Tel: +27 (012) Fax: +27 (012) /50

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1 UNISA Sunnyside Campus, Building 3, Level 1 cnr Rissik & Steve Bik Streets Sunnyside, Pretria Suth Africa P.O. Bx Sunnyside, Pretria, 0132 Tel: +27 (012) Fax: +27 (012) /50 admin@universitiessa.ac.za Public Universities Suth Africa NPC t/a Universities Suth Africa Reg. N. 2005/013211/08 21 August 2015 GENERAL INFORMATION TO APPLICANTS PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY SO THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BEFORE APPLYING COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS TENABLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, 2016 Universities Suth Africa (frmerly knwn as Higher Educatin Suth Africa (HESA)) is the Nminating Agency fr Suth African citizens wh wish t apply fr the Cmmnwealth Schlarships tenable in the UK fr the academic year cmmencing in September/Octber Suth Africa can send a maximum f 50 nminatins f which n mre than half (22) may be fr PhDs. Applicatins may be in either f the fllwing tw categries fr study in the UK: Taught Master s curses (One Year) (excluding MBA) PhDs Please nte the Agency des nt nminate candidates fr: Distance Learning Schlarships t study UK Master s degree curses in yur hme cuntry Academic Fellwships fr mid-career academics t spend time at UK universities Prfessinal Fellwships fr mid-career prfessinals t spend time at a UK hst rganizatin Split-site schlarships Mre infrmatin n these awards and ther awards available frm the Cmmissin are available n the website 1 Eligibility: Eligibility requirements are utlined in the Schlarship Prspectus attached heret. I wuld particularly draw yur attentin t the fllwing: Directrs: A Habib (Chairpersn); Y Ballim; A.C. Bawa; C. de la Rey; W.J.S. de Villiers; J.D. Jansen; M.R. Kgaphla; D. Kgwadi; S Mabizela; M.S. Makhanya; T Mayekis; P. Mbati; N.M. Mkgalng; I. Mutlana; T.Z. Mthembu; P.A. Nevhutalu; T.B. Pretrius; M. Price (Vice-Chairpersn); I.L. Rensburg; D.I. Swartz; M. Tm; A.S. van Jaarsveld; LR van Staden

2 The Cmmissin will lk fr evidence f high academic quality expected f Cmmnwealth schlars; intellectual and academic excellence will be paramunt in all selectins. Candidates studying a first degree are expected t hld at least upper secnd class hnurs level r a degree f secnd class (i.e. 70%+) by Octber Candidates shuld be able t take up the award in Octber 2016 as deferments are granted in the mst exceptinal circumstances, and in any event will nt be cnsidered fr start dates beynd January Please nte that if candidates fr Master s awards have undertaken any f their university educatin utside their hme cuntry, they will be asked t state hw it was funded and hw the educatin differed frm that in their hme cuntry. All PhD candidates must prvide a supprting statement frm a named supervisr frm at least ne f the UK universities t which they are applying. Awards are tenable at any UK institutin f higher educatin with whm the Cmmissin has a part-funding agreement. A list f these institutins can be fund at Candidates are expected t state at least ne and up t three preferred institutin(s) n the applicatin frm. The final decisin n a hst institutin will be made by the Cmmissin. In recent years, placement f successful candidates has smetimes been delayed by the prcess f gaining admissin t their hst university. Fr this reasn, candidates must submit independent applicatins fr admissin directly t their preferred institutins in the UK in advance f their schlarship applicatin. Where ffers f admissin have been btained, these shuld be included with the nminatins, and any subsequent crrespndence cpied t us. The Cmmissin will nt ffer awards t schlars already clse t cmpleting a dctrate in their wn cuntry, thugh awards may be ffered t cmplete dctral studies already underway in the UK. 2 Selectin Criteria: Final selectin f candidates and hst institutins will be made by the UK Cmmissin based n the nminatins frm the Suth African Agency. Once again, they will be seeking candidates f the highest academic quality, wh demnstrate a real capacity t make a difference t their hme cuntry n cmpletin f the award. The main selectin criteria are academic merit, the quality f the study plan and the ptential impact f the wrk n the develpment f the candidate s hme cuntry. Applicatins which d nt meet the academic criteria will nt be cnsidered by the Suth African Selectin Panel. We receive substantially mre nminatins than schlarships available, and fr this reasn, the selectin prcess has becme very cmpetitive ver the years. It shuld be nted that even applicants wh meet the academic criteria may nt be finally selected by the Selectin Panel due t the cmpetitive nature f these schlarships. Page 2

