THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE ON HOLD FOR 2022-23

If you already have a scholarship, everything will continue as normal. If you do not yet have a scholarship, you will no longer be able to apply.

Description

Tsadra Foundation is partnering with Rangjung Yeshe Institute to offer
three scholarship opportunities for study in Kathmandu:

• M.A. Prep Program in Buddhist Studies: one year, partial scholarship
• M.A. in Buddhist Studies: two years, full scholarship
• M.A. in Translation, Textual Interpretation, and Philology: two years, full scholarship

The application deadline for all three scholarships is February 1st for enrollment in late August of the same year.

M.A. scholarship applicants must be available for interviews (conducted online via Zoom) during February.

Decisions will be made by March 30th.

Eligibility Requirements

Please consider carefully your financial situation and think of others less fortunate and apply only if you are truly in need of assistance.

• Acceptance at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in the program you are applying for. Remember to apply to RYI as soon as possible (applications open on November 1 and should be completed by January 1 at the latest) and inform them of your interest in this scholarship. Learn more about the RYI programs here.
• Be a practicing Tibetan Buddhist for five years or more
• Hold a B.A. or the equivalent
• Proven advanced level of fluency in Tibetan language for the MA programs (where you will study directly in Tibetan with khenpos and lopons) and one year of study of both classical and spoken Tibetan for the MA Preparatory program – further details and requirements for each program are listed in the program descriptions at RYI
• For M.A. BS & TTIP: If your M.A. thesis is a translation or features a translation, the text to be translated must be an indigenous Tibetan text. Aside from that, there are no restrictions
• Be a passport holder of Europe, the Americas, or Australasia

Personal qualities that we are looking for include, but are not limited to:

• Prior experience living in South Asia and studying Buddhism in Tibetan
• Respect for monastic culture and traditional modes of study
• Diligence and enthusiasm for learning
• Open-mindedness
• Emotional stability and flexibility

Financial Award for M.A. Prep

• One year tuition and fees (full-time only)
• Funding for 5 hours of Tibetan language partners per week
• Room and board are not included

Financial Award for M.A. BS and M.A. TTIP

Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies  (M.A. BS) and the M.A. in Translation, Textual Interpretation, and Philology Scholarships (M.A. TTIP) cover the following costs each year for two years:

• Tuition (full-time only)
• Room and board
• International medical insurance
• Round-trip economy airfare from Nepal to the scholarship recipient’s home country (This provides scholarship recipients with the opportunity to return to their home countries once a year during their break)
• Funding for 5 hours of Tibetan language partners per week
• Modest allowances for books, incidentals, and visa expenses

Application Procedure

Required documentation

• Online application form: complete the online application form linked below.
• Curriculum vitae: in addition to other academic studies and work experience, this should include all relevant Buddhist studies, Tibetan language studies, meditation practice, any meditation retreats, and the date you took refuge.
• Please include any other relevant information in a short paragraph. Provide your CV in PDF format during the Online Application Form submission.
• Two letters of recommendation: from a university professor, Western Buddhist teacher or meditation instructor, or senior Western sangha member. Please ask that these letters be sent directly to studyscholarship@tsadra.org in PDF format. Also, please note that we do not accept letters written in Tibetan or from one’s root, or primary, teacher, meditation instructor, or lama.
• A letter from Rangjung Yeshe Institute stating that you have been accepted for your period of study. Please provide this letter in PDF format during the Online Application Form submission.

Scholarship Deadlines

• Applications are due February 1st.
• M.A. candidates must be available for online interviews during February and March.
• Final decisions will be announced by March 30th.

Reporting and Evaluation

Scholarship recipients are required to submit two reports a year (one at the end of the spring semester and one at the end of the year) to Tsadra Foundation and maintain a 3.0 CGPA.

By accepting one of these scholarships from Tsadra Foundation, you are committing full-time to your studies. Leaving in the middle of the semester for more than three school days for any reason other than sickness or family emergency is considered to be a forfeiture of your scholarship.

A scholarship recipient who forfeits their scholarship or wishes to discontinue their studies at any time for reasons other than medical ones, a family emergency, or natural disaster will be required (within a reasonable time frame) to reimburse the Foundation for the amount of scholarship funding they have received up to that point.

Limited one-year, Post M.A.-Scholarships may be available for highly competent students who have completed a two-year program, have excellent Tibetan, and wish to take further classes in Buddhist philosophy, either at RYI or the Sangye Yeshe Shedra.