Hooraytaiwan 16/Jan/2017

2017 Taiwan Scholarship Program Directions for Thai Students

  1.   Introduction

In an effort to encourage outstanding international students to undertake degree studies in Taiwan to familiarize themselves with the academic environment in Taiwan and promote communication, understanding and friendship between Taiwan and international community, the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Republic of China formulated Taiwan Scholarship Program Directions.  Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand drew up 2016 Taiwan Scholarship Program Directions for Thai Students, in accordance with the provisions of the MOE Taiwan Scholarship Program Directions Amended Version in effect on December 9, 2015.

Amount of Scholarships

Fifteen scholarships for Thai students have been allocated for 2017. The MOE Taiwan Scholarship Program provides the following for each outstanding Thai student scholarship recipient undertaking a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate studies in Taiwan :

  1. Tuition and miscellaneous expenses (i.e. the course-credit fees, and miscellaneous basic study-related fees): The MOE will pay up to NTD 40,000 each semester for each recipient’s approved tuition and miscellaneous expenses. If these exceed a total amount of NTD40,000, the remaining amount must be paid to the university/college by the student. The “miscellaneous expenses” do not include any of the following: administration fees, thesis supervision fees, insurance premiums, accommodation, or internet access. These are all the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.
  2. Living allowance: The MOE provides each recipient undertaking university undergraduate studies a monthly stipend of NTD15,000; it provides each recipient undertaking a master’s degree or doctorate studies a monthly stipend of NTD20,000.
  1.     Duration of Scholarship
  1. The maximum period of a Taiwan Scholarship may be held is: four years for undergraduate programs, two years for master’s degree programs, and four years for doctorate programs. The maximum total period that any one person may hold a Taiwan Scholarship is five years.
  2. The Taiwan Scholarship year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31 of the following year. Recipients must arrive in Taiwan and register at their university/college at the scheduled time. It is not permitted to defer taking up a Taiwan Scholarship until the following year. A student who is unable to arrive in Taiwan and register at their university/college at the scheduled time will be considered to have forfeited their scholarship eligibility.
  3. Living allowance payments begin from the month when the recipient actually begins attending the university/college, and they end when the maximum scholarship period for their degree level expires, or when the recipient graduates, withdraws from their studies, is suspended or expelled, or has their Taiwan Scholarship revoked 

    Eligibility

  1. Applicants must be a Thai national with a secondary school graduation  diploma or post-secondary degree(s), with an excellent academic record, and be of good moral character.
  2. A person in any of the following categories is ineligible to apply:

1. An R.O.C. national or an overseas Chinese student.

2. A person who already has and is continuing to maintain student status at any university/college in Taiwan or who has already registered to begin studies at such a university/college. This restriction does not apply to a student who will be graduating after completing a degree that year. They may apply for a Taiwan Scholarship to pursue a higher degree.

3. A person who has already studied in Taiwan for a degree at the same level as the one in which they currently intend to enroll.

4. An exchange student or dual/joint degree student who has been admitted to a university/college in Taiwan in accordance with an academic cooperation agreement between that university/college and an overseas university/college.

5. A person who has already been a Taiwan Scholarship recipient for a total of five years.

6. A person who has ever previously had their Taiwan Scholarship or MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship revoked.

7. A person who has received any other scholarship or subsidy from any Taiwan Government institution (organization) or any education institution in Taiwan.

Applicants must apply directly to the university/college for admission within the application deadline. Each university/college sets its own application deadline.

Application Documents

    Applicants must submit the following documents by March 31, 2017：

  1. 2017 Taiwan Scholarship Application Form for Thai Students.
  2. A photocopy of the applicant’s passport and household registration.
  3. A photocopy of the highest academic award and of the associated original academic transcripts. Documents in a language other than Chinese or English must be translated into Chinese or English.
  4. Photocopies of documentary evidence that the applicant has already applied to a university/college in Taiwan (for example, photocopies of the application fee remittance, the application form, and a notice or email from the university/college acknowledging receipt of the application.)
  5. One of the following language proficiency certificates:
  • For applications to undertake a program not completely taught in English: a copy of results or certificate for the “Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language” (TOCFL, please refer to http://www.sc-top.org.tw/) Level 4 or above.  HSK Score will not be accepted.  To register recent TOCFL test held in Bangkok on March 5, 2017, please refer to http://clc.ac.th/main.htm
  • For applicants plan to study in a program completely taught in English (go to http://www.studyintaiwan.org/event/sit85/index.html#/home for a complete list ), an original report of TOEFL test scores or other recognized English language proficiency exams must be submitted. TOEFL score 550 (CBT 213 or IBT 79) Test Score report or IELTS 6.0, TOEIC 750 or above English test scores.

7. Two reference letters – from a principal, a college or university president, professors, and/or supervisors – personally signed, and placed in sealed envelopes. Photo copies and email submissions of letters of recommendation will not be considered.

Applicants should send the required documents by certified mail or turned in personally to： Educational Division Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand 20th Fl., Empire Tower, 1 South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120

Selection Criteria

  1. Recipients academic study goals should be consistent with Taiwan’s  national development plans so as to assist in the growth of industry, economy and education.
  2. Recipients should achieve an undergraduate GPA of 2.6 or above, and a postgraduate GPA of 3 or above (on a 4.0 scale). Where grade conversion calculation differs, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand will base their conversion calculations on the aforementioned calculation guidelines to select outstanding applicants from prestigious universities/colleges.
  3. Interviews will be given to selected candidates late April and must be conducted in person so as to interact with the applicants and better judge their demeanor and moral character.
  4. Applications must be complete in full. All incomplete applications are

ineligible for consideration, and persons submitting incomplete applications will be withdrawn from the selection process without further notice.

