GKS or Global Korean Scholarship is the most sought-after full Scholarship program for international students. In this GKS Short Guide, we will review all you have to know bout the scholarship, in a nutshell.
Introduction to GKS
February-March and August-September is the hottest time of the year for students hoping to come to Korea on a scholarship. Here in Korea, the biggest is GKS. This program allows successful applicants to get a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree at universities in Korea for free. We prepared a GKS short guide for those who want to apply.
Besides tuition fees, all scholars receive a 1,000,000 KRW scholarship each month to cover living expenses. If your Korean level is lower than TOPIK 5, it is mandatory to enroll in a Korean language course at your university. Plus, the government will cover your flight expenses and health insurance.
No wonder so many students race after this scholarship! To succeed, you have to be an excellent student, and of course, collect and prepare all needed documents (which is truly a lot). The application guidelines are really difficult to adhere to especially in the early stages.
As the application period for Master’s and Ph.D. is close, maybe this article will give you a hand in preparation for the program.
Below you will find step by step SHORT ‘To Do List’ with all the needed information. But first, check the eligibility for the countries by Clicking Here. And make sure that your CGP of your previous degree is not lower than 80%.
TO DO LIST FOR GKS:
Documents
- Application form
- DIploma
- Diploma transcript
- Certificate of Birth
- Passport copy of parents (if in the certificate of birth the citizenship is not mentioned)
- Passport copy
- Two recommendation letters from previous University
- Motivation letter
- Study plan
- Language study plan
- Agreement form
- Pre physical examination list
All these documents have to be submitted either in English or Korean language + the copies of translations have to be apostilled. This is a new requirement for this year. Take note, the apostille process usually takes more time than regular notarization. You should prepare at least a few weeks or a month in advance.
Now, when all the documents are set, let’s move to the second step.
Tracks for Applying
There are two methods (tracks) you can choose to apply for a program: Embassy track and University track.
Major difference
For the embassy track, you can choose three universities but for the university track, you can choose only one university that you are applying to. Each country has a different quota for the number of students.
There are pros and cons of each track, so you need to determine for yourself which method is best for you. For the country track, you will be competing for the scholarship from others of the same nationality as you. For the university track, however, you will compete with people from all over the world who would like to attend the same university.
Essays
The most important part of your application is the Motivation letter and Study Plan. These will be the main parts of your application that will determine your success. In both, you should explain how what you would like to study would benefit both the university and Korea as a whole.
In the Motivation letter, you will let reviews know why you would like to study in Korea. You should highlight what connected you to this country, and to your major.
In your Study Plan, you should highlight what subjects you will study, and how it’ll help you in your research work. Additionally, you should include a short description of your plans after studying, including the country where you want to continue your career.
Conclusion
Now you are aware of the most important things you need to know before the application period. Be sure to check on the website from time to time and wait until the Guidelines for the next application period are released. Each year they change slightly.
I hope this GKS Short guide will help you, so go ahead and apply! Good Luck!
If GKS isn’t for you, there are tons of other scholarships available. Click Here to read about the Geumgang University Korean language scholarship.
