Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program
Scholarships for Higher Education
The USAID-funded Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program is pleased to announce open
recruitment for Timorese candidates to study:
Associates Degrees in the United States
Starting in August 2014
Fields of Study for 2014 include:
Accounting, Agriculture, Agribusiness, Business
Administration, Food Processing & Technology, and Machine Repair.
FOR CONSIDERATION IN 2014,
COMPLETE APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 28, 2014
Hillary Clinton Scholarships
The overall purpose of the Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program is to increase the base of skilled,
high-performing professionals in Timor-Leste to contribute to the country’s economic and social
development; Clinton Scholarships will include degree-seeking opportunities with the
expectation that the participants return home better equipped with formal qualifications as
managers, subject matter specialists and/or entrepreneurs, and be knowledge resources in the
workplace.
Hillary Clinton Scholarships expects to:
 Address the critical human capacity needs and gaps in Timor-Leste;
 Provide Timor-Leste with a pool of individuals whose increased knowledge and skills can
advance the country’s social and economic development;
 Foster increased English language proficiency for scholarship recipients
 Increase understanding of the United States among a socially and economically diverse
group of Timor-Leste youth and young professionals.
Hillary Clinton Scholarships are awarded through an open, transparent recruitment and
selection process to qualified candidates, considering individual skills and knowledge,
leadership potential, gender and geographic diversity.
DEGREE PROGRAMS for 2014
Scholarships will be awarded for study in United States community colleges to academically
talented and qualified Timorese students from diverse geographic regions in Timor-Leste.
Students receiving scholarships in 2014 may pursue a two-year Associates degree in the United
States in the fields listed below.
Fields of Study:
Accounting
Agribusiness
Agriculture
Business Administration
Food Processing & Technology
Machine Repair
The Hillary Clinton Scholarship Placement Division will develop an individual placement plan for
each scholarship student, based on her or her degree goal, stated objectives and academic
portfolio (coursework, grades, English scores, etc.)
Associates Degrees
Associate Degrees are academic degrees, offered in community colleges in the United States.
Community colleges generally offer the full range of program offerings that one might find at a
four-year university but have an applied focus, with attention to preparing students for the
workforce.
Community colleges are centers of educational opportunity, inclusive institutions that welcome
all who desire to learn, regardless of wealth, heritage, or previous academic experience. The
process of making higher education available to the maximum number of people continues to
evolve at 1,167 public and independent community colleges. When the branch campuses of
community colleges are included, the number totals about 1,600. Community colleges are a
vital part of the postsecondary education delivery system in the United States. They serve
almost half of the undergraduate students in the U. S., providing open access to postsecondary
education, providing workforce development and skills training.
Eligibility criteria:
1. Timor-Leste citizenship and proof of residency in Timor-Leste for at least the past two years.
2. Minimum of 18 years old at the time scholarship begins.
3. Good English language skills. Combined ‘International English Language Testing System’
(IELTS) score of at least 5.5, or TOEFL equivalent at the start of the academic year. (See
additional information below.)
4. High school graduate certificate (ijazah) with a final average of at least 7.5.
5. Satisfactory grades in prerequisite coursework depending on field of study.
6. Recipients of other scholarships to the United States must prove residency and employment
in Timor-Leste for at least two years after the completion of their previous scholarships
before they are eligible for Hillary Clinton Scholarships.
7. Candidates must meet United States requirements for international student visas, including
health and background check requisites, are expected to contribute to the scholarly
exchange of information between the U.S. and Timor-Leste and are required to return to
Timor-Leste following their studies for a period of at least two years.
8. Employees of the Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program, the US Embassy, USAID and their
immediate family members1 are not eligible for scholarships.
9. Individuals employed under USAID contracts or sub-contracts, or under competitively
awarded grants, cooperative agreements or sub-grants, are not eligible for scholarships.
Required Application Documentation
1. Completed application form
2. Proof of Timor-Leste citizenship
3. High school certificate (Ijazah)
4. Academic transcripts
5. Two letters of recommendation (example:
leaders)
from teachers, supervisors, community
6. Completion of two essays in English. See Application for more details.
7. Certified English translations of all documents must be submitted.
8. Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume (optional)
“Immediate family members” is defined as spouse and children, or other family members that live in the
household.
1
Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program Selection Process
The Participant Selection Committee will review all eligible applications and a short list will
be developed based on academic qualifications, career goals and related eligibility criteria.
The short-listed candidates will be contacted and scheduled for personal interviews and
for IELTS testing.
IELTS, English and Foundations Preparatory Courses
Academically qualified candidates who do not have a prior IELTS test score will be required
to attend an IELTS preparation course in Dili before sitting for the exam. Hillary Clinton
Scholarships will cover the matriculation costs.
Those scoring less than 5.5 on the IELTS but still deemed academically qualified may be
given an opportunity to study English in Timor-Leste and/or in the United States,
depending on the individual circumstances.
Short-listed candidates may be required to attend Foundations courses prior to their final
candidacy. Course topics may include such topics as academic reading and writing, math,
science, problem solving, American culture, test taking, and information technology. Hillary
Clinton Scholarships will assess the required time for candidates once applications are received
and reviewed.
Please Submit Completed Applications to ONE of the following:
1) Scanned documents should be emailed to: hillaryclintonscholarships@gmail.com
or
2) Hard copies of applications should be placed in a sealed envelope, addressed to the
Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program and delivered to the Dili Post Office Box #004, Dili,
Timor-Leste.
FOR CONSIDERATION IN 2014,
COMPLETE APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 28, 2014