the highwayman: Study in Taiwan

Best way to explore Taiwan is to spare more time for it. Either work or study there. If the second choice interests you, then the following info should interest you even more. Taken from Fyodor.

Types of Scholarships
The four participating agencies funding this program each have a different focus in terms of eligible nationalities and study programs:
MOFA Scholarship:
Awarded to recipients from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, or from countries specified as diplomatically favorable by MOFA, for undergraduate or postgraduate programs as well as the pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Program (LEP).
Benefits: economy-class roundtrip airfare for a direct-route flight and a monthly stipend of NT$30,000 (approx. US$900).
MOE Scholarship:
Awarded to recipients from countries other than those specified in the MOFA Scholarship for undergraduate or postgraduate programs as well as the pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Program (LEP).
Benefits: a monthly stipend of NT$25,000 (approx. US$750) for undergraduate or LEP programs, or NT$30,000 (approx. US$900) for postgraduate programs.
NSC Scholarship:
Awarded to recipients from countries other than those specified in the MOFA Scholarship for postgraduate programs.
Benefits: a monthly stipend of NT$30,000 (approx. US$900).
MOEA Scholarship:
Awarded to recipients from countries other than those specified in the MOFA Scholarship for postgraduate programs only in fields involving scientific technology and agriculture.
Benefits: a monthly stipend of NT$30,000 (approx. US$900).

Duration
The award period for each study program varies as follows:
Undergraduate program: maximum 4 years.
Master’s program: maximum 2 years.
Doctoral program: maximum 3 years.
LEP: maximum 1 year.

For any combination of these study programs, the length of the total award for each recipient is a maximum of five years. LEP study must be undertaken in the first year if it is to be included in the award period.
Annual award periods are from September 1 through August 31. If recipients fail to arrive in Taiwan to study during this period, their award status will be cancelled and cannot be extended for another year. If recipients begin studies after the semester/term/quarter starts, their award period will become effective from the month they arrive in Taiwan to matriculate at their individual universities/colleges/Mandarin training centers. Whether it begins in September or later, the LEP award period ends in August although its length may be less than the specified maximum of one year.
The actual award period for a study program begins from the month that a recipient arrives in Taiwan to matriculate at the intended educational institution. All awards will end the month their specified award period is completed. However, if recipients graduate early, drop out, are expelled from their institutions or their scholarships are revoked, the award will be terminated.
Eligibility
An applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
Possess prior excellent academic performance and be of good moral character.
Does not possess Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship.
Does not have the status of being an overseas Chinese student.
Is not currently enrolled at an educational institution in Taiwan for the same study program that he/she intends to take for a Taiwan Scholarship.
Is not an exchange student in accordance with a cooperation agreement between a foreign university/college and an educational institute in Taiwan when receiving a Taiwan Scholarship.
Is not applying for a study program leading to the same-level degree as previously undertaken under the Taiwan Scholarship Program.
Has not received a Taiwan Scholarship for five or more years.
Has not previously had an award revoked either under the Taiwan Scholarship Program or the Ministry of Education’s Huayu Enrichment Scholarship.
Is not a current recipient of a scholarship or subsidy being offered by a government agency or educational institution in Taiwan.

Those students already undertaking degree programs outside of Taiwan are eligible to apply for the Taiwan Scholarship.
Application and Selection Process
Applicants must send their completed applications to the Taiwan representative office which covers the area in which where they live. In principle, the application period is from February 1st through March 31st each year, unless otherwise specified by Taiwan’s individual representative offices. For application guidelines and forms, scholarship types and quotas, as well as information about the selection process and application outcomes, applicants may contact the relevant representative office directly at the end of January. A completed application includes the following:
a. A completed application form.
b. Photocopy of passport or other certificate of nationality.
c. Photocopy of your highest-level diploma and a complete grade transcript.
N.B. these documents must be authenticated by one of Taiwan’s overseas representative offices if issued by international educational institutions.
d. Duplicates of application documents (e.g. photocopy of application form etc).
N.B. LEP applicants must submit applications to both the Mandarin training centre as well as the next-stage university/college. The exact academic year(s) that applicants would like to be enrolled full-time at these two institutions must be clearly specified. There must also be no break in studies between any two programs.
e. Photocopy of a certificate proving acceptable levels of English or Chinese language proficiency, depending on which language will be used for instruction.
N.B. only applicants for degree programs need submit this document.
f. Additional documents, if any, to be specified by Taiwan’s individual representative offices.
In principle, selection priority will be given to those who intend to undertake a degree program and have successfully secured admission to a university/college.
Re-Applying
Upon completion of a degree program, recipients may re-apply for a Taiwan Scholarship to undertake another degree program by following the application process above. The combined award period cannot exceed five years.
N.B. LEP recipients who have been awarded an LEP scholarship only may be granted the next-stage award period for a degree program, through the universities/colleges they will be attending, upon completion of their LEP study. Required documents include a photocopy of admission to a university/college and that of an acceptable English or Chinese language certificate attesting to proficiency for their degree studies.
Renewal
To review recipients’ award qualifications for the next academic year, individual universities/ colleges will conduct an evaluation for scholarship renewal by February 28 each year. Each educational institution may set grading criteria for the minimum academic average for a semester, or may use the common criteria--- 60 out of 100 for undergraduates and 70 for postgraduates.
For recipients in grade 3 of their doctoral programs, this evaluation should be done in the manner specified by individual institutions, since systems vary from discipline to discipline in terms of requirements for session credits and scheduling of dissertation writing.
Recipients will be permanently disqualified from receiving any Taiwan Scholarship awards, effective from September of the new academic year, if they fail to achieve a specified minimum academic average for two single consecutive semesters of study.

