Kosovo Education Scholarships
Learn Life Skills Outside the U.S.
Less than a decade ago, Kosovo was the daily focus of media coverage surrounding the U.S. participation in quieting the political unrest that threatened to dissolve all remnants of the then recognized Serbian province. To many Americans these historical events remain a confusing milieu of messy post-Soviet rule and disturbing images of “ethnic cleansing.”
Today, even though Kosovo remains just short of political independence it is generally regarded independently. Students pursuing studies in Kosovo and the surrounding region will find it tragically behind other Eastern European countries in respect to social and economic reforms, but rich with political stories to tell.
Scholarship Programs
The School for International Training (SIT) is one of the foremost providers of study abroad programs and works in concert with hundreds of colleges and universities to accommodate all manner of U.S. students and their increasing zeal for more challenging study abroad programs. Their program, Central Europe: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Culture takes participants on a deeply engaging look at the social strata of Kosovo, Germany, Serbia and Montenegro, all former sites of disturbing levels of violence and oppression. SIT’s scholarships include:
- SIT Fund is perhaps the most abundantly disbursed. Applicants may be participating in any SIT program as long as they meet academic and financial requirements.
- Diversity Fund scholarships go to those students who are from a historically underrepresented population in study abroad programs. Once again, awards are meted out based on a combination of academic merit and financial need.
- HBCU Awards are open to those whose home institution is one of the historically black colleges.
- For an exemplary female participant who best embodies cultural understanding through international collaboration, the Sally Bragg Baker Scholarship may provide additional funding for a study abroad program.
The International Research Exchanges Board (IREX) is an internationally recognized organization whose primary goal is to effect scholarly exchange among high-level students and scholars especially in the Eastern European region of the world. To those ends IREX provides the following scholarships for post-graduate students and higher who have a need to study or carry on research in Kosovo or another Eurasian country. Candidates must be tackling topics related to foreign affairs or specific political and social climates in the region:
- Individual Advanced Research Opportunities Fellowships are open to students at various levels of education: graduate, post-graduate and professional. The program may be applied for up to nine months and award monies cover applicable living costs, round-trip travel and a stipend.
- Short-term Travel Scholarships are provided to those post-graduate, post-doctoral and professional applicants whose research project must be conducted on-site in Kosovo, but is designed for a short-term stint. $5,000 awards cover almost all costs.
Scholarships for Kosovar Students
As much as American students are excited to have the opportunity to experience Kosovo, so are Kosovar students with engaging in studies in the U.S. American social and political issues are just as foreign to Kosovars as theirs is to American students. The Ron Brown Fellowship program is funded by the federal government and is offered to students in a range of Eastern European countries who are interested in studying for up to two years at a U.S. college or university. The program covers a full complement of funding from round-trip travel to accommodations and tuition.
