How to apply and receive the KGSP Scholarship(Graduate)Part 3
I am back with the third installment of my “How to apply and receive the KGSP Scholarship” guide. If this is the first story of the guide that you have encountered, you may read part 1 and part 2 and come back to this one later as they are sequential. In this section, I will explain what needs to be done after the official announcement of the scholarship results and how to prepare for moving to South Korea.
From where I left off last in the previous part; based on the results of your medical and acceptance by at least one university (embassy track), you may await the results on the noticeboard around June/July of the year of application. If your name is there, CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully received the Global Korean Scholarship (KGSP).
And now the hectic rush begins!
Visa Application:
After the final notice, you will have to wait a few weeks before NIIED sends you your official invitation letter. You will need:
(a)NIIED Invitation Letter
(b) Visa Application Form (From the website of the Korean Embassy in your country.)
(c) Acceptance Letter from your University (if applying for D-2, not D-4 which I will explain below.)
(d) Your latest degree certificate
(e) Passport
(f) Additional required embassy documents (They differ per embassy, in my case I had to submit additional passport photos only.)
Before completing the Visa Application Form, take note of which visa type you will need:
D-4 : If you are starting the program with the language school.
D-2: If you are going directly to university without the language school. (You submitted TOPIK 5 or 6 when applying for KGSP.)
NIIED will send out a letter to all embassies for their assistance in processing visas for KGSP (also waiving the fee), so you will then need to contact your Korean embassy about scheduled appointment dates where you will submit in person all the required documents and possibly receive your visa the same or next day.
I received mine on the same day and was also treated to meeting the Korean Ambassador and lunch at a Korean Restaurant with embassy staff. I also got a little segment in the local newspapers, haha.
Flight Tickets:
NIIED will provide you with a free one-way e-ticket to South Korea via Korean Air or Asiana Airlines. If these carriers do not have flights from your country, you may buy the ticket yourself and get reimbursed later or transit through another country that has direct flights to South Korea through Korean Air or Asiana Airlines.
You will be given a flight form to fill out so that NIIED may purchase the ticket for you, or reimburse you if you bought your ticket yourself.
You need to enter South Korea by a certain date, usually the 3rd-4th week in August of the year of application.
Keep checking your inbox for an e-ticket from Korean Air or Asiana Airlines as the weeks go by (Make sure to keep checking your spam folders as well.)
During this time, if you are in need to transit visas (for example; transiting through the US or Canada if you are from South America or the Caribbean), apply for them at the relevant embassies using the same documents (except application form)for the Korean visa, along with the application form of that specific embassy, their required documents and fees.
After getting all your travel documents settled, you can focus on preparing for the move to South Korea.
Preparations for the Move:
◦ Take at least $500 USD with you to survive the first month in South Korea. The reason for this is, even though you will receive living allowance and settlement allowance, you still need a Korean Bank account to receive it, this will take some time, so ensure that you have money to buy food (fruit is expensive!) and the things you may need until you get a bank account and can start receiving your allowance.
◦ Take some seasonings and food that you like.
Food in Korea might be quite different to the food you like at home. There are less salty foods and more sweet food. (yes, even garlic bread is sweet, beware!)
◦ If you are from a tropical country, take warmer clothes as well.
Korea has four seasons and they switch drastically! You can be enjoying the heat of summer one week and the next week it’s 19 degrees C! Prepare the necessary clothes, especially if you are worried that there won’t be bigger sizes for you when you get to South Korea.
◦ Unlock your cellphone before you leave.
You won’t be able to get a Korean sim card/contract without your Alien Registration Card (Korean ID) but when you do get it, you can use your Korean sim card in your previous phone. Contrary to popular belief, electronics are NOT cheap in South Korea and a new phone of the latest version could easily be over $1000 USD.
◦ Prepare for the culture shock.
If you come from a largely multicultural country as myself, you will need to prepare yourself for being a minority(provided that you are not of East-Asian Descent who can easily blend in). Prepare for stares and chatter about you, people attempting to touch you etc. I’d like to tell you that it gets easier as the years go by but that would be a lie.
Spend time with your family and friends as you await your upcoming flight date. Read up on South Korea. Learn some Korean and make the most out of your relatively easy time before the hectic life begins.
This concludes part three of “How to apply and receive the KGSP Scholarship(Graduate)”. In part four, I will explain what happens when you arrive, settling in, NIIED Orientation, applying for your Korean ID, Bank account etc.
Thank you so much for reading and I’m glad if you have made it this far! Share with your friends if this has helped you and feel free to ask more questions in the comments sections.
