA Conversion table
If an applicant has a CGPA below the minimum grade requirement, the applicant will be disqualified and application will be disregarded.
If an applicant holds a transcript that does not include information on grade point average or is unable to convert his or her grades into any one of the GPA criteria mentioned above, then applicant
must submit an official document issued by the applicant?s university describing the university?s grade system.

Health

All applicants must be in good health, both mentally and physically, to study in Korea for the full duration of degree or research programs.
All applicants must submit Form 6 or the “Personal Medical Assessment” at the time of applying.
All applicants who pass the 2nd round of selection must receive comprehensive medical checkup and submit the “Certificate of health” form and medical examination result issued by a medical doctor or a licensed physician.
If an applicant is found to be in one of the following conditions, the applicant will be disqualified in the final round of selection:
An applicant is tested positive on drug tests;
An applicant who owns serious illness that may prevent him or her to study abroad for long period of time including the full duration of degree in Korea.

Restriction on Applying to this program

A person who have graduated a high school (including international school) in Korea or hold a bachelor?s degree cannot apply to this program
A person who has reasons for disqualification (such as criminal history) of travelling abroad is strictly forbidden to apply to this program.
A person who has previously benefitted from Global Korea Scholarship Program to pursue a degree cannot apply to this program.
* A previous (or current) GKS scholar who have studied in Global Korea Scholarship for associate degree cannot apply for GKS bachelor?s degree program.
An applicant can only apply for one track, and cannot not apply for multiple tracks:
Applying to both Embassy track and University tracks (regional university track for Natural Science and engineering majors, and associate degree track) is strictly forbidden
Applying to both tracks within the university tracks (Regional university track for Natural Science and Engineering majors and Associate Degree track) is strictly forbidden
For the university track applicant, one can only apply to one university and one major.
* If an applicant is found to have applied to more than one track, his or her application will be disregarded.
(Prior Notice) The notice below is effective starting from 2022 GKS-U Selection.

Preference

Applicants who received TOPIK level 3 or above will be given additional 10% points of the total marks during the evaluation.

Descendants of Korean War veterans will receive additional 5% of the total marks.

Applicants who received outstanding scores for their proficiency in English (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS) may be given preference. Any language proficiency test scores or certificates that are outdated or have passed the validity period will not be considered.

Embassy track applicants who apply for majors in the field of Natural Science and Engineering may be given priority during the evaluation process when they receive same marks with other candidates.

Associate degree track applicants who received awards of national or international competition in the field of their interests are given preference.

Applicants from low income families or underprivileged backgrounds will be given preference.

V. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

1. List of required documents

NO.	Application Documents Checklist	Remarks
1	Applicant Form (Form 1)	Required
2	Personal Statement (Form 2)	Required
3	Study Plan (Form 3)	Required
4	TWO letters of Recommendation (Form 4)	Required
5	GKS Applicant Agreement (Form 5)	Required
6	Personal Medical Assessment (Form 6)	Required
7	Certificate of High school graduation (or expected graduation certificate)	Required
8	High school Grade Transcripts	Required
9	Applicant?s Proof of Citizenship Document	Required	Birth certificates or family registrar, passport copy, and etc.
10	Applicant?s Parent?s Proof of Citizenship Document	Required
11	Awards and other certificates	Optional
12	Certificate of valid TOPIK score	Optional
13	Certificate of valid English Proficiency Test	Optional
14	Proof of Korean War Veteran?s Descendant*ONLY for descendants of Korean War Veterans	*
15	Proof of Overseas Korean Document / Proof of Korean Adoptee Document* ONLY for overseas Korean or Korean adoptees	*
16	Proof of Korean Citizenship Renunciation Document* ONLY for previous Korean citizenship holders	*

2. Notes for ALL Applicants

All application documents must be written either in Korean or English.

Documents written in languages other than Korean or English must accompany a complete Korean or English translation, authenticated by the issuing institution or notarized by a notary public.

All application documents must be presented in their original forms. If an applicant has to submit photocopied documents, applicant MUST have the photocopies notarized, apostilled, or receive consular confirmation and submit those certified documents.

**** For the applicants who are certain that they will not be able to get their academic documents reissued in the future, we strongly recommend them to submit notarized, apostilled or consular- confirmed academic documents in lieu of original documents.

All documents submitted to NIIED will NOT be returned to the applicants in any case.

