July 16, 2011 (JUBA) - The Egyptian government has offered 160 scholarships to South Sudanese for academic year 2011/12.

The ministry of higher education says the date for receiving the application begins Friday July 15 and ends on July 28, 2011.

University students celebrating Independence in Juba

The director general of training and external relations, Benjamin Gabriel Apai, said the scholarships are meant for South Sudanese students only. 

“We have received 160 scholarships for undergraduate for this academic year 2011/2012. Out of these, 100 students will go to Egyptian universities and the other 60 to Alexandria Tonj branch,” Apai said in Juba yesterday.

This will bring the total number of South Sudanese students in Egypt under Egyptian government scholarship to 419. Twenty three of them are post graduate students.

Apai said applying students should submit original Sudan school certificate or its equivalent, and original birth certificate or assessment of age in addition to certificate of citizenship from the coordination office or from the state.

He said that the minimum pass mark is 60% for sciences and 65% for arts for those with Sudan school certificate; and those with foreign certificates must have obtained division one.

The director stated that the scholarships will be distributed equally among nine states of the Republic of South Sudan; apart from Warrap which will have more because it is hosting Alexandria University-Tonj branch.

 He said that each applicant must complete the forms in their respective states.

Apai advised applicants not to seal or laminate their certificates with plastic materials because they are to be stamped after evaluation by the Egyptian government.

“Those who fail to take this into consideration will lose their chances,” Apai advised.

He added that students should take their certificates to their state ministries of education from where they will be sent to the coordination offices in Juba and the coordination offices in turn will take them to the ministry of higher education of the Republic of South Sudan.

“Egyptian government will provide for feeding, accommodation and tuition, but the ministry of higher education of the Republic of South Sudan will give $100 per month to each student,” he said.

He added that the successful candidates are expected to report to the universities in the last week of August or first week of September.

Apai warned that the ministry of higher education will not hesitate to take any student who submits forged documents to courts of law.

“We know that people are coming with forged certificates but this time we have a system that can detect and any students found with forged certificates we will open a case against him”, Apai warned.

He advised those who will be selected to work hard, lest they are deported or sent back home if they fail examinations.

Students who have already been admitted to any university are not eligible to apply, however those who sat secondary certificate examinations as far back as 2005 can apply, as long as they have not been admitted to any university before.