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Glossary

Scholarship Glossary

Plain-language definitions for the scholarship and study-abroad terms you'll see across applications. Each entry is linkable — share a definition by copying its anchor URL.

A

Acceptance Rate
The percentage of applicants who are offered a scholarship. Top fully-funded programs (Chevening, Fulbright, Erasmus Mundus) have acceptance rates between 1% and 5%.

B

Bond / Service Obligation
A contractual requirement to return to your home country or work for a specific employer for X years after the scholarship ends. Common in government-funded programs (DAAD development scholarships, Australia Awards).

C

CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
The UK university enrolment confirmation number you need to apply for a Student visa. Issued after you accept your offer and meet conditions.
Conditional Offer
An admission offer that becomes final only after you meet specific conditions — typically reaching a minimum IELTS/TOEFL score or completing your current degree.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
The total estimated yearly cost of a degree program — tuition + living expenses + books + insurance. US universities publish their COA publicly.

D

Deferred Admission
Permission to start your studies one year later than originally offered. Some scholarships allow deferral, some don't — always confirm in writing before declining current-year acceptance.
Duolingo English Test (DET)
A cheaper, faster online alternative to IELTS/TOEFL. Accepted by most US, UK, Canadian, and European universities. Typical scholarship minimum: 110–125.

E

Enrolment Letter
University-issued confirmation that you are a registered student, used for visa, scholarship disbursement, and rental agreements.
Erasmus Mundus
EU-funded fully-funded master's scholarship that lets you study at 2+ European universities in one program. Highly competitive, ~3% acceptance rate.

F

Fellowship
A funded research or professional position, usually at the graduate or postdoctoral level. Often includes a stipend, research budget, and institutional affiliation.
Financial Aid
Umbrella term for any funding that reduces your study costs — scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, or institutional discounts. Not all financial aid is gift money.
Fully Funded
A scholarship that covers tuition + living stipend + health insurance + at least one round-trip flight. Definitions vary by program — always check what is actually included.

G

GPA Conversion
Translating your grades from one system to another (e.g., 4.0 GPA, 70% UK first-class honours, German 1.0–1.5). Universities use third-party services like WES or ECTS for conversion.
GRE / GMAT
Standardized tests required by many US graduate programs (GRE) and business schools (GMAT). Many universities waived these requirements after 2020 — check current policy.

I

I-20
The US university enrolment document you use to apply for an F-1 student visa. Issued after you accept admission and submit proof of funding.
IELTS
International English Language Testing System. Most common English proficiency test for UK, Australia, Canada, and Europe. Scholarship-level minimum: 6.5–7.0.

L

Letter of Intent
A short statement (1–2 pages) explaining why you want a specific program. Less detailed than a motivation letter, often used for PhD applications.
Living Stipend
Monthly cash allowance for living expenses (rent, food, transport, books). Stipends vary by city — DAAD pays €992/month, Chevening pays £1,400+/month in London.

M

Motivation Letter
A 500–1,000-word essay explaining why you want this scholarship and how it fits your career. Also called Statement of Purpose (US) or Personal Statement (UK).

N

Need-Based
A scholarship awarded based on financial circumstances rather than only academic merit. Requires income documentation, family financial declarations.
Need-Blind
An admission policy where the university does not consider your ability to pay when deciding admission. Rare and prestigious (Harvard, MIT, Princeton offer it to international students).

P

Partially Funded
A scholarship that covers some but not all costs — typically tuition only, or a fixed annual sum that does not cover full living expenses.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
A funded research position for scholars who have already completed a PhD. Usually 1–3 years, includes salary and research budget.

R

Recommendation Letter (LOR)
A reference letter from a professor, supervisor, or employer testifying to your abilities. Most scholarships require 2–3. Strong letters are specific, not generic.
Research Proposal
A 2,000–5,000-word document outlining your proposed PhD research — question, methodology, timeline, and expected contribution. Required for most PhD scholarships.
Rolling Admission
An admission process with no fixed deadline. Applications are reviewed and decided as they arrive, typically within weeks. Apply early — funding fills up.

S

Self-Funded
A student paying their own tuition and living costs, not on scholarship. Many universities reserve a portion of admissions for self-funded students — sometimes easier to get in this way.
Settling-In Allowance
A one-time payment at the start of a scholarship to cover initial costs (deposit, kitchen items, winter clothes). Common in Chevening (£1,000+) and Australia Awards.
Sponsoring Body
The organization that funds and administers a scholarship. Could be a government (DAAD, Chevening Trust), a university, a private foundation (Gates, Aga Khan), or an employer.
Statement of Purpose (SOP)
Same as a motivation letter — a personal essay explaining your goals and fit for a program. Common term in US applications.

T

TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language. Required by most US universities. Internet-based (iBT) version is standard. Scholarship-level minimum: 90–100.
Tuition Fees
The cost of instruction charged by a university, separate from living expenses. International tuition is typically 2–4× domestic tuition (US: $25k–$60k, UK: £15k–£35k, Germany: free at public universities).

V

Visa Sponsorship
A document or letter from your university or scholarship body confirming you have permission to study, used by the embassy when issuing your student visa.

W

WES Evaluation
A third-party credential evaluation that converts your foreign transcripts and degrees into US-equivalent grades and academic levels. Required by many US universities. Costs ~$160.