3 The Selectin Cmmittee has becme cncerned in recent years with the way in which papers are increasingly arriving in an incmplete state and has instructed its secretariat t render ineligible applicatins which d nt arrive in the manner requested. Such incmplete applicatins will nt be cnsidered by the cmmittee. 3 Applicatin prcess: All applicants fr a Cmmnwealth Schlarship shuld use the Electrnic Applicatin System (EAS) see and click n apply. Any candidate wh has nt submitted an applicatin via the EAS cannt be cnsidered fr a schlarship. Hwever, there are tw ways t submit yur applicatin: (1) If yu are a Suth African citizen registered at a Public University in Suth Africa at the time f applying, yu shuld submit yur applicatin via the university. In the EAS yu will be given an ptin t chse the university f yur chse with tw further ptins. In applying fr the Cmmnwealth Schlarships, please chse the ptin University X (t CSC via HESA). Yu will need t cntact yur university well in advance t ascertain what the institutinal specific applicatin prcess and clsing date fr applicatins are (it will be n later than 3 Nvember 2014). See attached cntact list. (2) Individual applicatins submitted directly t Universities Suth Africa (HESA) as the Suth African Nminating Agency, will be cnsidered in the case f (a) A Suth African citizen wh is nt registered at any Public Higher Educatin Institutin in Suth Africa at the time f applying; (b) A Suth African citizen wh is studying r staying in a freign cuntry at the time f applying; and (c) A Suth African citizen wh btained his/her last qualificatin frm a freign institutin. All ther applicatins received directly frm individuals will nt be cnsidered. NOTE: In bth cases, (1) and (2) abve, yu need t click n the submit buttn therwise yur applicatin will be invalid. One hard cpy f the applicatin frm (with supprting dcuments) shuld reach us by Wednesday, 18 Nvember Please nte that applicatins received after the clsing date WILL NOT be cnsidered. Page 3

4 4 Arrangements fr submitting applicatins: Refer t item 3 applicants wh need t submit their applicatins via a Suth African Higher Educatin Institutin are reminded t cntact the university fr mre infrmatin n the applicatin prcess. Hwever, the fllwing infrmatin shuld be nted by ALL applicants: (i) (ii) The EAS ask each applicant t uplad scanned passprt-size phtgraph, transcripts, birth certificate (cpy f green ID will d) and any letters received frm a UK institutin listed in yur applicatin frm. References: D allw referees time t cmplete references. Althugh the EAS sends an t each referee with a link t yur applicatin t write a reference, the is nly sent when yu submit yur applicatin. Please ensure that this is dne well in advance in rder fr the referees t have time t submit their references befre the clsing date f 18 Nvember Irrespective f the abve ( alert t referees), the nus is n the applicant t ensure that references are available and submitted n time. Applicatins received withut the requested references will nt be cnsidered. After submitting yur applicatin, yu shuld print ne hard cpy f yur electrnic applicatin (with the scanned supprting dcuments) t reach us n r befre 18 Nvember If yu apply via the University, please submit the hard cpy t the University. The Pstal Address is: Universities Suth Africa (Cmmnwealth Schlarships) P O Bx SUNNYSIDE Pretria 0132 The Physical Address is: Universities Suth Africa (Cmmnwealth Schlarships) UNISA Sunnyside Campus Building 3 Level 1 Cnr f Rissik and Steve Bik Streets SUNNYSIDE Pretria, 0002 If we d nt receive a hard cpy f yur applicatin, the Suth African Selectin Panel will nt be in a psitin t cnsider yur applicatin. N late applicatins will be cnsidered. Page 4

5 5 Timeframe: Suth African nminatins t be submitted t the Agency (Universities Suth Africa) by Wednesday, 18 Nvember Applicatins are cnsidered by the Suth African Selectin Panel in the first week f December Nminatins by the nminating agency (Universities Suth Africa) t be submitted t the UK Schlarship Cmmissin by 17 December Institutins and individuals will be infrmed f the utcme f the first rund early January Applicatins are cnsidered by the UK Selectin Cmmittee in March The final utcme frm the UK is expected the end f April r early May If yu have any enquiries, please send an t Nndumis Ndnga at ss@universitiessa.ac.za Kind regards. JANA VAN WYK SENIOR MANAGER: CEO S OFFICE Page 5