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The Scholarship is for foreign students in their undergraduate or graduate studies, students working on their thesis, university assistants & staff with a particular interest in the Greek language and civilization.

While priority is given to those who will benefit more from the Course because of their academic background, YET, students from all fields of science & arts are welcome to apply and be eligible.

Anyone with a sustained interest in the Greek language is welcome to apply as long as they supply the relevant documents to attest to their status of candidate and they can explain the special reasons for their request.

The School of Modern Greek Language performs placement tests/interviews upon arrival and allocates students to classes according to their level. There are three levels: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced. However, it should be noted that a working knowledge of a lingua franca, such as English, could prove necessary for class attendance at least at beginners’ level.

There is a number of criteria taken into account such as country of origin, level of studies, level of Greek language attainment, recommending Institution/authority, other programs attended, extracurricular activities & interests, future plans, et.c. Yet, each and every application is considered according to its merits both individually and in relation to the other fellow candidates’. Selection is a procedure performed meticulously and with a great sense of responsibility, each year, by the Studies Committee, rendering the whole process dynamic so that everyone has a chance of being eligible.

Every year a considerable number of applications are received, ranging from 200 to 450. Candidates come from all over the world and from as many as 40-45 countries and double as many universities. What should be noted, however, is that while country/university of origin is taken into consideration this is done only to keep a balance so that some countries/universities are not over-represented over others. Also a candidate from an under-represented country/university will not be favoured if they don’t meet other important criteria. Because the number of places is limited, every effort is being made to keep the ratio of candidates to places within the prescribed set of criteria. This is an open scholarship and there are no reserved places for any country or host institution.

Documents submitted once with your application are filed with your application of that year. Only you in person, or another person with your official authorization can extract them from your file and make use of them again. Every new application must be supplemented with a complete set of supporting documents.

You can ratify them at any authorized entity of your country of origin (e.g. authorized solicitor).

You can translate them at any authorized entity of your country of origin either in Greek or in any of the given languages (English, French, Italian).

You can arrange that these are mailed separately to the Department of Studies and we will take care to attach them to your application.
 
Regarding reference letters in particular, since it is often the case that there is geographical distance between the candidate and the author, they may be sent via e-mail, provided that:

– as original handsigned letter, they are scanned, attached and directly sent to the Department of Studies
– as original digitally signed letters, they are directly sent to the Department of Studies
– as email messages (body of text), they are directly sent to the Department of Studies, as long as the sender has a digital signature with his/her email provider

In case of email deliveries, a) the sender’s address must be identifiable, b) the subject of the message must bear clear indication to the purpose of the correspondence, c) the Department of Studies is notified in advance by the candidate regarding this correspondence (ATTACHMENTS FROM UNKNOWN SENDERS ARE DELETED WITHOUT BEING READ)
 
Student certificates that are digitally issued by default, may be sent electronically, provided they are digitally signed by the issuing body. Their submission follows the rules mentioned above regarding references.
 
Do note that electronic submission is a compliment reserved for special cases and abuse will not be tolerated.

You can e-mail or fax your application this same day so as to meet the deadline. The Department of Studies allows for a couple of weeks margin, in order for you to gather and send in the required documents. When received, they will be accordingly attached to your application. Beyond this point, any application received, even within the deadline, is considered incomplete and is automatically disregarded.

The choice of the reference/recommendation letters’s author is entirely up to you. It is your responsibility to make sure that these people know you well and are associated with you through work or academic collaboration. It is important that they have all the necessary information about your background so that they will be in a position to refer to you in a favourable way. Special talents, abilities and “extra-curricular” activities or pursuits in the field of Greek language and culture should be particularly mentioned.

The reference/recommendation letters must be recent and they must refer in particular to your eligibility for this scholarship and your aptness to attend a Course in Modern Greek language. Letters that are outdated or are non-specific they are unlikely to bear a strong recommendation to your case. Also, letters that are older than one year will not be accepted at all.

You should explain what is your particular interest in the Greek language, especially when this in not obvious from your field of studies. You should describe how you would benefit from this Course and in what way this program will enhance your academic achievement record with regards to your background C.V. If you wish to back your application with an essay or covering letter you are welcome to do so.

Each candidate must send in proof of their status. So:

• If you are not yet a student, you submit a copy of your high-school diploma according to the requirements set in section 3. High-school pupils are not accepted to the Course and therefore are not eligible for the Scholarship.
• If you are a student, either undergraduate (BA, BSc) or postgraduate (Master’s, PhD) you must submit the relevant document issued by your University, that attests to your student status.
• If you have finished your studies, you must submit a copy of your degree according to the requirements set in section 3.
• If you are a teacher or member of academic staff or researcher or translator in the Greek language or working within a Greek-related field you must, in addition, submit the according attestation.
• These documents must be issued by the appropriate authority of your country of origin bearing the appropriate insignia (e.g. paper with letter head and official stamp).

