Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships

Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships for 2006-2007 offers Awards of Up to $26,000 for an Academic Year Abroad. The deadline for completed applications to a Rotary Club of Los Angeles District 5280 for Academic Year 2006-2007 is March 15^th 2005.

Rotary Scholarships, designed to further international understanding and goodwill, provide for academic study abroad in one of the countries and geographical regions where Rotary Clubs are located.  Each Rotary district determines how it wishes to use its allocated funds in Foundation programs. Funding allocation to a district is a function of contributions that the Rotarians of the district have made to the Foundation.

Academic-year Ambassadorial Scholarships for one academic year abroad provide a maximum of $26,000 to cover round-trip transportation, required academic fees for a normal course load, reasonable living costs, some educational supplies, one-month of brush-up intensive language training before commencing academic studies (if needed and assigned by the Foundation), and perhaps limited educational travel and contingency expenses.

The one-year scholarship is not degree-oriented.  Multi-year Rotary Foundation Scholarships for two years and Cultural Scholarships for three or six months are not offered by Rotary District 5280.  Applicants must have completed two years of university work or professional work experience before starting scholarship studies.  Scholars may be of any age (over 18) and may be married, but spouses or dependents are not provided for.  Rotarians, their spouses or direct relatives of Rotarians may not apply. 

Understandably, the awards are very competitive. The ideal candidate is an "all-around person,'' not just an academic star.  A prime consideration is that, while abroad, Rotary Foundation Scholars are expected to promote international understanding by being outstanding representatives of Rotary International and their country as "Ambassadors of Goodwill.''  Through appearances before Rotary Clubs and districts, schools, civic organizations, and other forums, scholars represent their homelands.  They are expected to do the same on return, to share their experiences with the people of their sponsoring districts and countries through talks to local Rotary clubs and other groups. Interested juniors, seniors, grad students, or graduates should apply to the local Rotary club where they study or work, or to the Rotary club of their legal residence.  After interview of applicants by the club committee, the club president nominates selected candidates to the Rotary District Scholarship Committee which interviews applicants and nominates selectees to The Rotary Foundation Trustees for final approval and study institution assignment. Rotary District 5280 favors the single academic-year scholarships as optimum, considering limited funding available; and gives preference to scholars who will be in the Los Angeles area for the entire year preceding the award year for familiarization with Rotary activities and interaction and identification with the sponsoring club and the District. 

Each selected scholar is oriented in Rotary activities and assisted diligently by a Rotarian volunteer: a sponsoring club counselor prior to and during the studies abroad, and an individually-assigned host club counselor in the study country during the period abroad.  This is a delightful and beneficial opportunity for Rotarians to work with these superb young people.  Academic-year scholars do not live with host Rotarians. Funding includes room and board, optimally to live on or near campus for close interaction with other students and faculty.  A Rotary scholarship may not be used in conjunction with an Education Abroad Program. 

More than 30,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices since the program began in 1947, at a cost of more than $356 million. Scholarship information for the Rotary Club of Pacific Palisades is available from Dick Littlestone via e-mail at dlittles@ucla.edu