Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to World Bank Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

The World Bank Scholarships Program is a prestigious opportunity for students from developing countries. It aims to empower future leaders by providing financial support to those committed to the development of their home countries. Through the scholarship program, the World Bank invests in human capital, helping talented individuals contribute to the progress of their nations.

World Bank's Commitment to Education and Development

The World Bank is renowned for its commitment to global development, providing financial assistance and policy advice to promote economic growth and reduce poverty. It is an important component of the World Bank’s efforts to promote economic development and shared prosperity through investing in education, capacity building, and developing human resources in the developing world.

Since 1982, the DEC’s scholarship programs have helped to form a pool of over 7,000 well-trained and experienced development professionals and scholars, transforming their countries and positively impacting future generations.

Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP)

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) has opened applications for the academic cycle, offering fully funded scholarships to eligible candidates from developing countries pursuing master's degrees in development-related fields.

Since 1987, JJ/WBGSP has enabled more than 7,000 mid-career professionals from 160 developing countries and Japan to complete graduate degrees in development-related fields. On an annual basis, the Government of Japan solely funds the JJ/WBGSP.

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The scholarship is aimed at mid-career professionals who have demonstrated a commitment to their countries' social and economic development and are seeking advanced training in key development disciplines. The Program's objective is to help create an international community of highly trained professionals working in the field of economic and social development.

Starting in 1992, a number of Partnership Programs have been launched, largely to respond to the need for graduate study Programs which combine academic rigor with specialized training in the practical aspects of policy-making. The objective of these Programs is to prepare the participants for effective policy-making roles in their home countries and regions.

The World Bank administers the Program through the World Bank Institute (WBI). Policy guidance for the Program is provided by a Steering Committee comprised of three Executive Directors and five senior managers of the Bank. Since the inception of the Program, the Government of Japan has provided over 204,7 million dollars to the Scholarship Program.

Participating Programs

Eligible applicants must hold citizenship of a World Bank member developing country and demonstrate a proven record of professional engagement in development-related work. The JJ/WBGSP provides comprehensive financial support covering tuition fees, a monthly living stipend, return airfare, basic medical insurance, and a travel allowance for the duration of the study period (up to two years).

The JJ/WBGSP supports students admitted to participating master’s programmes offered by universities across the United States, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Japan. These programmes focus on priority development areas such as economic policy management, tax policy, infrastructure management, and other related disciplines.

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Candidates must note that only applicants admitted to one of the participating master's programmes are eligible. Those not admitted to these programmes cannot apply for the JJ/WBGSP scholarship. To be considered for a JJ/WBGSP scholarship, you must first apply and be unconditionally accepted for admissions to at least one of the Participating Programs.

Potential candidates are invited to reach out to the university offering the JJ/WBGSP participating master program they are targeting to find out if they meet these two requirements.

Application Timeline

To align with the academic calendars of participating universities, the application process is divided into two rounds:

Application Window 1: January 15 to February 27
Application Window 2: March 30 to May 29

Importantly, the JJ/WBGSP application link is not publicly available. It is shared only with candidates who are:

Unconditionally admitted (except for funding) to a participating master's programme, and
Shortlisted as eligible JJ/WBGSP applicants by the respective university.

Prospective applicants are advised to contact the university offering their targeted programme to confirm whether they meet these requirements.

Detailed Eligibility Criteria

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications.

Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:

Be a national of a World Bank member developing country
Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country
Be in good health
Hold a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date
Be employed in development-related work in a paid full-time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application. Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment since earning a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past 6 years from the date of the application deadline. Please see FAQs-Window 1 on how to count qualified part time employment toward this 3-year requirement. Please see Annex 2 of the Application Guidelines for a suggested list of development-related topics. The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that is on the list of Fragile and Conflict States featured in Annex 3 of the Application Guidelines. In such cases, we do take into consideration the limited employment opportunities in those countries.
On or before the scholarship application deadline date, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programs located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed at the time the call for scholarship applications opens. The letter of admission must be uploaded before submitting the scholarship application. For details, see “How to Apply”.
Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment of the World Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.
Individuals who have previously been offered a JJ/WBGSP scholarship but declined it, or have previously received a JJ/WBGSP scholarship but did not graduate, are not eligible to apply again.

Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. The eligibility conditions do not change during an open application cycle, though they may be revised between cycles.

Selection Process

The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from developing country nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact the development of their countries.

Each eligible application is reviewed independently by two assessors, who score candidates on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

Quality of professional experience (30% weight)
Quality of professional recommendations (30% weight)
Quality of commitment to your home country (30% weight)
Quality of education background (10% weight)

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application
Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

Final selection also considers geographical balance, gender representation, applicants facing hardship or limited financial access, and overall diversity. The shortlisted candidates are submitted to the JJ/WBGSP Steering Committee for final approval. Selected scholars are informed shortly after approval.

Scholarship Coverage

A JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance. The fellowship was established through a partnership between the Government of Japan and the World Bank to build human capacity in developing nations through postgraduate education.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship includes:

Full tuition fees
Basic medical insurance through the university
Monthly living allowance (varies by host country)
Round-trip economy airfare
US $600 travel allowance per trip

The scholarship covers the full duration of the programme or up to two years, whichever is shorter.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of your study program and immediately following the end of the scholarship period. In addition to the two-way air travel, scholars will receive a US $600 travel allowance for each trip;
Tuition for your graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

What is Not Covered?

Visa and resident permit fees
Family-related expenses
Language training outside the programme
Research costs, internships, field trips, or workshops
Educational equipment such as laptops
Additional travel during the study period

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

Visa application(s) costs
Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar's family members;
Extra-curricular courses or training;
Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
Language training not provided by the graduate program;
Additional travel during the course of the study program;
Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
Educational equipment such as computers.
Resident permit fee

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. Scholars must disclose any additional scholarships awarded.

Post-Study Commitment

After earning their degree, developing country scholars commit to return to their home country to use their new skills and contribute to their countries’ social and economic development.

After completing their studies, scholars are required to return to their home country and apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills toward national development initiatives.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

While the JJ/WBGSP is a prominent option, here are a few other scholarship opportunities to consider:

"Be Bold" Scholarship: This is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.
ScholarshipOwl: This platform provides direct access to the scholarships students need the most.
Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship: This scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education.
Niche: Niche can help with every step of the college search including paying for it.
The Christian Connector: This offers various scholarship drawings for Christian/Faith Based colleges and universities.
Coast Guard Exchange (CGX) Scholarship Program: Annually a $2,000 scholarship is awarded to the outstanding applicants on a one-time basis.
StudentScholarships.org Scholarship: This scholarship is provided by StudentScholarships.org.

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