Suspension and Revocation
(I) Suspension
A. Degree Programs:
If a recipient fails to achieve a specified minimum academic average for a semester,
the stipend for one month will be suspended in the following semester.
B. LEP Program:
a. Attendance Records:
With the exception of serious illness or accident, if a recipient is absent from his/her required language sessions for 12 or more hours within a single month, stipends for the following month will be suspended.
b. Academic Performance:
Beginning from the second study semester/term/quarter in Taiwan, if a recipient’s academic average for a semester/term/quarter is less than 80 out of 100, the stipend for one month will be suspended in the following term/quarter.
c. TOP Mandarin Proficiency Rating(http://www.sc-top.org.tw/):
A one-month stipend suspension will be imposed if a recipient fails to submit to his/her individual Mandarin training center, a photocopy of a TOP (Test of Proficiency---Huayu) certificate with results rated at the beginner level or above, by July 31, one month before his/her LEP award period is due. Registration fees for this TOP test are the full responsibility of the recipient.
However, if the recipient succeeds in this TOP test during the next-stage award period for a degree program, the one-month stipend suspended as above will be reimbursed through application with the university/college that he/she will be attending.
(II) Revocation:
A recipient may be permanently disqualified from receiving a Taiwan Scholarship and the remaining stipends cancelled if one of the following situations arises:
A. Degree Programs:
Failure to submit, around the time of matriculation for each semester, an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) marked “Study,” to the university/college by the deadlines that they specify.
Failure in the evaluation for annual renewal of the Taiwan Scholarship.
Failure to submit a photocopy of an acceptable English/Chinese language proficiency certificate, depending on which language is to be used for instruction, when transferring to a new program of study.
Dropping out or being expelled from school.
The student is in receipt of another scholarship or subsidy offered by one of Taiwan’s governmental or educational institutions.
B. LEP Program:
Failure to submit, around the time of matriculation for each study term/quarter, an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) marked “Study,” by the deadlines specified by the Mandarin training center.
Failure to achieve an academic average of 80 or above out of 100 for two single consecutive terms/quarters of study, beginning from the second term/quarter.
Absence from exams resulting in a missing score for a study term/quarter, with the exception of serious illness or accident.
Dropping out or being expelled from school.
The student is in receipt of another scholarship or subsidy offered by one of Taiwan’s governmental or educational institutions.

Transfer
After studying for a semester/term/quarter at a university/college/Mandarin training center, recipients may be allowed to transfer once during the course of a degree/LEP program if the pertinent educational institutions approve the request.
If a recipient studying for a degree transfers to a new program of study, he/she must submit a photocopy of a certificate proving acceptable levels of English or Chinese language proficiency, depending on which language will be used for instruction, to the new institution.
Stipend Payments
In principle, stipends are paid before the fifth day of each month, through the universities/ colleges/Mandarin training centers that the recipients attend, by means specified by the individual institutions.
It is mandatory that recipients participate in the National Health Insurance Plan and purchase a Student Accident Insurance policy while resident in Taiwan. The recipient’s educational institutions will deduct fees for these insurance plans from the stipends before they are paid.
N.B. As a requirement for matriculation at their intended educational institutions, before departure to Taiwan recipients must purchase medical/health insurance valid for a minimum of four months from the arrival date in Taiwan. This insurance policy must be authenticated by one of Taiwan’s overseas representative offices.