STUDY SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED UNDER THE COMPATRIOTS PROGRAMME

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The aim of the scholarships offered by the Compatriots Programme is to support the studies of young expatriate Estonians in Estonia’s public universities, national institutions of applied higher education and vocational education centres. Applications for scholarships are invited from young expatriate Estonians who have not resided in Estonia on a permanent basis at least during the last 10 years and who possess a secondary or higher education. Those students, who have studied in Estonia for less than 1 year and meet other requirements, can apply for scholarship in exclusive cases.

The programme will support successful applicants who wish to enrol for curricula taught in the Estonian language. If an applicant’s command of the Estonian language is insufficient to successfully cope with learning in that language, the applicant can request a grant to support his/her participation in an intensive Estonian language course prior to engaging in substantive studies under the curriculum chosen. The Compatriots Programme cannot support studies in languages other than Estonian.

The Statute of Scholarships of the Compatriots Programme has been adopted by the Council of the Compatriots Programme, which has been appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Estonia. The Council is entitled to amend the Statute as and when necessary. The Archimedes Foundation has been selected as the administrative and advisory body to implement the programme. Funds for scholarships to successful applicants will be allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research. The Ministry of Education and Research has the right to make decisions in current questions (for example to take academic leave, to prolong the nominal term of study and etc) in case the financial obligations caused by decisions do not exceed 3196 euros.

SCHOLARSHIP

Successful applicants will be awarded a scholarship until the completion of the selected programme of studies in the chosen speciality. The scholarship includes tuition fees, a residence and subsistence allowance, a travel allowance, health insurance premiums and the stamp duty payable on the recipient’s residence permit. To remain eligible for the scholarship, the recipient must actively pursue his/her studies and must have completed at least 75% of the coursework required by the curriculum by the end of each year of studies. The scholarship will not cover any periods of academic leave or extension of studies.

The monthly residence and subsistence allowance allocated to scholarship recipients pursuing vocational or higher vocational studies is 224 euros, to Bachelor’s students 256 euros and to Master’s students 288 euros. In general, the scholarship will be paid out in two instalments, each covering a period of 5 months. The first five-month instalment will be paid to recipients in September and the second in February, after the recipient presents a transcript of his/her academic record for the autumn semester. The Foundation will only proceed to pay out the second instalment if the recipient has fulfilled his/her duties (submitted the required reports, shown due progress in his/her studies, etc.). In order for scholarship funds to be released, the recipient must conclude a scholarship agreement with the receiving educational institution and the Foundation. The scholarship is exempt from income tax under Estonian legislation.

In addition to their initial residence and subsistence allowance, first-year scholarship recipients will also receive a 128 euros settling-in allowance paid out in cash upon their arrival. The settling-in allowance will help recipients cover incidental costs incurred in moving to their place of residence in Estonia (deposits towards accommodation at a student residence, application fees for a student card, a library card and an ID card, etc.) and to cope with basic everyday needs during their first weeks in Estonia until scholarship funds are transferred to their bank account. The settling-in allowance is also intended to provide a cushion against the extra costs inevitably involved in moving residence.

The scholarship recipients are entitled to a travel allowance that covers up to two return trips home per year. The travel allowance will be paid out in the amount established in the scholarship agreement regardless of the actual cost of travel. The allowance will generally be paid to the scholarship recipient when he/she has actually travelled home and returned. In order to prove having made the trip the recipient must submit to the receiving educational institution the original travel tickets. Where necessary, the scholarship will also cover the cost of the recipient’s health insurance and the stamp duty on the residence permit.

Twice a year the Foundation will make direct payments to the scholarship recipient’s educational institution to cover his/her tuition fees. Tuition fees to higher education institutions will be paid pursuant to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations regarding the base cost of state-funded student places as multiplied by the corrective coefficients applicable in relevant fields of study. Tuition fees to vocational education institutions will be paid pursuant to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations regarding the cost of student places at vocational education institutions as multiplied by the corrective coefficients applicable in relevant fields of study and to relevant types of study. Any payments due from the recipient to the educational institution will be made by the Foundation Archimedes.

Scholarship recipients who enrol for the one-year intensive course of Estonian prior to commencing their desired programme of studies will receive a scholarship on the same basis as they would during those studies. 

DEADLINE

The Council of the Compatriots Programme considers applications for scholarships once a year. The applications must be received at the Foundation Archimedes by April 15th at the latest. The Council will not consider any applications received after this deadline.  

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must submit to the Council the following documents (either in Estonian, English or Russian): 

•  the application (application form);
• a curriculum vitae;
• a copy of the document certifying the applicant’s completion of a secondary education, or where this is not available, a transcript of scholarly record for the final year of secondary school and a copy of the report for the preceding year. Candidates wishing to enrol for Master’s studies must submit a copy of the document certifying completion of a higher education (diploma) and  transcripts of records;
• a copy of the passport page stating the applicant’s personal particulars;
• a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate;
• 1 photo (4x5 cm);
• 2 letters of reference (where possible, these should be from the local association of Estonians, members of the local Estonian community, the applicant’s teacher of Estonian or of some other subject).