You can send an e-mail message to the Department of Studies and we will inform you about your file and if all your documents are in order. Results are available in June. All candidates are informed personally and in writing regarding the outcome of their application, successful or not.  Make sure you have provided in your application form a VALID

• email address: Successful candidates are originally contacted by e-mail to confirm their interest in the offer of the Scholarship as soon as possible
• correspondence or home address: official invitations -IF ESSENTIAL TO THE ISSUING OF THE NECESSARY VISA- are sent via standard mail to successful candidates following their confirmed participation in the Scholarship Programme. 

Make sure to inform the Department of Studies promptly for any change in the above

You are allowed only one (1) day deferred entry, since the School of Modern Greek Language runs the placement test on-line, well before the beginning of the course and lessons start on the 1st day. Beyond this, it is impossible to follow the course and therefore to receive the scholarship. In any such case, the student must promptly inform beforehand both the Department of Studies (scholarships) and the School of Modern Greek Language (course/lessons).

Full attendance of the Course in mandatory for the scholarship to become effective. 80% attendance of the Course is absolutely necessary for a Certificate of Attendance to be issued in your name by the School of Modern Greek Language. Scholarship-holders are required to meet at least this condition. In any other case, the scholarship status is dropped and the student is obliged to compensate the University for the fees.

All those who receive the scholarship are automatically registered to the Course. Yet, results cannot be known before June. If you really must attend the Course this summer regardless of the outcome of your scholarship application and you are willing to pay the fees on your own, then it is advisable that you also apply to the School of Modern Greek Language independently of the scholarship, by meeting the requirements and deadline set by the School for this Course.

The scholarship covers the registration and tuition fees of the School of Modern Greek Language only. For all other expenses, e.g. travelling to and from Thessaloniki, accommodation, meals, course textbook, School trips (optional) you have to provide for on your own. However, efforts are being made so that you can be hosted to the Student Halls of Residence on very smart prices and take your meals at the Student Refectory as soon as it resumes from summer recess (September 1st).

You are well advised to pre-pay the Student Residences in full by the time of your arrival, as money tend to slip away easily in a vibrant student city like Thessaloniki. In case your dues to the Residence are not paid in time and well before your departure, the Department of Studies reserves the right to suspend the scholarshi status with considerable consequences. According to the Scholarships’ Regulations Handbook, conduct unbecoming of a scholarship holder will not be tolerated.
 
Events and trips are organized by the School for your own benefit, seeking to enrich the course with extra-curricular activities (dancing lessons, museum visits, visit to sites of historic value, farewell party). You can have your own agenda, however do know that slots to popular activities tend to be filled by day one of the course.

European Union students should take care of issuing the European Health Insurance Card in their country before coming to Greece. Students outside European Union should provide for health insurance during the Course, on their own.

The Department of Studies has no obligation to housing scholarship-holders. However, because we realize the difficulties of finding suitable accommodation at reasonable prices from a distance, we take the liberty of EITHER pre-booking on your behalf rooms at the Student Residences of Thessaloniki OR provide you with a list of private student studios within the city of Thessaloniki. Facilities vary according to type of accommodation and depend upon cost and availability. Rooms at the various types of accommodation are allocated to students according to the order in which their availability occurs, the student’s initial request and the order by which the students confirm their attendance to the Course. On the other hand, it is not rare that an accommodation reservation may not be at all possible and you must bear this in mind, when accepting the offer of the scholarship. The cost of accommodation bears entirely on the scholarship-holders and it is essential that they carry out responsibly.

In some cases it becomes possible to change allocated accommodation to your better satisfaction, but not before you actually come to Thessaloniki. You should bear in mind that the Department of Studies is not an accommodation office. Pre-booking is a service and as such it is optional, offered only for your convenience within given limitations (availability, cost, short-term residence) If you don’t need this service or you are not satisfied with the accommodation available you are welcome to cancel. It would be a courtesy, though, if you let us know as soon as possible, since there is a priority list for rooms, too.

The Department of Studies makes every effort to describe, in the best possible way, the provisions and amenities offered by the different types of accommodation available and has no responsibility for any shortcomings that might occur. Indeed, problems or failings may arise that could or could not be taken care of relatively easily and speedily during your stay. This also depends on the type of accommodation. In general, you should know that all types of accommodation, either Student Residences or private studios, are not within the authority of the Department of Studies in order for a forceful intervention to be possible or at all feasible. A good advice would be to clarify in advance, in direct contact with the accommodation manager whose details you will be informed about, what are the provisions that you consider fundamental according to your needs, what is included in the price and what can be offered on the side and at what cost.

The Department of Studies officially notifies all appropriate Greek diplomatic authorities abroad about successful candidates in need of visa, mentioning in particular their passport number, as entered by themselves on their application. Issuing of the requested visa is entirely the authority’s prerogative and the Department of Studies cannot intervene at all.

Issuing the appropriate visa (student visa), to cover for the entire duration of the Course is your responsibility. The Department of Studies takes every necessary step to facilitate you in this process but cannot cover for your engagements before the beginning or after the end of the Course. You should also know that extension of visa while in Greece will cost you about 500 €.

You can send in your application to meet the deadline and you can contact the Department of Studies as soon as you get your passport to fill in these particulars.