Selection Notice

  1.   Upon reviewing applications and conducting interviews, Taipei       Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand will inform award recipient candidates and alternate candidates which will be placed on a waiting list.
  2. Successful candidates must submit a photocopy of their letter of admission

to Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand for verification by June     30th 2017. A person who is not admitted into a university/college will lose their eligibility to receive a Taiwan Scholarship. A person who fails to submit documents within the specified time period will be considered to have forfeited their eligibility to receive a Taiwan Scholarship, and Taipei       Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand will offer the forfeited scholarship to the candidate highest on the waiting list. The list of recipients must be finalized no later than July 27 each year.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand will issue a certificate of  receiving scholarship, and assign the award period according to the  recipients’ level of study.

Re-Applying

Upon completion of a degree program, recipients may reapply by March 31th of  each year for the Taiwan Scholarship to undertake a higher degree program by following the application process as specified above. The maximum duration of each recipient’s total award period is five years.

 Renewal of Scholarship

The process for determining whether each scholarship recipient whose scholarship has not yet expired will continue to receive scholarship benefits is as follows:

Scholarship recipients’ average semester results must achieve the standards

set out below to be permitted to continue to receive their scholarship

benefits:

1. Undergraduate students must achieve a minimum average semester mark

of 70, postgraduate students must achieve a minimum average semester

mark of 80; if the university/college has set a higher standard, then that

standard must be met.

2. If a scholarship recipient is in the 3rd year or later year of a doctoral

program, the manner in which their results are assessed and the criteria

used to determine their semester results will be in accordance with the

regulations of their university/college.

B.     If a scholarship recipient has completed their program before their

scholarship expires and has been given approval to undertake a degree

course at the next level by their university/college, the university/college

that they are attending may inform the MOE in writing that this has been

approved, with a scholarship application form filled out by the student,

transcripts of their academic studies in Taiwan, and details of the appraisal

of their degree attached, and submit an application to change the student’s

Taiwan Scholarship level and expiry date.

    Important Provisions:

  1. Any scholarship recipient who for some reason withdraws from their

studies will forfeit their scholarship and any scholarship recipient who has

been suspended or expelled from the university/college will have their

scholarship revoked.

1. The living allowance will no longer be provided for a scholarship

recipient who forfeits their scholarship. If the change of status occurs

after the 15th of the month, the student withdrawing from their studies

will not be required to refund the living allowance for that month.

They must pay back the tuition and miscellaneous expenses paid with

scholarship funding in accordance with the debt recovery regulations

of the university/college they have been attending.

2. A student whose scholarship has been revoked must pay back all the

living allowance payments and the tuition and miscellaneous expenses

provided by the MOE from the date the scholarship began until the

date it was revoked.

  1.     Scholarship recipients are responsible for the payment of all other

expenses apart from tuition and miscellaneous expenses. A scholarship

recipient who is experiencing financial hardship may apply to the

university/college at which they are registered for payments for any other

expenses to be deducted from their living allowance.

  1.     A scholarship recipient who must undertake an overseas internship that is

a requirement of their university/college degree program must not be paid

any living allowance for the time spent outside of Taiwan and they will

not receive any scholarship money for tuition and miscellaneous expenses

during the internship semester(s).

  1.     Scholarship recipient whose academic average for the semester is below

the standard set by their university/college will have their scholarship

suspended for a month; a scholarship recipient whose academic average

for the semester has been below the set standard in the two most recent

consecutive semesters will have their scholarship revoked, starting from

the next semester.

  1. If a scholarship recipient is found to be in simultaneous receipt of any

other award or subsidy from any Taiwan Government institution

(organization) or any education institution in Taiwan, and this has been

verified, their scholarship will be revoked and the student must pay back

all the living allowance payments and the tuition and miscellaneous

expenses paid during the period when they were also receiving the other

award or subsidy.

  1.       A scholarship recipient who has registered at a university/college and

begun their program is absent from their classes for more than one-third

of any month excluding university/college summer and winter breaks.

When the absences have been verified, the recipient’s living allowance

for any such month will be suspended (or have to pay back), and

depending on the circumstances, the university/college where the

student is registered may decide to revoke the student’s scholarship.

  1.     All scholarship recipients are required to join the National Health

Insurance plan in accordance with Taiwan’s national legislation. Before

doing so, they must purchase other medical and accident insurance.

  1.     After enrolling at a university/college in Taiwan, a scholarship recipient is

not permitted to travel to any other country as an exchange student or as

a dual/joint degree student. If they do so, their Taiwan Scholarship will be

revoked. They are not permitted to retain the still unused part of their

Taiwan Scholarship or have the award period extended for them to be

able to resume receiving the original scholarship when they return to

Taiwan.

  1.     Any scholarship recipient who submits any application document or any

document when they are enrolling that is found to be fake, misleading,

has been altered in some way, or contains any falsehood will have their

scholarship revoked and must pay back all the living allowance payments

and the tuition and miscellaneous expenses provided by the scholarship

from the date the scholarship began until the date it was revoked.

  1.     Scholarship recipients must act in concert with the MOE’s policies for

students who have a Taiwan Scholarship and participate in language and

culture related teaching, exchanges, and activities.

Note:

*Applicants should read the program guidelines carefully; for more details, please contact Educational Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand at (02)670-0200, ext 326 during office hours.

*In case of any discrepancies, the Ministry of Education “ Taiwan Scholarship ProgramDirections-Amended Version” (https://taiwanscholarship.moe.gov.tw ) Chinese version shall prevail.