OPEN COMPETITION for scholarships for enrolment in the study courses run at the University of Novi Sad

The Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (hereinafter referred to as the Coordination Body’s Office) announced the following 

O P E N  C O M P E T I T I O N

for scholarships for enrolment in the study courses run at the University of Novi Sad 

In accordance with its set priorities, and in view of its support to the improved quality of education in the territory of the municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac, the Coordination Body’s Office announces an open competition for granting 10 student scholarships to the young that have residence in the territory of the municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac.   

The granting of scholarships is aimed at providing the conditions for further education and professional development by ensuring the material support to the costs of doing the basic academic studies. The said costs primarily refer to the housing costs (private accommodation or accommodation at the student’s dormitory), the costs of food, transportation, purchasing textbooks and to other study-related costs. 

I REQUIREMENTS OF THE OPEN COMPETITION

Entitled to apply to the open competition are the following:

1) Students of the final secondary school year and

2) Other persons that are up to 22 years old, that completed secondary school and that have residence in the territory of the municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac.

Under the requirements of the open competition, a person may submit his/her application under the following conditions and in compliance with the following criteria: 

-That he/she has the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;

-That he/she had either excellent or very good marks at secondary school and that he/she didn’t repeat any years at the secondary school;

-That he/she has the knowledge of Serbian;

-That he/she isn’t enrolled in any faculty.

In addition to the formal requirements, the basic criterion for granting scholarships is the passing of qualifying exam (entrance exam) for enrolling in the first year of the basic studies at any faculty of the University of Novi Sad. 

II NECESSARY DOCUMENTS

-The application;

-Curriculum Vitae or CV;

-The certificate of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia (the original or a copy thereof certified at the municipality or the court of law) that isn’t older than 6 months;

-Birth certificate (the original or a copy thereof certified at the municipality or court of law) that is less than 6 months old;

-The certificate of residence in the territory of the municipalities of Presevo or Bujanovac, which is issued by the municipal body of the Ministry of Interior or a certified copy of an ID card which includes the requested information on residence, provided the student has it, or printed information on residence that is submitted with the new ID card; 

-A certified copy of the secondary school diploma (referring to all four secondary school years or to the first three secondary school years and the first term of the fourth secondary school year) ;

-A cover letter that includes the reasons for enrolling in a specific university, the plans for applying the acquired knowledge and skills following completion of the studies, and the expected professional contribution to the local community;

- Proof of the results achieved in competitions, provided the candidate has it.

III GRANTING OF SCHOLARSHIPS

The selection procedure for granting student scholarships shall be conducted in two phases. 

In the first phase of the selection procedure and upon expiry of the application deadline, the Selection Board, the members of which are appointed pursuant to a decision of the Coordination Body’s Office Director, shall make a list from which 10 candidates for scholarships will be selected. The Selection Board shall make the said list based on fulfillment of the formal requirements for applying, the cover letter, the knowledge of Serbian and the communication skills displayed during the interview. Priority in the list shall be given to the candidates who opted for one of the faculties proposed by the Coordination Body’s Office. 

The interview with candidates shall be conducted in February 2012, following expiry of the application deadline, while the candidates shall be subsequently informed of the exact time and date of the interview. 

In the second phase of the selection procedure, the Selection Board shall evaluate the results achieved at the qualifying (entrance) exam for enrolment in the first year of the basic studies at one of the faculties of the University of Novi Sad, as well as the knowledge of Serbian, following the attending of a course in Serbian, which shall be done by having an insight into the certificate of the knowledge of Serbian. The final rank-list of scholarship holders shall, thereupon, be made. 

When approving the further usage of scholarships, the continued meeting of the requirements for being financed from the budget of the Republic of Serbia shall be taken into account.  

IV AMOUNT AND PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIPS

The sum of the approved scholarship amounting to 45,000.00 RSD for the current year of studying shall be paid in nine monthly installments as of October 2012.   

In addition to the scholarship amount, the Coordination Body’s Office shall, in accordance with the approved funds, provide to the candidates from the Albanian community, who meet the application requirements, the attending of a three-month course in Serbian. The said course shall be provided upon the first phase of the selection procedure and prior to taking the qualifying exam. 

The scholarship amounts shall be paid in the scholarship beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

The payment of the approved scholarship amount shall cease in case it is spent for non-specific purposes, in case of failing to meet the conditions for enrollment in the following year of studying and in case the candidate abandons the studies. 

The rights and obligations of the scholarship beneficiary are specified in the agreement on scholarship granting, which the candidates shall sign with the Coordination Body’s Office following the announcement of the final rank-list.  

V  DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS

The competition shall be opened from February 10, 2012 until 4pm on February 23, 2012. 

Applicants from the municipality of Bujanovac shall submit their applications for receiving scholarships, along with the accompanying documents, to the Coordination Body’s Office in Bujanovac (which is in the building of the municipality of Bujanovac, at 115, Karadjordja Petrovica Str), and to the Coordination Body’s Office in Presevo (12, Save Kovacevica Str

The body that receives the application shall place the receiving seal on it, as well as the date when it was received. 

Untimely and incomplete documentation for the open competition shan’t be taken into consideration. 

The final rank-list and the list of scholarship holders shall be made by the scholarship granting board, which is established in accordance with a decision of the Coordination Body’s Office Director, following the posting of the rank-list on notice boards of the faculties of the University of Novi Sad, by July 22, 2012, at the latest.

OPEN COMPETITION for scholarships for enrolment in the study courses run at the University of Novi Sad