The scholarship application must be posted to the following address:

Scholarships of the Compatriots Programme
Foundation Archimedes
Centre for Higher Education development
Koidula 13a
10125 Tallinn
Estonia

The Council advises applicants who need to obtain a passport in their home country in order to travel to Estonia to start their studies to file a passport application at the same time that they submit their application for the scholarship. Otherwise the applicant may not be able to obtain the passport and the residence permit by the time the academic year commences.

The Council has the right to disqualify applicants whose documents do not meet the requirements, include false information or arrive after the established deadline. Application documents will not be returned to applicants.

ADMISSION

The Council’s decision to award a scholarship to an applicant does not automatically secure that applicant a place at the educational institution of his/her choice. Once the scholarship has been awarded, the applicant must submit further documents to the Foundation Archimedes, to be examined by the Academic Recognition Information Centre and the admission boards of the relevant educational institution. The applicant must pass admission examinations or an admission audition (or other form of assessment of his/her creative work) or  Estonian language exam, if the educational institution so requires. If admission examinations are not passed, the scholarship recipient loses the scholarship.
 Applicants must, in any event, pass regular admission exams or auditions for studies pursuant to the following curricula:

- Tallinn University: Estonian Philology, English Philology, Public Administration, Recreation Management;
- University of Tartu: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy;
- Estonian Academy of Arts: all curricula;
- Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre: all curricula.

If the applicant meets the admission requirements established by the educational institution, he/she will be matriculated to an independently funded student place. Once the educational institution has matriculated the applicant and assigned him/her to a curriculum, the applicant may not transfer to another curriculum.

Scholarship recipients are entitled to apply for a follow-up scholarship for Bachelor’s or Master’s studies. Recipients seeking a follow-up scholarship must submit a corresponding application to the Foundation Archimedes according to established procedures and by the relevant deadline.

PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION

Scholarship awards are decided by the Council of the Programme, which is chaired by the Minister of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia. In deciding awards of scholarships, regard shall be had to:

• the motivation of the applicant;
• the applicant’s scholarly record in his/her previous studies;
• the Estonian language proficiency of the applicant;
• the applicant’s civic involvement;
• the distribution of scholarships among applicants from different geographical areas;
• the cost of a student place.

Scholarships will be awarded to at least five new recipients. Subject to budgetary constraints, the Council has the right to increase the number of scholarships. In the case that there are no applicants who meet the requirements the Council may refuse to award any scholarships. The language skills could be checked in interview with the applicant.

OBLIGATIONS OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

By the established date the scholarship recipient must by e-mail or letter confirm his/her intention to come to study in Estonia. In the case that the recipient has not confirmed the intention to study in Estonia by the established deadline, the scholarship will be reassigned to the next-ranking applicant.

As a rule, the scholarship recipient must arrive in Estonia by the beginning of the academic year, but no later than October 1. Should the recipient not arrive by the established deadline, the Council has the right to reconsider the award of the scholarship.

By accepting the scholarship the recipient assumes the responsibility to begin and complete the course of studies in his/her chosen speciality at a chosen educational institution within the standard period of study. If the recipient breaks off his/her studies or is removed from the roll of regular students for a reason other than completion of the curriculum or health, personal or other circumstances beyond his/her control, the Council has the right to require the recipient to repay a part or all of the residence and subsistence allowances as well as of tuition fees paid by the Foundation Archimedes to or on behalf of that recipient over the period of studies.

The scholarship recipient must at the end of each semester submit to the Foundation a transcript of his/her academic record. If the recipient’s academic progress is poor, the Council is entitled to terminate payment of scholarship funds and to stop funding the recipient’s student place. The recipient must notify the Foundation of taking an academic leave, of breaking off studies and of other circumstances preventing the completion of studies within the standard period of studies. In the case that a scholarship recipient has received scholarship payments in respect of a period of time during which he/she did not do any coursework, the recipient must return those payments.

In the relevant documents and speeches, scholarship recipients are required to refer to the Ministry of Education and Research and the Foundation Archimedes as the sponsors of their studies.

REPORTING

Scholarship recipients will submit to the Foundation a transcript of their academic record by deadlines of each year. For reimbursement of travel, residence permit, health insurance and other expenses, the recipients must submit the following documents:
- a report (form);
- original travel tickets and (where necessary) the relevant invoices;
- original invoices for other expenses (residence permit, health insurance policy, etc.).
In order to receive an advance payment (for travel, residence permit, health insurance), a corresponding application must be submitted.

CONTACT

The contact person in relation to the scholarships of the Compatriots Programme at the Foundation Archimedes is Ms Sandra Kamilova(sandra.kamilova@archimedes.ee, phone +372 7300809).