Application documents must be submitted in the order of the checklist on the first page of the application forms. Each required document must be numbered and labeled on the top right corner. (ex. 7. Certificate of High school graduation)

Any fraudulent or incomplete applications will be disregarded and even if a scholar has been selected, he or she will forfeit his or her scholarship if the application is found fraudulent.

Applicants who are expected to graduate at the time of applying must first submit the certificate of expected graduation at the time of applying. The official high school graduation certificate and final academic transcript must be submitted by March 1st, 2021 at the very latest.

If an applicant fails to submit official high school graduation certificate and final academic

transcript by March 1st, 2021 or does not fulfill the grade requirement, the scholarship will be cancelled.

The recommendation letters must be written by two different recommenders, who can give

thorough assessment on applicant’s academic abilities.

The recommenders must seal recommendation letters in an envelope and sign across the back flap. The letters with broken seal or sign will be considered invalid.

For awards and certificates of accomplishments, photocopies are acceptable.

The proof of citizenship must be government-issued documents. The examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

An original birth certificate issued by the government of the applicant’s country;

An original family register issued by the government of the applicant’s country

Passport copies of the applicant and applicant’s parent (No need for notarization)

3. Embassy Track Applicants

Must submit ONEsetoforiginal application documents and THREE sets of photocopied application documents.

4. University Track Applicants

Must submit ONE set of original application documents.

VI. SELECTION PROCEDURES

1. Application Submission

Embassy track applicants must apply to a Korean Embassy where they hold citizenship and University track applicants must directly apply to one of Korean universities that are participating in this program.

* Institutions accepting applications

67 Embassies of the Republic of Korea: In countries where Korean Education Centers or Korean Cultural Centers are located, these institutions may accept and review GKS applications in lieu of Korean embassies. We highly recommend applicants to contact Korean embassy in their countries to check which party is accepting the application.

30 Korean Universities designated by NIIED

* Universities for Natural Science &Engineering Majors: 24 Universities Universities for Associate Degrees: 6 Universities

If an applicant submit application to more than ONE institution mentioned above, his or her

application will be discarded.

Overseas Koreans must apply to the Korean embassies in their home countries. Only those who own citizenships of the countries with the separate Overseas Koreans quota (refer to II.) are eligible to apply.

2. Deadline of Application Submission

The application deadline is set by each Korean embassy or university that accepts the application.

All applicants must check the deadline of application registration by contacting the relevant embassy or desired university directly.

Please refer to the following for contact information:

Korean Embassies in foreign countries: Refer to Appendix B

Korean Universities: Refer to Appendix C or the “University Information” file(attached to GKS-U Announcement post)

3. University and Field of Study Choice

Embassy Track Applicants

Applicants must choose THREEdifferentdesired universities and available fields of study among 38 universities listed in section III (Type A + Type B) but MUST include at least one university from Type B.

Applicants that pass the 2nd round of selection will go through university admission in the 3rd

round of selection (Refer to “4. Selection Procedure” below).

University Track Applicants

Applicants must choose a major and ONE desired university among 30 universities.

Applicants of Regional University for Natural Science & Engineering majors can only apply to majors in Science, Technology, and Engineering field.

For the full list of universities and fields of study that are available to apply, please refer to the “University Information” file attached along with GKS-U announcement post.

4. Selection Procedure

Each embassy and university will send the 1st round successful candidates? applications and related documents.

University Track applicants who pass the 2nd round of selection are confirmed admission to the university. In order to be selected as GKS scholars, these University Track applicants MUST submit their comprehensive medical examination results and other additional required documents.

Comprehensive Medical Examination

All candidates who pass the 2nd round must get comprehensive medical examinations based on NIIED?s Certificate of Health form and submit the medical examination result issued by a medical doctor or a licensed physician.

The Certificate of Health form will be posted in the GKS Notice board along with the

announcement of successful candidates of 2nd round of selection.

If the medical examination result shows that an applicant is not suitable to study and live overseas for the extended period of time, he or she will be disqualified.

5. Application Screening and Evaluation

Applications will be reviewed by each round’s selection committee.

Each selection committee will consider various factors when screening applications such as the following:

Academic Transcript

Personal Statement

Statement of Purpose or Research Proposal

Letters of recommendation

Certificates of Language Proficiency (Korean or English), publications, awards, and etc.

