Scholarships to Study in Colombia
Scholarships are offered for international students who wish to study in Colombian higher education institutions. Read on to know about the government and university scholarships for international students:
Government Scholarships
The Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX, or Instituto Colombiano de Credito Educativo y Estudios Tecnicos en el Exterior) is a Colombian government entity that provide scholarships to international students for graduate studies-specialisation, master’s and doctorate in Colombia. These scholarships are offered to international students by reason of reciprocity for international cooperative received by Colombia under Educational Exchange Agreements.
ICETEX offer several scholarship programmes for international students, such as:
- Postgraduate scholarships for Caribbean Basin (Cuenca del Caribe) member countries
- Postgraduate scholarships for FOCALAE (Forum for Latin American - Eastern Asian Cooperation) member countries
- Programmes for foreigners from Organization of American States (OAS) member countries
Eligible candidates: Foreigners up to 35 years old having a first degree (undergraduate-licentiate) and a minimum of 1 year of professional experience in their area of study are eligible for these scholarships. Also, the candidate must be proficient in Spanish. (International students with Colombian nationality are not eligible).
Benefits: It covers monthly stipend, health cover, stipend for books and materials, settling-in expenses, and enrollment fee of the higher education institution in Colombia.
Scholarship period: Graduate scholarships are awarded:
- For master’s programme: 24 months
- For specialization programmes: 12 months
- For doctorate studies: 36 months
Applying Ways and Means: Fill in the ICETEX application form that can be downloaded from the official website of ICETEX (https://web.icetex.gov.co/portal). Submit the application form along with the following documents:
- University admission letter
- Professional experience certificate copy
- A copy of passport
- Certified copy of university degree
- Health certificate
- Spanish language proficiency certificate- DELE
- First degree marks/scores transcript
- CV: Maximum 2 pages
- Letter of recommendation: It should come from the professor of the university/institution where you studied.
- Letter of introduction: The official introduction letter for nationals of agreement countries must be issued by the government agency handling educational matters, or foreign ministry.
Scholarships by Colombian Higher Education Institutions
The
higher education institutions in Colombia also offer several scholarships to students to undertake undergraduate, graduate, and language courses in Colombia. The universities in Colombia provide exchange programmes for students.
Contact the respective Colombian higher education institution to know about the scholarships offered by them.