Educational Exchange
Important Notes on Embassy-sponsored Grant Programs
(Information Resources, Examinations, Application Deadlines, Medical Exams and Insurance, Families, Visa terms.)
Applications and Deadlines: Applicants must fill out all required application materials, following directions given. Specific inquiries regarding application forms may be directed to the Cultural Affairs Assistant office at the American Center, but please note that this office will not assist applicants in completing substantive (essay or study plan) portions of their applications. Application deadlines given on this site are firm. No applications will be considered after deadline, and applications which are incomplete or lacking required supporting documents will not be accepted.
Medical Examination and Insurance: All applicants for embassy-sponsored scholarship and fellowship programs are required to undergo a complete physical examination as part of the application process. Grantees who pass this examination will receive medical insurance coverage for the duration of their program in the United States. As the Embassy Public Affairs Section cannot accept responsibility for medical expenses that may be incurred by grantees while in the United States, applicants who are found to have serious chronic ailments will not be considered for embassy-sponsored scholarships or fellowships.
Families: Embassy-sponsored grants provide a stipend which is adequate to maintain an individual grantee during his or her studies -- this stipend is not sufficient to cater for accompanying dependents and will not be increased to provide for them. Grantees who wish to have their families join them in the United States must provide proof of sufficient means to maintain all accompanying family members for the duration of the grant program, as well as to purchase medical insurance for all family members. This insurance currently costs approximately US$100/month per person.
Visa Terms: Embassy-sponsored scholarship or fellowship recipients travel to the United States with a special "Exchange Visitor" (J-1) visa. Applicants for these programs must sign an agreement to abide by the terms of the J visa, including a stipulation that grantees must promptly return to Zambia following the completion of their grant program and are prohibited from applying for U.S. immigrant visas or nonimmigrant worker or trainee visas for two years following their return to Zambia. Future applications for tourist or business visas to the United States are not affected by signing the agreement. Time spent in the United States after termination of the program will not count towards completion of the two-year return period.
Test Exams:
Virtually all U.S. colleges and universities require the results of one or more standardized examinations for admission to undergraduate, graduate or non-degree programs. Most applicants are expected to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and forward the scores to their chosen or assigned institutions at the earliest possible date.
Graduate-level business school applicants must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and most other graduate-level applicants must take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).
The American Center maintains a limited supply of application bulletins which are available upon request. No charge will be assessed for standardized examinations to bona fide applicants for embassy-sponsored grant programs. All others must pay applicable fees to the Educational Testing Service.