Selection Timeline

September~ October	Application SubmissionDeadline: Decided by each Korean embassy and universityApplicants MUST check the deadline with the institution they intend to submit applications in advance.
October~ November	1st Round of Selection– Institutions: Korean Embassies and Korean Universities
November	(Korean Embassy, University) Send applications of 1st roundsuccessfulcandidatesto NIIED by a designated date?Embassies: November 6th (Friday)?Universities: November 20th (Friday)
November	2ndRound of SelectionInstitutions: NIIED (Selection Committee)Selection period for Embassy track applicants: mid-NovemberSelection period for University track applicants: late November
Late November ~ early December	Announcement of 2nd round Successful CandidatesStudy in Korea (www.studyinkorea.go.kr) < Scholarship < GKS Notice BoardNotification for Embassy track applicants: late NovemberNotification for University track applicants: early December
~ December 18th	(2nd Round Successful Candidates) Submit medical checkup results
Late November ~ mid-December	3rd Round of Selection (ONLY for Embassy Track Applicants)University AdmissionEach university informs admission results to candidatesEach university informs candidates? admission results to NIIED
~ December 24th	(3rd Round Successful Candidates) Notify their final university and major choice to NIIED
January 8th, 2021 (approximate	Announcement of 2021 GKS Undergraduate Degrees Scholars

date)	Study in Korea (www.studyinkorea.go.kr) < Scholarship < GKS Notice BoardInform the final results to Korean embassies and universities
January 11th~ January 13th	NIIED Invitation Letter will be sent to each candidate via email
January 13th~ January 15th	Applyingfor Korean Visa and Visa Issuance– Visa Issuance: Each county?s Korean embassies or consulates* Types of visa:D-4: Korean language program students, D-2: Degree program students
January 11th~ January 22nd	Reservation and Purchase of flight ticket (one-way) to KoreaKorean language institutions and universities make reservation and purchase of flight ticketsAdditional notice regarding entry to Korea will be made by institutions
February23rd ~ February 24th	Entry to Korea
February25th~ February 26th	NIIED Orientation

VII. SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Scholarship Information is available at the following:

NIIED?s website: www.studyinkorea.go.kr < Scholarship < GKS Notice Board

Application guidelines, Application Forms, University Information

Embassies of the Republic of Korea: Refer to Appendix B for contact information

Designated Korean Universities: Refer to Appendix C for contact information

Scholarship Benefits

Classification	Airfare	SettlementAllowance	MonthlyAllowance	KoreanLanguageTrainingFee	Tuition	MedicalInsurance	KoreanProficiencyGrants(only forapplicablescholars)	DegreeCompletionGrants(only forapplicablescholars)
(O, X)	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O

Airfare

Entry to Korea: An economy class flight ticket from GKS scholar?s home country to Korea

Return: An economy class flight ticket from Korea to GKS scholar?s home country

Entry flight ticket will NOT be provided to newly selected scholars who have resided in Korea at the time of applying to this program and during the selection period.

The return flight ticket is only offered to GKS scholars who successfully complete their degree coursework.

The return flight is NOT offered to those who have withdrawn from the scholarship in the middle of their studies.

Any domestic travel fees within a GKS scholar?s home country and within Korea are NOT covered.

International travel insurance is NOT covered.

Settlement Allowance: 200,000 KRW (offered once after entry to Korea)

Monthly Allowance: 900,000 KRW per month

1-Year Korean Language Training Fee: Fully covered

Degree Program Tuition: Fully covered

Tuition amount covered by NIIED is maximum 5million KRW, and the amount that exceeds 5 million KRW will be covered by scholar?s university.

University Admission fees are waived for GKS scholars.

Medical Insurance: 60,000 KRW per month

Korean Proficiency Grants: 100,000 KRW per month

This special additional grant is given only to GKS scholars in the degree program who hold valid TOPIK level 5 or 6 for the period of exam validity.

Degree Completion Grants: 100,000 KRW (offered once)

Offered to GKS scholars who return to their home countries after completing their degree coursework under the scholarship program.

NOT offered to GKS scholars who decide to remain in Korea after completing their degree coursework

VIII. PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP

Bachelor’s Degree Program: 5 years

1 year of Korean language program

4 years of regular degree program

Associate Degree Program: 3 or 4 years

1 year of Korean language program

2 or 3 years (depending on the length of the program) of regular degree program

Important Notes regarding Scholarship Period

The scholarship period for the degree cannot be extended once the scholarship is terminated.

