Frequently Asked Questions about GKS

Happy New Year! Hooray! First of all, thank you everyone for creating traffic in my blog site and for bombarding me questions about the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) last year. Also, I would like to apologize for not being able to reply immediately to your comments due to my busy schedule.

So, you want to be a KGSP scholar? Are you sure about it? What made you decide? Oh come on, don’t ever tell the interviewers that you’re applying because you love Lee Min Ho and that you know how to dance Oppa Gangnam Style! 😉

What is KGSP?

The Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is a scholarship offered by the Korean Government to international students who would like to pursue an Undergraduate, Masters, or PhD in South Korea. 

Since I have been receiving a lot of messages and comments asking about this program, I decided to compile a list of Q&As you can’t find tons of information in Google .

FYI: When we got the scholarship, nobody told us the reasons how we got in. Therefore, I cannot answer all of your questions nor give you a  guarantee that you’ll get this scholarship even if you religiously read this blog.

1. I have zero knowledge of the Korean Language. Do I still have a chance to get this scholarship?

During our batch (2012), almost 80% of the students had no knowledge of the Korean Language. You don’t have to fret because these people were able to pass the TOPIK level 3 after the language training program. Of course, don’t expect to be fluent right away. Learning a language to pass a test is entirely different from learning a language to communicate properly.

2. Should I translate my documents in English or in Korean?

If you are from a native English speaking country (Philippines is excluded) and your documents are originally written in English, then it is okay. All you have to do is to have it stamped with an apostille.

It is highly suggested that you have your documents translated in Korean just to avoid any hassle when dealing with the immigration or other offices here in Korea. Make sure that those documents are signed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, or your Embassy in your country, and the translator to acknowledge its legitimacy. And, yeah, apostille.

3. Which schools are the Language Training Sites?

This varies every year. During our time, there were only 4 universities that accommodated all scholars for the language training. Then, last year, it became seven. This year, I have no idea. This is the last thing that you will know because only those who passed the medical exam will be assigned to these schools. Unfortunately, they don’t inform us which schools are they.

4. Can I transfer to a different university for the language training program?

No. No matter how much you dislike the university where you will be assigned, you will never be allowed to move to a different language school. My tip? Enjoy the company of your friends and study with them. You can ask those who know Korean very well already if you think that the teacher is not helping you at all. Think positively!

5. Accommodation? Food? Books?

You will have to deduct this from your scholarship allowance. You can choose wherever you would want to live but I suggest that you stay in the dorm if you are not yet familiar with Korea. You can also opt to eat meals in the dorm cafeteria or eat out. Your money, your call. Spend wisely 😉

That’s it for now.

If you have more questions just comment below. But please refrain from asking how should I apply for this scholarship, what do they ask during the interview, how do i write my study plan, is the scholarship enough or even about the undergraduate/PhD program? These questions are already explained in the official website of NIIED.The answers may vary for every person or it is private haha. If I have to leave any tip, that would be – read and do as many research as possible about this program.

Thank you and good luck!

Annyeong!~