Ministry of Education Republic of China (Taiwan) - Taiwan Scholarship Program: Graduiertenförderung

What the Taiwan Scholarship gives you

If you are studying for a Master’s or PhD in Taiwan, you will receive a monthly living allowance of NTD 20,000 (about 605 EUR). In addition, the Ministry of Education (Taiwan) will cover your tuition fees and associated costs up to a total of 40,000 NTD (approximately 1,210 EUR) per semester. You will be required to pay any costs exceeding this amount yourself. The funding lasts for 2 years for a Master’s programme and 4 years for a PhD programme, but for no longer than 5 years in total for all Taiwan scholarships combined. The scholarship year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Flights, health insurance, accommodation, administrative fees and the fees for the examination of your dissertation are not covered.

Who can apply

• Degree: You must hold a bachelor’s degree to enrol on a master’s programme, or a master’s degree to enrol on a doctoral programme.
• Where you study: You are studying at a university or college in Taiwan. You must not already be enrolled there, unless you are graduating this year and progressing to a higher-level course.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: Open to all foreign nationals. You are not eligible to apply if you are a national of mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, or if you hold a permanent residence permit for Taiwan or have the status of an overseas Chinese.
• Grades: You must have an excellent academic record. A grade point average of 3.5/4.5 or higher is recommended.
• Clean record: You have no previous convictions.
• No double funding: You are not currently receiving any other scholarship from the Taiwanese Government, and you have never had a Taiwan or Huayu scholarship withdrawn. Furthermore, you have not yet obtained a qualification at the same level in Taiwan.
• Chinese language: For degree programmes that are not taught entirely in English, you will need a TOCFL certificate at level 3 or above (TOCFL is the official test for assessing Chinese language proficiency). For degree programmes taught entirely in English, this is optional; however, applicants with a TOCFL certificate at Level 4 or higher will be given preference.

How to apply

You apply to your local Taiwan representative office (ROC overseas mission). Separately, you apply directly to a university in Taiwan for admission. The application window typically runs from 1 February to 31 March, though it varies by office, so check yours. The office then holds an interview, in person or by video, and you hear the result by 31 May.

How realistic are your chances?

The scholarship is open to students from almost all disciplines and most nationalities, meaning that the pool of applicants is diverse and competition is fierce. Good grades are more of a basic requirement than a decisive factor. A grade point average close to 3.5/4.5 and a TOCFL certificate will significantly strengthen your application, and for English-taught degree programmes, a TOCFL certificate can be the deciding factor. Apply early and, at the same time, make sure you’ve applied for admission to the university, as you’ll need to provide proof that you’ve applied for a place.