Scholarships

Eligibility / Who is eligible?

Master’s degree programs

You are eligible for a DISP Master’s degree scholarship if you:

Are from Myanmar.
Are residing in Myanmar or one of the bordering areas.
Have a bachelor’s degree with good academic achievement.
Have at least one-two years of full-time professional work experience, or equivalent volunteer service in a professional setting.
Preference will be given to applicants under the age of 40.

You are not eligible to apply for a DISP Master’s degree scholarship if you:

Hold a citizenship other than Myanmar.
Live in a country other than Myanmar or one of its neighboring countries.
Have earned a master’s degree from any country other than Myanmar.
Have not met the minimum 1 year of full-time professional work/volunteer experience requirement for the scholarship before submitting the application.
Are an employee of USAID or other U.S. Government (USG) agencies or an immediate family member of USAID or USG employees, including Personal Services Contracts (PSC) and interagency agreements with USAID.

Bachelor’s degree programs

You are eligible for a DISP Bachelor’s degree scholarship if you:

Are from Myanmar.
Are residing in Myanmar or one of the bordering areas.
Are 40 years of age or younger.
Have at least the equivalent of a high school diploma with good academic achievement, plus one year of university education OR
Have a minimum GED score of 145 in each category.
Have at least one year of full-time professional work experience or community service/volunteer work.

You are not eligible to apply for a DISP Bachelor’s degree scholarship if you:

Hold a citizenship other than Myanmar.
Live in a country other than Myanmar or one of its neighboring countries.
Are 41 years of age or older.
Have earned a bachelor’s degree from any country other than Myanmar.
Have not met the minimum one year of full-time professional work experience or community service/volunteer work for the scholarship before submitting the application.
Are an employee of USAID or other U.S. Government (USG) agencies or an immediate family member of USAID or USG employees, including Personal Services Contracts (PSC) and interagency agreements with USAID.

Certificate and diploma courses

You are eligible for a DISP certificate/diploma scholarship if you:

Are from Myanmar
Are residing in Myanmar or one of the bordering areas.
Meet the admissions criteria of the desired course. More information can be found here.
Preference will be given to candidates aged 40 or younger.

You are not eligible to apply for a DISP certificate/diploma scholarship if you:

Hold a citizenship other than Myanmar.
Live in a country other than Myanmar or one of its neighboring countries.
Cannot meet the admissions criteria.

Selection criteria

All applications are checked against the eligibility criteria, language skills, and assessment of the essays and recommendation letters as follows:

Clear leadership/community development goals in fields relevant to Myanmar/Burma’s sustainable and inclusive development.
Demonstrated leadership and contribution to the community and/or employer through community engagement, volunteerism, work performance, and personal involvement.
Commitment to return to Myanmar/Burma (or home community if from bordering areas) at the end of their program.

Clear evaluation rubric for essays, recommendation letters and interviews will be developed to ensure equal treatment of applicants. Interview panelists will also be trained in overcoming bias to ensure inclusivity.