The change in period during the Korean language program will not affect the scholarship period for the degree program. In other words, even if a scholar?s language program shortens to 6months

instead of a year, the scholarship period that GKS supports for his or her degree program will remain the same (4 years for Bachelor?s degree and 2~3 years for Associate degree).

GKS scholars who holds valid TOPIK level 5 or 6

GKS scholars who have already received valid TOPIK level 5 or 6 at the time of applying are exempt from a yearlong Korean language program.

Those who receive TOPIK level 5 or 6 within the first 6months of the Korean language program will be exempt from the remaining 6-month language training and must start their degree program in the following semester.

IX. KOREAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

All scholars, unless exempt, must take one year mandatory Korean Language Program at the Korean language institutions assigned by NIIED.

Exemption of the Korean Language Program

GKS scholars who have already received a valid TOPIK level 5 or 6 at the time of applying are exempt from the yearlong Korean language program and must directly enroll in degree program.

GKS scholars who receive TOPIK level 5 or 6 within the first 6months of the Korean language

program are exempt from the subsequent 6-month language training and must start their degree program in the following semester.

All applicants and scholars must submit valid TOPIK certificates to NIIED.

If one wishes to be exempt from the Korean language program, the 73rd TOPIK score is the last TOPIK score one can report to NIIED to request for exemption from the Korean language program (one must submit the valid TOPIK certificate to NIIED and his or her university by December 24th, 2020).

Korean language institution is assigned to each student based on following criteria:

The language institution is not located in the same city as the scholar?s degree pursuing university.

The language institution should provide a variety of Korean cultural experiences in addition to

offering focused and professional Korean language training

Korean language institution for each GKS scholar will be announced along with the list of finally selected GKS scholars.

GKS scholars cannot change their assigned Korean language institutions in any case.

GKS scholars must live on-campus during the Korean language program.

Most dormitory rooms are shared with roommates.

Accompanying family members is strictly forbidden during the Korean language program.

A scholar with a valid TOPIK level 3 or above may choose to live on- or off-campus.

Prerequisites for proceeding to the degree program

ALLGKSscholarsMUSTachieveatleastlevel3 on TOPIK by the end of one year Korean language program, in order to proceed to the degree program.

X. OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES

Medical Insurance

Universities and Korean language institutions will enroll in medical insurance plan on behalf of GKS scholars.

The medical insurance plan will be effective immediately after one?s arrival in Korea.

Scholarship Withdrawal and Cancelation

(Prior Notice) The notice below is effective starting from 2022 GKS-U Selection.

If a GKS scholar withdraws from the scholarship within the first 3months after entering Korea, one

MUST return the full scholarship amount that he or she has received after being selected as GKS scholar. This will include the airfare from one?s home country to Korea, settlement allowance, monthly allowance, language training fees, medical insurance fees, and etc.

Restriction on changing universities and major

Changing the university or major (including transferring to a different university or department) under this scholarship is NOT, in any case, permitted.

To applicants who are residing in Korea

If you are selected as a GKS scholar while residing in Korea, it is your responsibility to take care of all the visa matters such as visa change, extension, and etc. You will have to check with the immigration?s office ahead in order to prevent inconvenience and obstacles that may occur regarding visa issues. If a scholar has to go back to one?s country for a visa change, you will have to pay for the airfare at your own expense.

X. CONTACT INFORMATION

Embassies of the Republic of Korea in foreign countries: Refer to Appendix B

Korean Universities designated by NIIED: Refer to Appendix C

GKS Center, Dept. of Department of Higher Education Internationalization, NIIED

Websites: www.studyinkorea.go.kr / www.niied.go.kr

Email: [email protected]

Other useful websites

Learning Korean	www.sejonghakdang.go.kr
Korean Portal	www.korea.net
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	www.mofa.go.kr
Visa and Immigration	www.immigration.go.kr
www.hikorea.go.kr
Higher Education in Korea	heik.academyinfo.go.kr
Guide Book for International Students (living in Korea)	Korean	studyinkorea.go.kr/res/guide/guideBook_ko.pdf
English	studyinkorea.go.kr/res/guide/guideBook_en.pdf
Chinese	studyinkorea.go.kr/res/guide/guideBook_cn.pdf